By Mark Maynard / Prokickernews.com
RALEIGH, N.C. – punter Michael Skyles and combo kicker Matthew McManis emerged as top prospects in the Ray Guy Prokicker.com camp in North Carolina on Thursday and Friday.
Skyles, who will be a high school senior this fall, made a big impression on veteran staffer Bobby Behr.
“He can flat bomb it,” Behr said. “He’s a running back on his football team so he’s doing dual duty. He’s a good kid with a real strong leg.”
Behr liked the upside in Skyles, who is a solidly built 5-foot-11, 175-pounder who “you can tell works out.”
“We made a little tweak on the first day and you could tell a big difference,” he said. “He was short-arming it. His elbow and arms were not extended out far enough. We readjusted the grip to keep it out in front of him.”
The small tweaks made a major difference in Skyles’ consistency in his punts.
“When he comes up through it, it’s gone,” Behr said. “He can punt the ball 60, 70 yards. It was a college bomb. “He needs to push the mechanics through and try not to over-kill it.
“ He’s somebody they’re going to be looking at.”
McManis (class of 2013) was a big-hitting combo kicker who won camp competitions for longest field goal (55 yards) and hang time punt (4.44 on a 43-yard kick).
Prokicker.com moves to the Washington, D.C., area for a two-day camp on Saturday and Sunday. Go to Prokicker.com for information on upcoming camps.
