Wolfert has added confidence

Last year during spring practice, Missouri kicker Jeff Wolfert was a walk-on in competition with incumbent kicker Adam Crossett to be the Tigers’ primary field goal kicker.

But this year, Wolfert, a junior, doesn’t have to worry about trying to win the job every day at practice. Thanks to a strong 2006 season, Wolfert is listed as the Tigers’ top kicker and has the comfort of some job security.

“I’m a little bit more relaxed out here than I was last year,” Wolfert said after Wednesday’s practice at Memorial Stadium.

After missing field goal attempts in Missouri’s first two games in 2006, Wolfert was perfect the rest of the year, finishing the season 18-for-20 on field goals and 45-for-45 on extra points, and was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, which is given to the nation’s top collegiate kicker.

That, Wolfert says, translates to extra confidence from his teammates and the coaching staff.

“Now that I have (the place-kicking job) and it’s pretty set in stone, whenever we’re in the scoring zone, I need to make sure the coaches know to count on me,” Wolfert said.

“Last year, they knew I had a good shot but they didn’t have full confidence in me.”

As a reward for his performance, Wolfert received a scholarship in the offseason.

Even though Wolfert has the place-kicker job, he and Crossett will be in competition once again this spring, this time to determine who will handle the kickoff duties. Crossett kicked off last season.

“We’re going to look at that a little bit,” Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said, “It’s something that’s pretty easy to evaluate.”

Wolfert said he doesn’t expect a decision to be made on kickoffs until at least two-a-days.

“We’re going to kick every Saturday and they’ll chart us,” he said. “We’ll see how it goes.”

One factor that may impact the outcome of the competition is out of Wolfert and Crossett’s control. The NCAA, which attempted to shorten games last season by starting the clock as soon as the ball was set on a change of possession, has proposed altering kickoffs.

Instead of kicking from the 35—yard line, where kickoffs were last season, the NCAA Football Rules Committee has proposed moving the kickoff spot back five yards to the 30, where the NFL currently kicks off from. The change would be expected to increase the number of kick returns.

“It’s something that I anticipate will happen, which will really change that part of the game,” Pinkel said.

Wolfert hopes that the change doesn’t happen.

“I already struggled to get touchbacks from the 35, so (the proposed change) kind of throws it out of the equation,” Wolfert said. “I hope they keep it at the 35.”

NOTES: Running back Earl Goldsmith didn’t practice Wednesday and had his left arm in a sling. Pinkel said that an MRI was scheduled on his left shoulder. Brock Christopher was still limited by an ankle sprain that he suffered before spring break. According to Pinkel, the plan is to get Christopher back into action on Tuesday.