With all due respect to Dominic Zvada, the hope by the end of Michigan football’s season is he’s no longer the best player on the team.

That Zvava, the kicker, has been the Wolverines' most reliable source of points means there aren’t many touchdowns being scored, with chances squandered.

This week he’s in a unique position.

The No. 16 Wolverines (1-1) host Arkansas State (2-0) on Saturday at Michigan Stadium (noon, Big Ten Network), Zvada’s former team before he transferred to Michigan in late April.

“It’s something that’s been on my mind for a long time," he said Tuesday night. "Ever since I committed here in the summer, it’s been in the back of my mind. It’s just another game, so I have to stay focused and do what I do. It will be good to see the friends that I have, but I have to stay focused and locked in to what I need to do.”

Zvada’s U-M career has been perfect to start. The junior has made all three of his point after attempts and is 5 of 5 on field goals. Three of those have been from more than 50 yards (52, 53 and 55, the second-longest of his career), with another from 45. His closest was still a 37-yarder in front of 110,000 people vs. Texas.

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For Zvada, a Lou Groza Award semifinalist in 2022 (one year after Michigan's Jake Moody won the honor), facing his former team, the Red Wolves, is a welcomed challenge. He insists there's "no bad blood" as his ex-teammates understood the incredible "opportunity" awaiting him at Michigan.

He spoke highly of his previous stop, where he made 34 of 40 field goals and 71 of 72 extra points.

"Jonesboro, Arkansas. Tough, gritty program led by Butch Jones," Zvada said with a smile. "Winning culture, amazing team, amazing players, amazing coaches. They know how to win. They've gone 2-0 and it's going to be a good game for us and I'm excited to play them."

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The Chandler, Arizona native from Valley Christian high school almost didn't play football in college, and instead was going to attend Arizona State. Though he didn't hold a single Division I scholarship at the end of his senior year, he did receive a direct message on social media from an Arkansas State analyst (Kody Schexnayder who is now at Ole Miss) who'd come across his tape.

Zvada eventually agreed to a preferred walk-on spot for the Red Wolves. Before the end of fall camp, that changed.

At a preseason banquet before his first game, Jones called Zvada on stage and announced in front of the whole program he was receiving a full scholarship.

"I had no idea it was happening, he pulled out a folder and was like 'you're on scholarship' and everybody started clapping," Zvada recalled. "A moment I'll remember the rest of my life, it was a really cool experience."

A few weeks later, Zvada attempted his first collegiate kicks at Ohio Stadium, going a perfect 4-for-4 vs. Ohio State as a true freshman.

How does he stay calm in the moment? Zvada said no matter the conditions, the score or opponent, he treats every kick whether it's practice, warmups or the game exactly the same.

If the defense has the ball he will let himself relax "a little" but as soon as the offense has the ball, he's back kicking into the net. Once the ball crosses midfield, he's next to the coordinators, but still not speaking to anyone if he can help it.

"Some of my teammates think I hate them," he laughed. "I'm like 'that's not the case at all, I really like you guys,' it's just that during the game I need to stay focused and it's easy to get unfocused when you talk to people."

So far, so good for the man who insists playing EA Sports' 'College Football 25' video game and watching his character make kicks has helped him visualize them going through the uprights in real life. He has only kicked on the video game in the Big House, but said he will begin playing away stadiums like Washington, Illinois and Indiana soon enough.

"Yeah sorry, cancel my homework for the night," he joked. "I've got to play the game."

Zvada won the kicking battle by the end of fall camp, according to his head coach Sherrone Moore. The competition was between the junior and a redshirt freshman from Ann Arbor Huron and former U.S. Army All-American, Adam Samaha.

"He’s been kicking it through the roof," Moore said when Zvada won the job. "He’s done a really good job.”

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Special teams coordinator J.B. Brown said it's "huge" to have a kicker where the team feels confident scoring from more than 50 yards out.

Zvada, who in Week 1 was the Big Ten's co-special teams player of the week, messaged 49ers kicker Jake Moody (Michigan), after Moody's 6-for-6 performance on Monday Night Football. He told Zvada to keep doing what he was doing.

Zvada has worked consistently with his predecessor James Turner, who was released by the Green Bay Packers at the end of July. Zvada said Turner has been at nearly every Michigan practice this fall.

But more than anything else, he credits his success to his "one for one" mentality on each attempt.

"As soon as you make it, or you miss it, it's gone and it's over with, there's nothing you can do about it and you move on to the next one," Zvada said. "That's what I try and do as best I can. Once I step off the field, it's done with, it's over. Time for the next kick."

Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X @RealTonyGarcia.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan's Dominic Zvada: 'College Football 25' helps me make kicks