Countdown to Kickoff: 87 Days Part II (Calob Meinzer)

Written By Nick Holmes (@HoosierHolmes)

#87

There are now 87 days remaining until the Indiana Hoosiers kick-off the 2016 season in Miami against the Florida International Golden Panthers. Join us each day for each part of our 100-day countdown to the opener! Currently, kicker Calob Meinzer is the number 87 for the Hoosiers.

Calob Meinzer  (Freshman)

-Height: 6’2”
-Weight: 207 pounds
-Hometown: Wentzville, Missouri
-Position: Kicker

Our countdown of kickers continues, as we take a look at our third place kicker in the last six days, Calob Meinzer. The Missouri native joined the Hoosiers last season as a walk-on, where he was subsequently redshirted.
 
Meinzer performed both the kicking and punting duties on the State Championship Christian Brothers College High School football team, where he scored a single-season school record 124 points and connected on 14 field goals. His 61 touchbacks ranked second in program history. As a result, he was named the 2014 conference special teams player of the year. He was also selected to the all-conference first team and was an all-district honoree. He also lettered in soccer and was member of the National Honors Society.
 
The Hoosiers look to have their kicker lined up for the next two seasons with Oaks. However, while unlikely, there is a slight chance that with another All-Big Ten performance by Oaks that he could bolt for the league a year early. Whatever the case may be, Meinzer looks to have plenty of time to hone his skills before his number is called. The reviews coming out of high school touted his potential, but there were areas of his game that needed refinement.
 
 “Calob is a big legged, tall combo specialist. His fundamentals and technique are shaky, but he gets away with a lot because of his leg strength. His "A" KO ball is as good as anyone’s in his class. He made the punt finals round at the 2014 College-Prep Showcase. Seeing that his mechanics could use improvement, we believe Calob has a ton of upside potential if introduced to some formal instruction.”
 
In the long line of great kickers, Meinzer hopes to get his opportunity to be one of the next at Indiana. The last decade or more the team has somewhat quietly had some of the conference’s best kickers, starting with Austin Starr, then Mitch Ewald and now Griffin Oakes. Will Meinzer be the next? Only time will tell, but he certainly will benefit from working out with the Big Ten’s best kicker in Oakes.

Share any memories or recollections you have of Calob Meinzer as a player in the comments section (or on the message boards) and be sure to come back to Hoosier Huddle each day during our countdown!