Notre Dame Football Recruiting
2018 Bishop Gorman Star Ng Has Big Day at Notre Dame
June 15, 2017
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Irish Invasion might have been the headliner last week, but Notre Dame also held its kicking camp over the weekend. The Irish have found crucial parts to the team in the past at the camp and might have found a future punter over the weekend in Bishop Gorman’s (Nev.) Derek Ng.
“I did well in the punt competition,” Ng told Irish Sports Daily. "I had a really good day kicking off and with field goals too. I won the punting part of the camp.”
The competition was designed to bring out the best in each player, but it was also designed to who could handle different situations.
“They had us separated into different classes, and they set a benchmark of punting 40 yards with a 4.0 second hang time, which is an average Division I college punter,” explained Ng. “If you didn’t make it on the first two attempts, you didn’t advance.
“The next round we had to punt 42 yards with a 4.2 second hang time. We kept backing up and backing up until there were four of us at the end. We did a big ball competition for the finals. It’s basically adding hang time plus distance to get a number. So if you punted 45 yards with a 4.5 hang time, it would be a 90.”
The 5-foot-9, 175-pounder went into the competition ready to compete and came out the winner, which surprised Ng.
“I didn’t even expect to win the punt contest,” stated Ng. “The completion was great, and there were a lot of great kickers and punters in camp. I was definitely the underdog. I was the shortest one there, and no one expected me to win.”
Ng is familiar with special teams coach Brian Polian, as Polian was the head coach at Nevada before he returned to South Bend.
“I like Coach Polian as a guy,” Ng said. “He was up in Reno before, and I like him a lot. He seemed to like me too. He didn’t care about my height or anything.”
Regarding an offer, Ng and others will be patient over the next few months. Polian will track how each does during their senior season and will factor that into their camp performance.
“There were four of us in the conversation to get an offer,” Ng explained. “He told us we all had the potential to be a punter at Notre Dame and he would look into our grades. He wanted us to send film from this upcoming season during games so he can evaluate from there.
“He wanted to see us perform in a game and not just a camp situation.”
Ng doesn’t currently hold an offer, but that could change as teams keep tabs on him.
“I do have preferred walk-on offers from Miami and Houston,” stated Ng. “I have been told I can do all three at the Division I level. It just depends on what the coach needs from me. Miami wants me to do kickoff and punt. Notre Dame would probably punt a lot if they were to offer.”
Ng also believes his high school experience will give him an edge over some of the other kickers/punters in his class. Bishop Gorman has been on national TV with huge crowds to go along with high-pressure situations that most high schools simply don’t get.
“The loud crowds, coaching, and the pressure on me really build mental toughness,” said Ng. “They will scream in my ears and make noises when I kick, and it doesn’t phase me because I have been through so much at Bishop Gorman.”
“I did well in the punt competition,” Ng told Irish Sports Daily. "I had a really good day kicking off and with field goals too. I won the punting part of the camp.”
The competition was designed to bring out the best in each player, but it was also designed to who could handle different situations.
“They had us separated into different classes, and they set a benchmark of punting 40 yards with a 4.0 second hang time, which is an average Division I college punter,” explained Ng. “If you didn’t make it on the first two attempts, you didn’t advance.
“The next round we had to punt 42 yards with a 4.2 second hang time. We kept backing up and backing up until there were four of us at the end. We did a big ball competition for the finals. It’s basically adding hang time plus distance to get a number. So if you punted 45 yards with a 4.5 hang time, it would be a 90.”
The 5-foot-9, 175-pounder went into the competition ready to compete and came out the winner, which surprised Ng.
“I didn’t even expect to win the punt contest,” stated Ng. “The completion was great, and there were a lot of great kickers and punters in camp. I was definitely the underdog. I was the shortest one there, and no one expected me to win.”
Ng is familiar with special teams coach Brian Polian, as Polian was the head coach at Nevada before he returned to South Bend.
“I like Coach Polian as a guy,” Ng said. “He was up in Reno before, and I like him a lot. He seemed to like me too. He didn’t care about my height or anything.”
Regarding an offer, Ng and others will be patient over the next few months. Polian will track how each does during their senior season and will factor that into their camp performance.
“There were four of us in the conversation to get an offer,” Ng explained. “He told us we all had the potential to be a punter at Notre Dame and he would look into our grades. He wanted us to send film from this upcoming season during games so he can evaluate from there.
“He wanted to see us perform in a game and not just a camp situation.”
Ng doesn’t currently hold an offer, but that could change as teams keep tabs on him.
“I do have preferred walk-on offers from Miami and Houston,” stated Ng. “I have been told I can do all three at the Division I level. It just depends on what the coach needs from me. Miami wants me to do kickoff and punt. Notre Dame would probably punt a lot if they were to offer.”
Ng also believes his high school experience will give him an edge over some of the other kickers/punters in his class. Bishop Gorman has been on national TV with huge crowds to go along with high-pressure situations that most high schools simply don’t get.
“The loud crowds, coaching, and the pressure on me really build mental toughness,” said Ng. “They will scream in my ears and make noises when I kick, and it doesn’t phase me because I have been through so much at Bishop Gorman.”
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