Oklahoma K Zach Schmit Shaking Off Early Nerves And 'Ready to Go' When Needed
NORMAN — A placekicker can make or break a team.
As redshirt sophomore Zach Schmit replaces Gabe Brkic as the one knocking the extra points and field goals through the uprights, he notes how the previous two seasons sitting behind the fan favorite Brkic helped him be ready for this opportunity.
“Being behind Gabe really helped me out the past two years,” Schmit said after practice on Tuesday evening. “I was able to go against him and just continue to get better as a kicker and person each and every day. So coming into this fall camp and going against Gavin (Marshall), he’s a great kicker. That was really good. It was really fun though. It’s cool to be the starting guy after being behind Gabe. And I’m excited for it. I was a little nervous to start off with. But it’s been good now. The jitters are out and I’m ready to go.”
Brkic won fans over with his big personality and a swagger level not often seen from the kicking position — something Schmit hopes to take from him as he continues his Sooners tenure.
“His confidence was huge,” Schmit said. “I remember coming in as a freshman, I was nervous. And he would sit there with just a cool, calm and collected attitude. I was always wondering how he could do it. So over the past two years, I just kind of took notes on his routine, what he would do before kicks and everything. Just took notes on it, followed it. And it's helping out a lot. Confidence has been huge for me.”
Schmit knows that having belief in oneself is vital for a kicker to get the job done on a weekly basis. Without that, things are likely not going to end well for a position that has a mental component perhaps as high as any on the field.
“You just have to have confidence in yourself,” Schmit said. “That’s the biggest thing. If you don’t have confidence in yourself it’s never going to end well. So I just always know to tell myself I’m ready. I’ve done it 1,000 times. I come out here and kick in practice. Everything’s fine. I know what to do. Just let the fundamentals and technique take over.”
In addition to the years working with Brkic, Schmit is also aided by a coaching staff that has put a much larger emphasis on special teams than the previous regime.
Zach Schmit at the Oklahoma Spring Game
BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK
Brent Venables and company have put a premium on making sure the third side of the ball is buttoned up for gameday, even bringing in Jay Nunez as a special teams analyst over the offseason.
“Coach Nunez has done a great job coming in,” Schmit said. “He came in from EMU (Eastern Michigan) and he's done a great job at just bonding with the team and really getting them bought in on special teams. Sometimes you can use special teams as just an extra task. But now guys are really seeing it as a great opportunity for them to enhance their game and just be better for themselves and their stock. So a huge emphasis on special teams, which I love.”
Surrounding Schmit are a couple of college football veterans in long snapper Kasey Kelleher and punter/holder Michael Turk, who are both in the midst of their sixth seasons.
Having that veteran presence working with him to get the job done only provides more comfort for Schmit as he takes the field for each and every kick.
“Kasey and Turk have been awesome for me,” Schmit said. “They’re sixth-year guys. They're my mentors pretty much. They've helped me through this process. And they've done it 1,000 times. They've been through the goods and bads of kicking and snapping. So they've just really helped me calm down as a kicker. They've been really good for me. They've helped me a ton.”
Now, with everything all set up for Schmit to take the OU kicking job and run with it, he is more than ready to seize the opportunity in front of him.
In Saturday’s season opener against UTEP, Schmit went 6-for-6 on extra point attempts and made his only field goal attempt.
“It was fun,” Schmit said. “I was actually really excited for that. You ran out there with 80,000 fans. It’s kind of surreal. You dream of it as a kid about being out on that field. So it was a lot of fun getting out there.”
While the first wave of kicks were all relative chip shots, Schmit notes that his leg is ready to be put on display from deep when the situation calls for it.
“I feel good 60 (yards) and in,” Schmit said. “I feel really good. I've been hitting the ball really well through fall camp and through the season. So 60 and in I would say is my range. If we're gonna kick that, who knows, but I'm ready for when my name is called.”
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