Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MARCH 2025 73 2025 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY TODD D. BURLAGE F or a high school punter or placekicker to make national headlines following a recruiting decision is a rare event, and some great evidence into just how tal- ented the player must be. And that was the case for standout kicker Erik Schmidt, who took an in- teresting journey to end up and Notre Dame, and will arrive this summer with a decent chance of landing both the starting place- kicking and punting jobs. Rated as the No. 2 kicker in the country in the On3 Industry Ranking, Schmidt out of Marquette Univer- sity High School in Mil- waukee, is part of a small fraternity of kickers who deserved the recruiting at- tention typically reserved for skill position players. Less than three months ago, all future football roads for Schmidt appeared to lead to Madison, Wis., only about an hour drive from home, after he committed to the Univer- sity of Wisconsin in June 2024. Schmidt had visited Notre Dame in the spring of 2022 and returned that November for a game-day experience. He also camped here in the summers of 2023 and 2024. There was plenty of mutual interest between Schmidt and the Irish coaches, but only one thing that was missing — a full scholarship offer from Notre Dame. Schmidt explained to the Milwau- kee Journal Sentinel that everything changed two days before the early sign- ing period in December when he finally held his coveted offer from Notre Dame, while at the same, the Wisconsin offer was becoming a bit wishy-washy. "It was supposed to be a scholarship at Wisconsin," Schmidt said. "But it didn't end up being a scholarship." So, Schmidt flipped. The in-state locals felt snubbed when Schmidt had his last-minute change of heart. But who could blame him for making a business decision? "It was the scholarship opportunity," Schmidt said. "Notre Dame offered a full scholarship. This wasn't a difficult decision." Schmidt will bring a prolific profile to Notre Dame in June. As a high school senior last season, the sturdy 6-foot- 1, 185-pounder connected on 10 of 13 field goal attempts with his only misses coming from 60, 52 and 49 yards, and his average attempt was from 46 yards. Schmidt, a 2025 Under Armour All- American Game participant, also set a school record last season with a 55- yard kick on a chilly November night, and he finished fourth in the voting for the Journal Sentinel Player of the Year Award, unheard of for a kicker. As a junior in 2023, Schmidt was named to the MaxPreps High School Ju- nior All-American first-team after help- ing lead Marquette to a Wisconsin Divi- sion I state championship that season. And with 2024 Irish placekicker M i tc h Je te r g ra d u a te d a n d go n e , Schmidt stands a strong chance to step right into the starting role, both on field goals and kickoffs. As for punting, Irish senior James Rendell returns. But look- ing up the line, Schmidt could end up holding down both roles. "Notre Dame looked at me first as a kicker," Schmidt said, "but they know I can punt, too. I'll compete and see where I fit in." Expect him to fit in just fine. ✦ Schmidt, a 2025 Under Armour All-American Game participant, is listed as the No. 2 kicker nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking. PHOTO COURTESY MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL Elite Kicker Erik Schmidt Makes Easy Decision To Join Irish ERIK SCHMIDT KICKER 6-1 ∙ 210 MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY H.S. MILWAUKEE RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE Industry ✪ ✪ ✪ — 2 21 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 5 23 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 3 26 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 3 10 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 4 7 STATISTICS • Connected on 10 of 13 field goals in 2024, with his only misses being from 60, 52 and 49 yards out. Also had a net average of 46 yards per punt and put 13 of 25 attempts inside the 20. • Broke Marquette University High School re- cords for longest field goal (55 yards), total touch- backs in a season, total touchbacks in a career, extra points in a season, extra points in a career and career points by a kicker. • Second all-time in Marquette University High School football history in total points by any posi- tion player. NOTABLE • Participated in the Under Armour All-American game in January 2025. • Claimed MaxPreps High School Football All- America first-team honors as a senior. • Won the Kevin Stemke Award, given to the most outstanding senior kicker or punter in The Badger State via the Wisconsin Sports Network in 2024. • Top-performing punter at the 2024 Kohl's Na- tional Scholarship Camp. • Named to MaxPreps High School Football Ju- nior All-America first-team in 2023 after helping lead Marquette to a Wisconsin Division I state championship. RECRUITMENT • Committed to the Fighting Irish on Dec. 2, 2024. • Was previously committed to Wisconsin from June 26, 2024, to Dec. 2, 2024. • Recruited by special teams coordinator Marty Biagi. • Visited Notre Dame six times, including for his official visit Nov. 30. 2025 PROJECTION • Expected to redshirt. THEY SAID IT Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman: "Be- ing able to get a kicker like Erik Schmidt at the last minute was huge for us."