Erik Schmidt, Nation's Top Kicker, Discusses His Flip to Notre Dame

Having a reliable kicker is a crucial aspect of any football team, and the Irish had their fair share of issues in that area after Mitch Jeter was injured earlier in the season. The Irish coaching staff has now turned to high school recruiting to help their special teams of the future.

The number one kicker in the nation according to 247 Sports, Erik Schmidt, flipped his commitment from Wisconsin to Notre Dame and signed with the Irish earlier this month. The 6-2, 215-pound specialist out of Milwaukee (Wis.) Marquette had been verbally committed to the Badgers since June, but a scholarship offer from the Irish changed his plans.

Schmidt, who originally chose Wisconsin after a positive official visit, explained the reasons behind his change of heart.

“So, it was just the scholarship opportunity,” Schmidt told Irish Breakdown. “At Wisconsin, it was going to be a scholarship, but it didn’t end up being a scholarship, and nothing was on paper. I wasn’t signing on signing day.”

The opportunity to secure a full scholarship at Notre Dame made the decision clear for Schmidt. 

“Notre Dame was offering a full scholarship,” he confirmed. “So it wasn’t a difficult decision.”

Notre Dame’s change in approach to recruiting specialists was also a factor.

“They’re handling specialists differently now,” he said.

Schmidt noted that while he had a preferred walk-on offer from the Irish last year, the program wasn’t initially planning to offer a scholarship to a specialist. However, adjustments to the roster and recruitment strategy opened the door for Schmidt to receive the offer he’d been waiting for.

Schmidt revealed that Michigan, where his father attended school, was also in the mix with a preferred walk-on offer. Growing up a Michigan fan made that option compelling, but the scholarship opportunity at Notre Dame proved too good to pass up.

“My dad went to Michigan, so I was heavily considering that, along with Wisconsin and Notre Dame,” Schmidt shared.

While Schmidt was planning on signing with Wisconsin, the scholarship offer from Notre Dame came as a bit of a surprise.

“I was committed for five or six months to Wisconsin, and then the phone rang,” Schmidt shared. “It was out of the blue, but definitely fortunate and happy that happened.”

Schmidt, who excels at both kicking and punting, will enter Notre Dame with an open competition ahead of him where he will compete for both spots on the Irish Special Teams.

“They originally looked at me as more of a kicker, but they know I can do both,” he said. “We’ll just see what job I can win.”

With current Notre Dame kicker Mitch Jeter finishing his final season, Schmidt has a strong chance to take over the starting role next year. Schmidt’s capabilities as both a kicker and punter give Notre Dame a versatile weapon on special teams. Should Notre Dame add a veteran kicker in the portal, Schmidt would be groomed as the next-in-line replacement, but he'll have a great shot of winning the kickoff job as a rookie. His commitment not only fills an important need for the Irish, but also shows the program’s commitment to having elite special teams play into the future.