How Oklahoma Kicker Tate Sandell Can Be Difference-Maker in Final Stretch

It’s hard to overlook the dominance of Oklahoma’s defense and the immediate sparks that John Mateer and Ben Arbuckle have brought to the offense.

But Tate Sandell has also been a major factor in the Sooners’ winning formula.

Sandell, a transfer kicker from UTSA, is 12-of-13 on field-goal attempts in his first season at OU, and he has yet to miss an extra point.

“I’m just trying to stay as levelheaded as possible,” Sandell said. “Wait for my name to be called and when it's called, just try to do my job at a high level.”

Sandell has made 12 field goals in a row after missing his first-ever attempt at OU in the third quarter against Michigan.

The transfer is one of only five kickers at the NCAA Division I FBS level to have made three field goals from 50 yards or longer. Sandell’s 92.3% rate on field-goal attempts is tied for the ninth-best percentage in the nation among kickers with 10 or more attempts.

At UTSA, Sandell kicked in hostile Power Four atmospheres like Texas and Houston. But those games weren’t the norm, as he and the Roadrunners competed in the American Conference.

Now, Sandell plays in rowdy settings nearly every week — but the hostility from opposing fans hasn’t fazed the transfer kicker.

“It’s a great atmosphere,” Sandell said. “Just trying not to worry about all the external factors and just look at my spot in the grass where I'm supposed to kick, and just do my best to do my job.”

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Sandell is one of two kickers that Oklahoma signed after the 2024 season, along with Kennesaw State transfer Austin Welch.

OU coach Brent Venables knew that he was getting a talented kicker when Sandell arrived. But he wasn’t aware of Sandell’s veteran mindset, which Venables said has allowed him to be a star during his first seven games as a Sooner.

“What I didn’t know until I met him on his visit was how confident and how tough he was,” Venables said. “The makeup of all your players, you don’t really truly know until you go through a recruiting process with them, have them on campus several times. When he sat in my office for the first time, and being around his mom and dad, he really endeared himself to me. He was just built a little bit different — confident, edgy, very competitive.”

In a competitive league like the SEC, Venables is aware of how valuable it is to have a reliable kicker. So far in conference games, Sandell is 6-for-6, and he matched his season-long with a 55-yard field goal against South Carolina last week.

With five ranked conference foes still on the schedule, Venables believes that Sandell’s right leg will be a difference-maker.

“It does affect decisions that we make,” Venables said. “The league that we’re in, you get in position to get points, he’s a guy that you really feel confident that you come away scoring in those situations.”

Sandell said that has made kicks from 60 yards in practice, and he said he’s up for “giving it his best shot” if he’s called upon to make a lengthy kick like that during a game.

But setting a new career-long isn’t Sandell’s priority. His goals are to continue being a weapon for the Sooners’ special teams unit and to help Oklahoma win close SEC games.

“Just try not to get too high, get too low,” Sandell said. “Never know when my name's gonna be called, and sometimes it's not going to get called all game. Just gotta wait on that moment and when it's called, it's my job to be ready.”