During his most recent visit to Montana State, Blake Schmidt toured the MSU campus, checked out the engineering school, got a glimpse of Bobcat Stadium and got himself acclimated to a place that is very familiar to his family.
While he’s quick to admit that Miller Dining Hall definitely earned his affection more than about any other part of campus — “I’m not going to lie, that was a huge highlight,” the 6-foot-3, 255-pound defensive end said with a laugh — the spot that stuck with the San Diego-area native more than anything else is the wall.
Right inside the door to the football coaches’ offices at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, pictures hang on a wall honoring all MSU’s current players who have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.
“I want to be on that wall,” Schmidt said in a mid-July interview.
Schmidt learned about Montana State after already holding offers from premier academic universities like Harvard, Princeton and Yale along with academic stalwarts like the University of San Diego and the United States Naval Academy.
Yet the college atmosphere, the family ties to the area, and Montana State’s combination of Big Sky Conference championship aspirations and Schmidt’s desired academic pursuit proved to be the formula to land the star lineman.
“My family on my father’s side are all from Montana,” Schmidt said. “They all live in Billings. I’ve always visited them in the summer, spent pretty much the whole summer for many years in Montana. I saw how nice it was.
“And I’ve visited Bozeman. They are getting new facilities soon. It’s just a great atmosphere, really. Football is a priority throughout the entire state.”
Schmidt also fielded offers from Northern Arizona, Sacramento State and South Dakota during a junior year that saw him start at tight end and defensive end for a Monte Vista squad that raced to its fourth California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) title in school history. Schmidt’s visit to Montana State June 28 and 29 was not official but with a father who grew up in Livingston and plenty of time spent in the Treasure State, Schmidt committed days after returning to California.
“I feel that Montana State is the future of the Big Sky,” Schmidt said. “I feel they are on the brink of the championship here soon. They are going to be good for a long time after.
“More than anything, they really stress academics. More than anything, they have a bunch of guys on the same page working hard on and off the field. If you have guys working hard in the weight room and the classroom, you are going to be good as a team.”
As a small child, Schmidt remembers starting to dream about playing Division I football. He said he quickly learned of the importance of academics if those athletic pursuits were to come to fruition.
“My dream for most of my childhood was to get a D-I scholarship so my coaches and parents have always stressed to me that grades are going to play a big part in it,” Schmidt said. “I know some people right now that are talented enough to play D-I but their grades aren’t right. I’m glad I listened to my coaches.”
Schmidt’s father Brandon Schmidt grew up in 25 miles from Bozeman. Montana State served as Schmidt’s seventh of his nine offers. Before MSU offered, Blake said Brandon encouraged his son to make his own decision.
“After Montana State offered me, he told me he would go to Montana State because he grew up so close,” Schmidt cracked.
Familiarity is one factor to Schmidt’s early commitment to MSU. His desire to pursue mechanical engineering also swayed his decision. Montana State has a nationally regarded engineering program. The school will open Norm Asbjornson Hall, a $50 million facility, in the spring of 2019.
“It’s a perfect fit,” Schmidt said. “I had a chance to sit down with a couple of the engineering school people, ask them questions. That part was cool too.”
“I’ve always wanted to build things and understand things at that kind of level. My dad is always working with me on cars. That stuff is fun to me and that’s something I want to learn more about. And there’s a ton of engineering job opportunities in Montana.”
Schmidt is a two-way starter on the Monte Vista football team, a standout on the Monarchs’ wrestling team and a thrower on the track team. That versatility first caught Montana State’s eye before Schmidt’s academic transcripts solidified the interest. MSU running backs coach DeNarius McGhee visited Monte Vista in the spring, first extending the offer to Schmidt.
MSU head coach Jeff Choate and defensive line coach Byron Hout continued to follow up. Schmidt said a former defensive line coach as a head coach — Choate coached the position at Washington before taking over at Montana State — is “kind of unheard of” and that he “feels like I can learn from Coach Hout.”
Last season, Schmidt played outside defensively for a team that finished with an 8-6 record overall before losing in the first semifinal of the state playoffs. He is slated to play strong end in defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak’s 3-4 scheme. During his senior year, Schmidt will line up on the inside of the Monarchs’ defensive front. Playing on the inside and outside at Monte Vista should help Schmidt transition to his role at Montana State.
Success in his senior season is his primary goal during his high school career.
“Before I move on to Montana State, I have some unfinished business here,” Schmidt said. “Our goal for this year is to win another CIF title like we did last year, go back-to-back. It will be sweet.”
That pursuit is only made easier with Schmidt’s early decision. Now he can concentrating on finishing this chapter of his football career with a flourish. Knowing what his future beyond this season holds provides focus for Schmidt.
“Before I committed, I was stressing where am I going to go? I have all these good options but all these coaches are texting me all the time,” Schmidt said. “Now I’m just relaxed. I feel more confident. I feel locked in.”
Photos contributed by Schmidt. All Rights Reserved.
