By JIM PETERS / NWI.com
For three quarters of the recruiting race, Kyle Schmidt looked like a runaway win for Indiana.
Then Ball State came out of nowhere in the home stretch to nab the Chesterton kicker-punter.
"A lot of people didn't see it coming," Schmidt said. "It was a last-second thing. Really, the whole season, it was IU, IU, IU, the Big Ten. They wanted me to start next year. I was set on that."
The Cardinals only entered the picture last month, contacting Schmidt after watching him on tape. They told him up front they wanted to redshirt him next season, learn the ropes under senior Scott Kovanda, a Ray Guy Award semifinalist, then have a clear shot to be their starter for the next four years.
"In the back of my head, it was just Ball State, the (Mid-American Conference)," Schmidt said.
Figuring he had nothing to lose, Schmidt took an official visit, which is when his whole perspective changed.
"I fell in love with the place," he said. "The coaches are great. The special teams coach (Justin Lustig) is unbelievable. The current punter is a lot like me. I was really comfortable with the place. I had to step back and look at the big picture. I don't have to go to a big school to accomplish my goals, to try to get to the next level. I couldn't say no to them."
Schmidt will go to Muncie as a preferred walk-on with the opportunity to earn a scholarship in 2013.
"I followed my heart," he said. "Talking with (Chesterton) coach (John) Snyder, he said 'you should go where you're wanted, where you mean something to the school.' IU said I was No. 1 on their list, but they never really gave me that for sure, that I was going to be the guy in camp in the fall. It was just too long. The first day Ball State saw me, they said they were going to give me this, that they weren't bringing in anybody else. I had to make a decision."
Chesterton kicking coach Kyle Yelton, who punted for Illinois, advocated the move.
"For him, where he's at, what he wants to do, it's a perfect fit," Yelton said. "It's a chance for him to get to his feet wet, refine his skills, focus on the academic side so he's got a solid base. I told him to go down there, listen to everything (Kovanda) has to say, pick up as much as you can. I'm excited for him. Kyle's got so much potential, he doesn't even realize it."
Schmidt was better known for his kicking at Chesterton, though Ball State recruited him specifically for punting.
"Their experience with specialists is if they focus on one position, they can be really good at that," he said.
According to Schmidt, the change of heart came as a big surprise to IU special teams coordinator Mark Hagen.
"He wasn't very happy," Schmidt said. "He was like, 'What happened with us?' I just didn't feel comfortable."
