Oklahoma Special Teams Coach Doug Deakin Offers Thoughts on OU Kickers

The Sooners' new special teams guru gave his insights into both returning starter Zach Schmit and newcomer Tyler Keltner.

Oklahoma special teams analyst Doug Deakin coaching the Sooners through kickoff coverage drills during a practice at fall camp. / Ryan Chapman / Sooners on SI

Oklahoma’s new special teams analyst sounds like a big believer in the Sooners’ top kicking contenders.

Doug Deakin, formerly the special teams coordinator at San Diego State, was hired to replace Jay Nunez in January as OU’s special teams analyst.

Among his tasks has been sifting through the candidates to find a reliable kicker that Brent Venables can trust to make clutch kicks in 2024.

Junior Zach Schmit is the returning starter but has struggled with accuracy at times the last two seasons, making 12-of-18 and 15-of-21. Last year he was 4-of-6 from 30-39 yards, 2-of-4 from 40-49 yards and 0-for-1 from beyond 50. He also missed a 30-yard chip shot at BYU that could have given the Sooners a late lead.

Tyler Keltner was a four-year starter at East Tennessee State, where he made 76 percent of his field goals and never missed a PAT. The Tallahassee native returned to kick for his hometown Florida State Seminoles last year but couldn’t beat out returning starter and All-America candidate Ryan Fitzgerald. Venables said in July he thought Keltner was the “odds on favorite” to win the starting job.

Freshman Liam Evans and senior Josh Plaster also competed for the starting job during preseason camp, but Keltner and Schmit emerged as the Sooners’ top kickers.

Deakin, who was the subject of an OU promotional video Saturday in which he wore a microphone throughout practice and even narrated as some plays unfolded, hasn’t been made available for media interviews. But toward the end of the video, Deakin stood behind both kickers as they lined up for field goals and offered quick thoughts about each.

“Ah, the Britney Spears mic.”

🎙️ Mic’d Up with @Coach_Deak #OUDNA pic.twitter.com/ChSHPPEM73

— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) August 24, 2024

“All right Sooner Nation, you’re gonna be excited about this young man,” Deakin said as Keltner stood over his kick. “He’s a transfer from Florida State. He’s been nothing but a professional in terms of his work ethic.”

The video then cuts to Schmit standing over his attempt.

“And here’s the other guy, Sooner Nation,” Deakin said. “You know him well. Zach Schmit. He’s one of the most mentally tough kids I’ve ever met. Zach Schmit has Lou Groza ability (the Groza Award goes to college football’s top kicker), and there’s no one that takes it worse (after) missing a kick. He takes so much pride in being a Sooner, but I’m telling you what, he’s had a phenomenal camp.”