Why Oklahoma State commit Adam Schobel wanted to be a quarterback 'ever since I was little'
Scott WrightThe Oklahoman
STILLWATER — One might look at Adam Schobel’s football lineage and wonder how he became a four-star quarterback recruit.
The son of Matt Schobel, who played 99 games over seven seasons as an NFL tight end, and the nephew of Aaron Schobel, who made two Pro Bowls in his nine-year career as a defensive end, Adam might’ve seemed more destined for a life in the trenches.
“Ever since I was little, I wanted to be a quarterback,” Adam told The Oklahoman.
But his journey to become a quarterback isn’t as much of a stretch as it appears.
Matt was a high school quarterback, too, when he signed with Texas A&M in 1997. He later transferred to TCU and converted to tight end before developing into a third-round NFL Draft pick.
So at this point in his career, Adam is still following his father’s footsteps, but it looks like the younger Schobel has the staying power at quarterback.
The 6-foot-5, 200-pound senior-to-be at Columbus (Texas) High School committed to Oklahoma State in April as the most highly rated quarterback recruit drawn in under the watch of position coach Tim Rattay.
Rated as a top-20 quarterback in the class by most recruiting services, Adam’s game is built around his strong arm — a quality that eluded his father, who is also his head coach at Columbus.
“I never threw the ball as well as he does,” Matt said. “I was an athlete at quarterback in the body of a tight end.
“When he was coming out of the eighth grade and there was a chance he was gonna start for us the next year, I remember thinking he had a long way to go with arm strength. His motion and all those things were good from the beginning, and I don’t remember since then ever being concerned about it, to the point that now, it’s a strength.”
Set to be a fourth-year starter in the fall, Adam has thrown for at least 2,400 yards in each of the previous three seasons, with more than 6,600 passing yards to his credit for his career. Over the last two seasons, he has thrown 66 touchdowns with just eight interceptions.
While his arm strength is already a positive, Adam isn’t finished developing.
“He’s still gonna get a lot stronger,” Matt said. “He’s 6-5, 200, and one person might look at him and guess he’s 180. He can still carry 20 or 30 more pounds, so it’s exciting to think about where his arm strength is gonna end up.”
On top of that, Matt says his son has the potential to be a more effective runner going forward. In previous seasons, Matt hasn’t pushed the envelope with the quarterback run game, but after going through spring practice, the coach is intrigued by the idea.
“Last year, we talked about doing it more, but we had a running back take off for us,” Matt said. “This spring, he’s run better, and he’s probably faster than I thought he was, so we’re definitely planning on utilizing that aspect.”
Adam had plenty of college interest, but shut down his recruiting a year ago when he committed to Baylor.
But early in spring, the family began to look closer at the Cowboys, building a strong relationship with Rattay and head coach Mike Gundy.
“I just loved the culture they have built,” Adam said. “Coach Gundy has been there for so long and the stability with the whole staff is definitely not something every school has.
“Coach Rattay is an amazing coach. Him having played and coached in the NFL shows he knows what it takes and I feel he can push me to be my best.”
When Adam entered ninth grade, people began to tell Matt his son would be the starting quarterback that season.
“There’s no way,” Matt would respond.
But Adam dedicated himself to the offseason work on the field and in the weight room, building his body for the challenge ahead.
“He tried to get his strength gains to a point where it would be possible,” Matt said. “We got into two-a-days that year and coaches kept telling me, ‘It’s gotta be him.’ Adam jumped right in there from Day 1, and I don’t think he threw an incompletion the first three days.
“The guys liked having him in there. He knew what he was doing. He was getting everybody on the same page from the very beginning.”
The intangible qualities are what helped Matt become comfortable — both as a father and a coach — with a freshman quarterback. And that’s what excites him most about Adam’s future. His aura in the locker room, his presence in the huddle, his demeanor on the sidelines.
“Just the way he handles himself,” Matt said. “He’s not shy, and he has a lot of self-confidence. His teammates feel it and feed off it. He’s not real uncomfortable in any situation.
“He’s a good kid and a good teammate, and that’s probably what I’ve been most proud of.”
