Interview: Hoover Ready to Defend Title with 5-Star K Will Reichard as Secret Weapon
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
When most head coaches sit down with their coordinators to go over a game plan against their next opponent, very few times, if ever, does the serious talk turn to the opponent’s special teams kicker and punter. When Hoover takes the field in 2017 to defend their 7A state title, another talent in a long line of Buccaneers to scheme against and prepare for will be the Will Reichard affect.
The Buccaneers are rock solid with talent on both sides of the roster, yet again, one season after posting a 10-2 record. The 2016 campaign ended with a trophy after toppling McGill-Toolen 17-7 for title earning the top in-state ranking by MaxPreps. Preseason expectations for the 2017 season pick up where last year left off putting an even bigger bullseye on the Bucs, but what’s new for Hoover?
An ace on the Hoover sidelines the coaches can count on to help put points on the board and manage field position is Reichard. He enters his junior season as the top-rated kicker in the 2019 class by kicking guru Chris Sailer. The lofty spot atop the nation is well-deserved after hitting 9-of-10 field goals with a long of 45-yards in 2015 while connecting on all 31 of his extra point attempts, and claiming a touchback on 31-of-45 kickoffs. In addition to his on the field work, Reichard earned 2016 Texas Spring Camp Overall Champion, 2016 Texas Spring Camp Field Goal Champion, 2016 Vegas XXVIII Punt Finalist, and 2016 Vegas XXVIII Class of 2019 Punt Champion honors at Sailer kicking camps.
The success on the field is carried over into the classroom where Reichard holds a 3.83 GPA and has already scored a 25 on his ACT. All the superlatives have turned into early offers from Oklahoma and LSU for the 6-1, 185 pound, talent. The next Power Five Schools that maybe in line to offer sooner than later are Stanford, Oklahoma State, Georgia, and in-state power Alabama.
In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview, I sat down with the five-star kicking and punting recruit covering his offseason camp circuit, recruiting process, and 2017 team outlook.
Interview
Will, first, congratulations on your ranking as Chris Sailer’s No. 1 kicker in the 2019 class.
“Thank you.”
You have a lot of camp achievements and on the field accomplishments to earn that ranking? What are the strengths of your talents that has allowed for you to do so well when the chips were on the table?
“My consistency on my field goals, that is one of my strengths. I kick far and high on my kickoffs. I don’t miss very often on my field goals and I have a very clean ball.”
What is the longest you have connected on a field goal in a game?
“My longest in a game is 45-yards.”
What is your longest at a camp?
“My longest at a camp… I wanna say 58-yards, but I’m not positive on that.”
What is your comfortable range on field goals?
“My comfort range is 55-yards-and-in. But, I can hit from further out than that.”
What is your average kickoff distance?
“My kickoffs are usually around 72 to 73 yards. As I get older I will get stronger. My hangtime is around 4.0 or 4.1.”
Nice. What have you been working on this off-season to prepare for your junior year?
“I’ve been working on explosiveness in my hips and tightening up my technique so I do not have to think while I’m on the field. I’ve been strengthening my legs in the weight room and my core. I’ve worked on my flexibility as well.”
Are you going to do any punting this year?
“I will. I’m handling all the punting duties this year.”
Are you excited about punting this year?
“I am. I like punting a lot. It is fun. I like field goals and kickoffs better, but I do enjoy it.”
Which schools are showing interest in you?
“Oklahoma State, Georgia, Stanford picked up my transcript the other day, Toledo, and I am supposed to contact one of the Alabama coaches soon.”
Which college camps did you attend this summer?
“I went to Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Georgia, and LSU.”
That explains the Oklahoma and LSU offers. Of the four, which camp was your best performance?
“I’d say LSU was my best performance.”
What did you do well at the LSU camp to make that your best?
“When I went down there, it was a receivers and quarterback camp. I went with a special teams coordinator, it was just me and him, away from everyone else. I was 14-of-15 on field goals. My miss was from 63-yards. On my kickoffs, I hit a few that were 76 and 77-yards. That was a very good day for me.”
Sounds like it. Beyond the camps, have you taken any unofficial visits yet?
“I have been to Alabama twice and to Arkansas.”
Getting a chance to visit a college campus and football program can be invaluable for a recruit. What are your overall thoughts on your visits?
“I’ve grown up about 45 minutes away from Alabama. My family was never Alabama fans, my dad is from Florida. I like all schools. But, it was really cool to go there to see the atmosphere. It was first-class there because it was a SEC program, so was Arkansas. The SEC is so exciting. At any Power Five Conference, the atmosphere there is incredible.”
Do you have any planned visits for this fall?
“I’m starting to circle games on my calendar. I have not told anyone where I am going. I’m trying to figure out where I may go.”
Enough with recruiting, let’s talk about the upcoming season. Tough question – is there any pressure on the team entering the year as MaxPrep’s No. 1 ranked team in-state, No. 30 in the nation?
“I don’t think there is any pressure on us. That is how it has been on us in recent years. We normally come out as a top ranked team in the state. This is Coach (Josh) Niblett’s ninth or tenth year at Hoover. He has always been successful. The ranking is normal for us.”
What are some of the exciting teams that are on the schedule for the Buccaneers this season?
“Grayson (Loganville, GA) and IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL). I am excited for Grayson, they are our season opener (Aug. 25). We want to win our season opener, region, and the last game we play, that is our goal. Grayson is big. They are an out of state team that we lost to last year (36-14). We play IMG Academy (Nov. 3) this year. They are a top national team. Spain Park (Sept. 15), one of our rivals, is always an exciting game too.”
That is a tough schedule. What will be some of the strengths of the team this year on the field?
“Our wide receiver corps will be outstanding. Our running backs will be very good too. Our secondary and defensive line are both very strong. I think our O-line is looking good. We are still looking at our QBs, we have three in the running.”
Have you been working on building chemistry with your snapper?
“My snappers and I are really close. We hang out all the time. We have three snappers, one for field goals, one for punt, and a backup. They are all very similar to each other. We all hang out. Chemistry is not a problem. We work a lot in practice. I know what kind of ball they snap.”
Beyond being perfect with your field goals and PATs and putting every kickoff through the back of the end zone, what goals have you set for yourself this season?
“Just to perform the best I can. I want to go into every game mentally prepared so I can do the best I can. I cannot control anything else.”
Will, thanks for your time today and good luck with the upcoming season.
“Thank you.”
Please help keep RecruitingNewsGuru.com FREE!
If RNG has helped you, a friend, or a family member through an article, video, or stylized interview with our countless hours of free promotion for high school, junior college, and college athletes – please donate. Any amount is appreciated!
Photo credit: Chris Sailer; Will Reichard at a Chris Sailer camp
Photo credit: Reichard family; Will Reichard 2016 state champs