Luke Schoonmaker Bio
Luke Schoonmaker is an American professional football tight end for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). Standing 6 feet 5 inches tall, he plays the position with a blend of in-line blocking and pass-catching ability developed over five seasons at the University of Michigan. Selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Schoonmaker represents the modern hybrid tight end who lines up attached to the offensive line and detached in the passing game.
After a quiet rookie campaign that included his first NFL touchdown, he returned to the Cowboys’ active roster and is expected to take on a larger offensive role. He is regarded inside the organization as a young player whose combination of size, football intelligence, and special-teams reliability gives him a clear path toward a steady role in Dallas.
Early Life and Background
Luke Schoonmaker was born on September 28, 1998, in New Haven, Connecticut, and grew up in the small shoreline town of Old Saybrook. He attended Xavier High School in Middletown, Connecticut, where he shared the field with future NFL quarterback Will Levis. Schoonmaker was a versatile two-way player for the Xavier Falcons, taking snaps under center while also contributing on defense.
After his sophomore year, he transferred to Hamden Hall Country Day School, a prep program known for sending athletes to top college programs. As a junior, he was sidelined after being diagnosed with mononucleosis and suffering a ruptured spleen, which forced him to repeat the year. He responded the following season by leading Hamden Hall to an 11-0 record and a victory in the NEPSAC Mike Atkins Bowl, splitting time between quarterback and tight end.
As a fifth-year senior, he completed 18 passes, caught 22 passes, and rushed 34 times, accumulating 851 combined yards. Rated as the top high school player in Connecticut, he committed to play college football at the University of Michigan.
Path to American Football
Schoonmaker arrived in Ann Arbor as a multi-sport athlete whose experience playing quarterback in high school gave him an unusually advanced understanding of offensive structure. The Michigan coaching staff converted him to a full-time tight end, and the move allowed him to grow into a 6-foot-5, 250-pound prospect with the foot speed of a receiver and the toughness of an offensive lineman.
He had to climb a deep depth chart that included established players such as Sean McKeon, Nick Eubanks, and Erick All. He did not arrive as a starter, and his first three years were spent learning from veterans and contributing on special teams. His first collegiate touchdown came on October 12, 2019, on a 25-yard pass from quarterback Shea Patterson.
By his senior year, he had earned a reputation as Michigan’s most reliable blocking tight end and a player who never complained about his touches. That consistency, paired with his work in two-tight-end sets, helped him become a draftable prospect, and he was selected 58th overall by the Dallas Cowboys in 2023.
Luke Schoonmaker Career
Early Career (2018–2020)
As a freshman in 2018, Schoonmaker appeared in one game as a backup tight end, earning his first varsity letter. The following year he played in ten games as the fourth tight end, recording two catches for 54 yards and a touchdown, and he appeared exclusively on special teams in the rivalry game against Michigan State.
The 2020 season was limited to six games because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He appeared in all six contests as the third-string tight end behind Nick Eubanks and Erick All but did not record any offensive statistics. He did, however, continue to develop his blocking fundamentals inside a tight-end room that regularly produced NFL players.
Michigan Breakthrough (2021–2022)
Schoonmaker’s senior season in 2021 marked his first real breakthrough. Although he remained the backup tight end behind Erick All, he started ten games when Michigan opened in a two-tight-end formation. He was used primarily for his blocking and was part of an offensive line unit that won the Joe Moore Award as the nation’s top offensive line. He caught 17 passes for 165 yards and three touchdowns and earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten recognition.
He returned in 2022 as a fifth-year senior and was named to the Mackey Award watch list. When Erick All was lost to back surgery after three games, Schoonmaker stepped into the starting role. He set a career high with seven catches for 72 yards and a touchdown against Maryland, then topped it with nine receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown against Indiana. He finished 2022 with 35 receptions for 418 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games and was recognized as a third-team All-Big Ten selection.
He accepted an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl in December 2022, then announced on January 9, 2023, that he would forego his final year of eligibility and declare for the NFL draft. By the time he left Ann Arbor, he had been part of two Joe Moore Award-winning offensive lines and had established himself as one of the more complete tight ends in the 2023 class.
Dallas Cowboys Era (2023–Present)
The Dallas Cowboys selected Schoonmaker in the second round, 58th overall, of the 2023 NFL Draft. The pick reflected Dallas’s long-standing emphasis on athletic tight ends who can both block and contribute in the passing game. He made his regular-season debut as part of the Cowboys’ opening-week rotation.
In Week 2 of the 2023 season, he caught a one-yard pass for his first NFL touchdown against the New York Jets. He went on to appear in all 17 games as a rookie, finishing with eight receptions for 65 yards and two touchdowns. He was a steady contributor on special teams while learning the Cowboys’ offensive system.
Heading into 2025, Schoonmaker is expected to compete for a more prominent role in the Cowboys’ tight end room. With increased experience in the offense and another full offseason of development, the team views him as a young player ready to take a measurable step forward in production.
Driving Style and Strengths
Schoonmaker’s game is built on physicality, route discipline, and special-teams effort. He aligns in-line as an in-line blocker on early downs and flexes into the slot or wing to attack linebackers in the passing game. His combination of size, competitiveness at the catch point, and willingness to play through contact has made him a reliable target on short and intermediate routes.
Notable Events and Milestones
His first NFL touchdown against the Jets in Week 2 of the 2023 season stands as his first career milestone at the professional level. His selection 58th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft also represents one of the highest draft slots ever used by the Cowboys on a tight end, signaling the organization’s belief in his long-term ceiling.
Luke Schoonmaker Career Wins
Schoonmaker’s career has been built on steady development rather than frequent championship celebrations. He was part of Joe Moore Award-winning offensive lines at Michigan in both 2021 and 2022, a rare distinction that highlighted his blocking value, and he played in two College Football Playoff semifinals during his Wolverines career.
Michigan Highlights
His most memorable college win was the 2022 Big Ten Championship-clinching stretch that sent Michigan to the College Football Playoff. He also played a meaningful role in the 2021 season, when the Wolverines won the Big Ten and earned a CFP semifinal berth, contributing as a blocker in two-tight-end sets throughout the postseason.
Other Wins & Performances
At the high school level, he led Hamden Hall Country Day School to an 11-0 record and a victory in the NEPSAC Mike Atkins Bowl in 2016. He was also rated the top high school player in Connecticut before his senior year, a recognition that foreshadowed his rise to NFL Draft status.
Luke Schoonmaker Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Schoonmaker’s parents and family life is limited, and he has not spoken at length in interviews about his parents or any family members who played organized sports. He grew up in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, with his family before attending prep school at Hamden Hall Country Day School.
Personal Life
Schoonmaker is not publicly known to be married and has not announced any children. He splits his time between the Dallas-Fort Worth area during the NFL season and Connecticut in the offseason, where he has often returned to work out and reconnect with family and friends.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season represents Schoonmaker’s third NFL year and his first realistic opportunity to establish himself as a full-time contributor in the Cowboys’ offense. After two seasons of measured development, the organization is expected to expand his role in 12-personnel and 13-personnel groupings, leveraging his blocking reliability and growing route tree.
He enters training camp competing for increased snaps in two-tight-end sets, where his blocking pedigree from Michigan gives him a clear advantage. The Cowboys’ offensive staff has consistently praised his practice habits and his willingness to refine his craft as a pass-catcher, and the early reviews from offseason workouts suggest a healthy and motivated player.
While the Cowboys’ tight end room is crowded, Schoonmaker’s combination of draft pedigree, special-teams value, and two years of NFL experience position him to take a measurable step forward in 2025. If he stays healthy, a season that doubles or triples his 2023 reception total is a realistic internal expectation.