Frisco (Tex.) tight end Nolan Matthews began his official visit circuit in Tempe on June 8th, and after visiting two other suitors since then his experience with the Sun Devils could not be matched. When discussing his decision the Reedy High School standout said that he was especially drawn to the coaches’ personalities and the overall sense of family ASU had to offer.
“The reason I committed to Arizona State is that they cared,” Matthews explained. “The coaches really cared about the players and they have a great relationship with the players. I could tell that coach Herm cares about you as a person, not just a player. He wants you to grow up to be a good man, get your degree…and not just be a good football player. You can tell that they really care about academics and getting your degree. If you have a 3.0 GPA you get to wear the scholar-baller (patch) on your jersey. No other school I saw gives awards for academics. I love the morals that he and the coaches have and just the family atmosphere. That was a big thing for me.
“The campus and the city were another big thing because I wanted to get away from home. It’s far enough from home where I can grow and become my own man, and it still feels like a home away from home. But the campus is also five minutes away from the airport so I can fly back whenever I need to. I really liked the strength and conditioning coach (Joe Connolly) and since I’m going to spend a lot of time with him that’s another big thing.”
In his junior season for the 9-2 Lions, Matthews hauled in 31 receptions for 411 yards and five touchdowns. The tight end said that the Sun Devil staff saw him as a huge passing threat in their offensive system.
“The coaches told me that they want to involve the tight ends a lot more in the passing game,” Mathews commented. “They think I can be a mismatch all over the field and be well-rounded playing in-line and H-back too. I played receiver all three years in high school, and this past spring is when I really started playing as a true tight end, playing in-line and blocking.
“I know the coaches can help me play better in-line once I get there.”
Iowa State and TCU were the only other schools the tight end officially visited in June. Utah, Kansas, and Missouri were some of the other notable offers Mathews received. The tight end said that all throughout the recruiting process he fully realized how much of a priority he was for the Sun Devils, which naturally was an aspect that certainly resonated with him.
“Coach Herm said that I was his guy,” Matthews noted, “and I was one of the first recruits (in the 2019 class) that he wanted to play for him. That was really big knowing that I am the number one tight end ASU wanted and he and coach Yantis were going to wait however long it takes. Both of them are great guys. Coach Yantis is really funny and the players like him not only because of his personality but also because he’s a good coach. The tight ends told me that he (Yantis) taught them some stuff they were never taught before. They really like being around him and they were just themselves around the coaches. At other schools, players act differently when they are with the coaches. It wasn’t like that at Arizona State.
“A lot of the coaches were in the NFL so they know what it takes to play at that level. They can hold me to higher standards and help me be prepared to play in the league.”
Matthews is planning to graduate high school in December, although that hasn’t been finalized. Nonetheless, the tight end will sign with Arizona State in December’s early signing period. Matthews marks the 11th known commitment for the Sun Devils' 2019 class, as well as the fourth Texas prospect in this group.
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