Luke Mathewson, a 6-5, 235 pound TE/DE from Libertyville, IL, has given a verbal commitment to the North Dakota Football program. Randy Kuceyeski’s Wildcats finished 5-5 and lost in the 1st round of the Class 7A Illinois Playoffs to eventual state champion Boylan.
Mathewson was a playmaking defensive end in the 4-3 scheme the Wildcats used. He was a pass rusher and a decent run stopper and has showed a relentless motor off the edge on film. He also caught some balls from the tight end spot in the passing game and was a physical blocking presence in the run game. We do not know for sure which position he projects to in college. We wouldn’t be surprised to see him switch from one side to the other during his college career given his size and athleticism. He could potentially be a “swing” guy if needed – just speculating on that.
We could not officially confirm any other offers that he had, but we know he was scheduled to visit USD and Western Illinois at some time in the recruiting process.
Mathewson is the 15th known verbal commitment in the class of 2012 and is the 5th addition from the state of Illinois.
I could see him as an OLB too.
Can’t see him standing up on defense and having to drop in pass coverage. By the time UND Strength Coach Nate Baukol gets a hold of him, he will be too big to play OLB. Just my personal thoughts.
Think Steve Brennen or Noah Dombrovski from recent seasons. Just a hunch.
He actually started his varsity career as an outside linebacker and transitioned to DE his senior year. Very versatile. I agree that his size suits him best for TE/DE, especially once he starts to add more muscle, just thought I’d throw that out there (basically has had experience as an OLB). Great hands at TE as well. Looking forward to seeing him in Sioux colors!
Ben, I’m assuming you’re a relative of Luke. Who else was he looking at prior to picking UND. I think he looks like he’ll be a very good player and am happy to have him aboard.
Luke had generated interest from Northwestern University early on (beginning his sophomore year) but was eventually told after camp this last summer that although his size and athleticism would be a good fit for the Big Ten, his speed wasn’t quite there. Northwestern coaches thought he would end up at a D1 mid-major or D1-AA (FCS) school. He also had interest from Miami of Ohio after attending a camp last year, but they ended up offering to someone else. USD had shown interest and Luke had a visit to Western Illinois that he cancelled because he was so impressed with UND. Lots of info, but hopefully that helps!
Oh, and I am Luke’s brother (meant to add that last time but forgot). We grew up outside Bozeman, MT before moving to L-ville so Luke is very familiar with the Big Sky Conference.
Ben, thanks for the info. All of us here appreciate it very much. We look forward to having Luke on campus this fall and watching him develop over the next 5 years in the Big Sky for the Fighting Sioux….Yes, I said Fighting Sioux.
He seems like a very versatile player. It will be fun to see what he brings to UND football.
Do you guys know which coaches are responsible for recruiting which geographic areas? I believe it’s been reported that Schleusner is responsible for Illinois, and clearly he’s doing a great job. Just curious about some of the other areas.
This kid isn’t just a big, athletic, passionate player he’s also a 3yr captain and an incredible individual off the field as well. Y’all picked up a real addition to your team!
Looking forward to seeing what he can do. Appears to be very athletic and seems to have good instincts on the field. I could see him playing either side of the ball. Looks like he comes from one of the better football divisions in Illinois (7A I believe). Should be able to transition well, especially if we redshirt him and give him some time to develop some strength and bulk up. Great frame for either TE or DE.
Great hands too.
A fourth wideout??
Hmmm, who isn’t coming back?