'13 OH DE/TE Jacob Matuska (Notre Dame Signed LOI)

[yankeeND]

So, basically all there is to say on Matuska at this point is "damn, he's big."

Pretty much. Until he gets some live reps in real games, there really isn't much else to discuss.

 

[GoldenToTheGrave]

Rewatching the second half of the season and the spring game I nominate Matuska for the most overlooked player on the roster. I'd even go as far as to call him the D-line MVP of the spring game and it's been over a year since anything has been posted on his thread.

 

[Crazy Balki]

Rewatching the second half of the season and the spring game I nominate Matuska for the most overlooked player on the roster. I'd even go as far as to call him the D-line MVP of the spring game and it's been over a year since anything has been posted on his thread.

Honestly, in the interior, it's a free-for-all for D-Line MVP. So many good players in the mix. Matuska will have to fight tooth and nail with Hayes to earn that primary backup spot to Day. I'm hoping more guys from the edges can step up in a similar way.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Rewatching the second half of the season and the spring game I nominate Matuska for the most overlooked player on the roster. I'd even go as far as to call him the D-line MVP of the spring game and it's been over a year since anything has been posted on his thread.

Honestly, in the interior, it's a free-for-all for D-Line MVP. So many good players in the mix. Matuska will have to fight tooth and nail with Hayes to earn that primary backup spot to Day. I'm hoping more guys from the edges can step up in a similar way.

You know this is an interesting take on the defensive line dynamics, and a good conversation.

Talking about overlooked. What about his coach? Gilmore may not have been met with the "hire controversy" of Harry Hiestand, but he certainly was greeted with a ho-hum attitude.

But everything I have heard speaks to great technical improvement by the d-linemen, as well as a more vicious, d-linemen like attitude on the part of the whole group. Is there room for or the possibility of Gilmore being the defensive counterpart to HH? Has his teaching improved development of the kind of guy that may have just shuffled through a program? His results at some less than powerhouse schools indicate to me that their may be a chance.

And something else I have heard an awful lot about is the hire of the ex-Michigan strength and conditioning coach. A) that department has come together nicely for the benefit of the ND players; and B) this guy is just what the program needed, strength, bulk, conditioning, and speed is up. Attitude has never been better during summer workouts. What this guy has brought is individual attention. A number of players are really responding well.

What an interesting thought : What if the addition of two underappreciated assistants leads to the defensive line position group hitting a whole new level of productivity?

Jacob is a good example. Reps for catching that! But from what I have heard, he is far from the only one!

 

[Luckylucci]

Honestly, in the interior, it's a free-for-all for D-Line MVP. So many good players in the mix. Matuska will have to fight tooth and nail with Hayes to earn that primary backup spot to Day. I'm hoping more guys from the edges can step up in a similar way.

While I agree that Matuska has shown much better than what some have talked about or give. Him credit for. He's not in competition with Hayes as much as he is with Tillery. Matuska will get most of his snaps behind Jones at NT. Hayes and Day are at 3 tech.

 

[RDU Irish]

I think we will be rotating in a lot of bodies to keep everyone fresh. There will be plenty of snaps to go around.

IMO, way too early to be slapping Gilmore on the back. I am cautiously optimistic, but that is where I start with every hire.

 

[zelezo vlk]

He's great depth and will be hugely useful for the rest of his career barring injuries. It'll be good to have experienced depth on the D line.

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[Luckylucci]

I think we will be rotating in a lot of bodies to keep everyone fresh. There will be plenty of snaps to go around.

IMO, way too early to be slapping Gilmore on the back. I am cautiously optimistic, but that is where I start with every hire.

For what he's done at ND, I agree but his career has already been largely successful.

 

[texbender]

Having quality depth along the D line is imperative to having a strong defense overall. Coach Gilmore has done well since arriving, and one can only hope he is as successful as HH.

 

[RDU Irish]

DL has one huge benefit over OL. OL depth is only shown when someone goes down where second string DL can often see close to as many snaps as first string. If you have no DL depth you will suffer. No OL depth is not an issue if the starters stay healthy.

Developing players like Jacob into NFL draft picks will be a great testament to Gilmore's ability and bode well for pick of the litter DL recruiting. Granted OL is typically the smartest group on the field, thus natural recruiting advantage for ND. DL will have a much smaller group to qualify so Gilmore has a big disadvantage compared to HH in recruiting.

 

[Irishman77]

Glad to hear Matuska was moved to TE. Great HS film at the position, showed a nasty streak on D that will translate over when blocking, and will get immediate opportunity now that Luatua is gone and the rest of our TE's haven't showed they can excel at blocking.

6'5 and 295lbs!

Great off season news!

 

[rtrn2glory]

Glad to hear Matuska was moved to TE. Great HS film at the position, showed a nasty streak on D that will translate over when blocking, and will get immediate opportunity now that Luatua is gone and the rest of our TE's haven't showed they can excel at blocking.

6'5 and 295lbs!

Great off season news!

agreed. not much of a surprise here after the news with luatua.

he played in a VERY run heavy offense in high school as well, so I have a feeling he'll transition to the position rather smoothly, especially for the role he'll be asked to play.

 

[Irishcop]

Glad to hear Matuska was moved to TE. Great HS film at the position, showed a nasty streak on D that will translate over when blocking, and will get immediate opportunity now that Luatua is gone and the rest of our TE's haven't showed they can excel at blocking.

6'5 and 295lbs!

Great off season news!

He won't play TE at 295lbs right?

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

Glad to hear Matuska was moved to TE. Great HS film at the position, showed a nasty streak on D that will translate over when blocking, and will get immediate opportunity now that Luatua is gone and the rest of our TE's haven't showed they can excel at blocking.

6'5 and 295lbs!

Great off season news!

I like this move as well. Since we seem to be unwilling to run jumbo sets with 6 OL, Matsuka could provide that additional big body for short yardage situations.

Then again, we'll probably just throw a fade

 

[rtrn2glory]

He won't play TE at 295lbs right?

won't be hard to shed 15-20 pounds for a guy that came in at like 245-250

 

[zelezo vlk]

I like this move as well. Since we seem to be unwilling to run jumbo sets with 6 OL, Matsuka could provide that additional big body for short yardage situations.

Then again, we'll probably just throw a fade

To CJ Sanders.

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[IrishLion]

Ya'll keep knocking the fade, but Cory Robinson won the USC game on a fade, and CBreezy kept us within striking distance against OSU by catching one.

And you're especially gonna love them when Alize scores 8 TD's on fades this year.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

Ya'll keep knocking the fade, but Cory Robinson won the USC game on a fade, and CBreezy kept us within striking distance against OSU by catching one.

And you're especially gonna love them when Alize scores 8 TD's on fades this year.

I am knocking the fade but not in any serious manner. Kelly has been successful with the fade but one would think, given our OL recruiting the last 3-4 years, that we'd be at a point where 2-3 yards is an almost guarantee.

Our OL has been great in pass pro and we've seen our rushing output increase a great deal. We had a true frosh RB almost hit the century with a 7.1 ypc avg.

I wish we could become just a step more physical at the point of attack on short yardage situations by clustering the big fellas into a tight, momentum building force that always wins the scrum.

Then I believe our offense can truly keep us in a playoff contending spot this next year. Our defense is TBD.

 

[rtrn2glory]

Ya'll keep knocking the fade, but Cory Robinson won the USC game on a fade, and CBreezy kept us within striking distance against OSU by catching one.

And you're especially gonna love them when Alize scores 8 TD's on fades this year.

I will admit that I am an adamant knocker of the fade by the goal-line for the most part, but watching Clausen to Floyd perfect it, allowed me to become a little more open to it.

those two were automatic. Had Floyd not been injured versus Ann Arbor back in 09 I believe in their place we wouldn't have ever heard of Tate Forcier.

 

[BobbyMac]

The 2-3 yards on 3rd down is where those 6-3, 350lb guards that ND doesn't recruit come in handy. They aren't as good in the passing game as ND's 6-6, 315lb converted tackles but you have to pick your poison.

 

[ResLife Hero]

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[BobbyMac]

I was going to ask about him and Bivin yesterday if there were any rumors about grad transferring and today the spring roster came out and Matuska's not on it.

So he's gone? Anyone know where? Miami? Cincy? WKU?

 

[ND Fan Vancouver]

I was going to ask about him and Bivin yesterday if there were any rumors about grad transferring and today the spring roster came out and Matuska's not on it.

So he's gone? Anyone know where? Miami? Cincy? WKU?

Nothing concrete but a guy I talked to yesterday who seems to know things before anyone else I know told me a few "backup OL" may be transferring. Didn't mention Matuska but I can't see him coming back.

 

[BobbyMac]

Nothing concrete but a guy I talked to yesterday who seems to know things before anyone else I know told me a few "backup OL" may be transferring. Didn't mention Matuska but I can't see him coming back.

In that case only one more needs to transfer because a couple have already left in Montelus and McGovern. Bivin could/would make it a few

None of the Jr would leave, they all start except for Bryne and he's close to graduating with the ability to get a grad year elsewhere. Could Ruhland leave after 2 years in South Bend? No idea.

 

[ND Fan Vancouver]

In that case only one more needs to transfer because a couple have already left in Montelus and McGovern. Bivin could/would make it a few

None of the Jr would leave, they all start except for Bryne and he's close to graduating with the ability to get a grad year elsewhere. Could Ruhland leave after 2 years in South Bend? No idea.

I really don't know.

 

[BGIF]

I was going to ask about him and Bivin yesterday if there were any rumors about grad transferring and today the spring roster came out and Matuska's not on it.

So he's gone? Anyone know where? Miami? Cincy? WKU?

BlueandGold.com ‏@BGInews 24m24 minutes ago
More
OL Hunter Bivin is coming back. TE Jacob Matuska is finishing his degree, but won’t return to the team in 2017.

One back; one not.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

One back; one not.

Matuska is finishing up his degree and hanging up his cleats, apparently.