Yesterday, we honored a veritable Sun Devil legend in Brett Wallerstedt, whose impact at Arizona State extended far outside the lines of the football field. Today, with 91 days left until Sun Devil football returns, we look at a more recent example in Michael Matus.
A defensive end out of East Texas, Matus was a bit overlooked in the recruiting cycle. A low 3-star prospect, Matus had earned just one FBS offer before Arizona State. But Todd Graham, then still the coach in Tempe, believed in the grit and determination of Matus. He offered him a scholarship, and Matus committed.
After an early November visit, Matus reaffirmed that commitment, even as his recruiting ranking started to increase ever so slightly. Less than three weeks later, the head coach that had offered him was fired.
It's hardly an uncommon situation - it happens all the time - but Matus was caught off guard. Arizona State's defensive line coach at the time, Michael Slater, visited Matus in Texas a few days later and reassured him that whoever the new coach would honor the scholarship offer that Graham and Slater had made.
Matus could easily have flipped at that point, and there was certainly temptation to do so, as he picked up his second FBS offer from fellow Pac 12 foe Washington State. But he chose to remain committed, at least until the new coach was decided.
About a week later, Herm Edwards was introduced as the next head coach. While the Internet collectively laughed at the decision, Edwards and recruiting coordinator Donnie Yantis went on a road trip to meet with every committed member of Graham's class, including Matus.
That made up his mind: Matus was going to be a Sun Devil.
After redshirting his first year and seeing minimal action the next year, Matus found a role as key contributor heading into the 2020 season. The defensive scheme had changed, with Danny Gonzales taking the head job at his alma mater New Mexico and former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis installing a 4-3 scheme. That benefitted Matus' play style.
Despite Arizona State only playing four games that year due to COVID-19, Matus finished with 10 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Going into 2021, Matus was viewed as one of the Sun Devils' top defensive ends. While Matus registered only half a sack that year, he was a big part of the run defense, with 28 tackles and six tackles for loss.
After the 2021 season wrapped up, a litany of players hopped into the transfer portal in the wake of the NCAA's investigation into recruiting violations, but not Matus. Despite getting ready to play for his fifth defensive coordinator in four years, Matus once again chose to have faith in the Sun Devils being the place for him.
That faith was quickly tested.
Just two weeks before the season opener, Matus tore his ACL, ending his season before it even had a chance to begin. Three games into the year, while Matus watched from the sidelines on crutches, Arizona State fell to Eastern Michigan and parted ways with Edwards a few days later. Matus had put his faith in Arizona State, but was now watching the program crumble.
Still, he remained steadfast in his commitment. Matus showed up for his rehab training every day and remained in communication with his teammates and coaches, hoping to find some way to make an impact even though he couldn't play.
And when the season was over, and even more players jumped into the portal, Matus was not one of them. Just as he had done five years, Matus wanted to know who the next head coach was going to be. When Kenny Dillingham was announced, he once again committed to Arizona State for his last ride in college football.
Of course, everyone knows that the Sun Devils were not very good in Dillingham's first year on the job, winning just three games. Matus found himself as part of a very deep defensive line rotation, mostly playing behind the electric pass rushing trio of BJ Green, Clayton Smith, and Prince Dorbah. Still, Matus finished sixth on the team in pressures and recorded one sack.
It was hardly the swan song that Matus wanted or deserved, but he still managed to play a pivotal role in building up the program. During the 2022 season, Matus took on more of a coaching role while recovering from his injury, and that leadership experience carried over into his final year of playing. Now, Smith and Dorbah are going into their senior years as pass rushing standouts, and the mentorship of Matus in 2023 certainly played a part.
Beyond that, though, Matus represents a rare type of player in the modern world of college athletics. He stuck around through three head coaches, six defensive coordinators, four defensive line coaches, and the two worst seasons in program history.
It all went back to his recruitment. Matus was presented with a chance to ditch Arizona State, but he wanted to be a Sun Devil. That passion and desire remained strong throughout a litany of increasingly difficult challenges for Matus, and with 91 days until kickoff, he stands out as a prime example of what it truly means to be a Sun Devil for life.