AIR14 Client - Matt Joeckel Commits to Texas A&M
By TexAgs.comApril 07, 2009
On Friday, Matt Joeckel made his third trip to Aggieland this spring. Apparently the third time was a charm for the Aggies, as Matt and his twin brother Luke both ended the recruiting process by choosing to play for Mike Sherman and Texas A&M University.
"We visited yesterday (Friday) and we both loved it at A&M," explained Joeckel. "So on the drive home we talked to everyone we needed to before we made the decision and about 11:00 last night we called and talked to Coach Turner."
After a conversation with Coach Sherman during their Friday visit, Matt and his brother were finally pushed over the top.
"We wanted to take one final look -- we didn't think we were going to make our final decision right now. We were talking to Coach Sherman and he said that if you're sure it feels like the right place then go ahead and commit. That's the way we felt about A&M afterwards -- that's where we both wanted to be -- so we thought it was the right time."
According to Joeckel, he and his family considered every possible school and situation before reaching a final decision. In the end A&M won out over Oklahoma and Arkansas.
"It really came down to A&M, Arkansas and OU but then we decided that A&M was the perfect fit and felt better about it than any of the others. It's a great load off of our shoulders because we've been on a lot of visits lately and we found that A&M was the right place and it's what we want do. We're ready."
In choosing A&M, the Joeckel twins give Sherman and the Aggies commitments from two of the top prospects in the Dallas area. Luke is a nationally-ranked offensive tackle prospect who will help fill a dire need area.
The same can be said for Matt -- a 6-4, 220-pound pro-style quarterback who held early offers from the likes of Texas Tech, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Houston, Minnesota and Baylor. Though he's pretty mobile in and out of the pocket, Joeckel is a drop-back passer deluxe, making him the perfect fit in the Aggies' West Coast offense.
During his visit on Friday, Matt spent plenty of time talking to Sherman and Offensive Coordinator Nolan Cromwell and loved what he heard.
"The West Coast/Pro Style offense is one of the things that really did it for me. I'm going to fit in very well in that offense. It really fits my style."
By calling himself a "big, strong-armed quarterback," Joeckel describes himself accurately. At 6-4 and 220 solid pounds, Joeckel is already as big as most major college signal-callers and his arm strength is off the charts good. Though he is yet to finish his junior year in high school, Matt already has the requisite arm strength to make all of the tough throws. In addition to possessing a very strong arm, Joeckel is also an accurate passer and a very smart quarterback who is blessed with excellent pocket presence. In other words, he has all of the tools.
As a junior, Matt put his strengths to good use, passing for 3,017 yards and 29 touchdowns on 58% passing. For the season, Joeckel was 209-of-363 while throwing just six interceptions. He also added 328 yards and 9 TD's on 115 carries and scrambles.
What Sherman and the Aggies find truly exciting about Joeckel is that he's improving at a stunningly rapid rate, thanks in large part to his off-season work ethic and plenty of time spent working with A&M legend Kevin Murray at the former Aggie quarterback's Air14 Passing Academy.
The extra hours are clearly paying off, as evidenced by Joeckel's performance this past weekend in Fort Worth. At an Elite 11 regional qualifier on Saturday, Joeckel and fellow A&M commit Jameill Showers were the two best passers in attendance. Matt was even more impressive on Sunday, when he lit it up at the TCU Nike camp.
Joeckel said that what really set A&M apart was "the people and family atmosphere...everyone made us feel like we were a part of it."
Family is obvious very important to the Joeckel's and the thought of having his twin brother provide protection up front is yet another benefit of playing in Aggieland.
"It's great because I know there's going to be one less guy to worry about and that's the guy he's blocking."
Just like Matt said, it's the perfect situation for all parties involved.
"We visited yesterday (Friday) and we both loved it at A&M," explained Joeckel. "So on the drive home we talked to everyone we needed to before we made the decision and about 11:00 last night we called and talked to Coach Turner."
After a conversation with Coach Sherman during their Friday visit, Matt and his brother were finally pushed over the top.
"We wanted to take one final look -- we didn't think we were going to make our final decision right now. We were talking to Coach Sherman and he said that if you're sure it feels like the right place then go ahead and commit. That's the way we felt about A&M afterwards -- that's where we both wanted to be -- so we thought it was the right time."
According to Joeckel, he and his family considered every possible school and situation before reaching a final decision. In the end A&M won out over Oklahoma and Arkansas.
"It really came down to A&M, Arkansas and OU but then we decided that A&M was the perfect fit and felt better about it than any of the others. It's a great load off of our shoulders because we've been on a lot of visits lately and we found that A&M was the right place and it's what we want do. We're ready."
In choosing A&M, the Joeckel twins give Sherman and the Aggies commitments from two of the top prospects in the Dallas area. Luke is a nationally-ranked offensive tackle prospect who will help fill a dire need area.
The same can be said for Matt -- a 6-4, 220-pound pro-style quarterback who held early offers from the likes of Texas Tech, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Houston, Minnesota and Baylor. Though he's pretty mobile in and out of the pocket, Joeckel is a drop-back passer deluxe, making him the perfect fit in the Aggies' West Coast offense.
During his visit on Friday, Matt spent plenty of time talking to Sherman and Offensive Coordinator Nolan Cromwell and loved what he heard.
"The West Coast/Pro Style offense is one of the things that really did it for me. I'm going to fit in very well in that offense. It really fits my style."
By calling himself a "big, strong-armed quarterback," Joeckel describes himself accurately. At 6-4 and 220 solid pounds, Joeckel is already as big as most major college signal-callers and his arm strength is off the charts good. Though he is yet to finish his junior year in high school, Matt already has the requisite arm strength to make all of the tough throws. In addition to possessing a very strong arm, Joeckel is also an accurate passer and a very smart quarterback who is blessed with excellent pocket presence. In other words, he has all of the tools.
As a junior, Matt put his strengths to good use, passing for 3,017 yards and 29 touchdowns on 58% passing. For the season, Joeckel was 209-of-363 while throwing just six interceptions. He also added 328 yards and 9 TD's on 115 carries and scrambles.
What Sherman and the Aggies find truly exciting about Joeckel is that he's improving at a stunningly rapid rate, thanks in large part to his off-season work ethic and plenty of time spent working with A&M legend Kevin Murray at the former Aggie quarterback's Air14 Passing Academy.
The extra hours are clearly paying off, as evidenced by Joeckel's performance this past weekend in Fort Worth. At an Elite 11 regional qualifier on Saturday, Joeckel and fellow A&M commit Jameill Showers were the two best passers in attendance. Matt was even more impressive on Sunday, when he lit it up at the TCU Nike camp.
Joeckel said that what really set A&M apart was "the people and family atmosphere...everyone made us feel like we were a part of it."
Family is obvious very important to the Joeckel's and the thought of having his twin brother provide protection up front is yet another benefit of playing in Aggieland.
"It's great because I know there's going to be one less guy to worry about and that's the guy he's blocking."
Just like Matt said, it's the perfect situation for all parties involved.