Colorado University Athletics
Mathewes Turns Heads On Buffs' D-line
September 30, 2015 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Colorado defensive end Michael Mathewes may not be in the Buffs' starting lineup Saturday at Folsom Field, but it's a safe bet he'll see some playing time against Oregon (8 p.m., ESPN).
Mathewes has simply made it almost impossible for the CU coaching staff to keep him off the field.
Mathewes, a redshirt freshman from Mission Viejo, Calif., made the first start of his career last weekend against the Nicholls Colonels. Playing in place of injured regular Leo Jackson III, Mathewes recorded five solo tackles, one assist and a quarterback sack. He also has a forced fumble and a pass breakup to his credit this year, proving to be one of those players who has an instinct for being in the right place at the right time.
That instinct — and effort — has caught the eye of his position coach, Jim Jeffcoat.
"I was shocked — not because I didn't think he could play, but from the standpoint of his size," Jeffcoat said. "He's still undersized for playing in there, but he stood in there and did some really good things. He's tough, he plays hard and he just makes plays when he has the chance."
Of course, "undersized" is a relative term. Mathewes is 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, but that makes him at least 30 pounds lighter than any of the other Buffs who play an interior line position.
In order to compensate — at least until he has the time to add some bulk to his frame — Mathewes has focused his efforts on becoming a skilled technician. It means using his speed whenever possible, his hands as much as possible and his "motor" at all times.
"I think I've played well, but there's still a lot of room for improvement," Mathewes said. "I need to keep learning how to use my hands more to get off blocks, things like that. You just have to keep playing hard and trying to improve every day."
Mathewes had a standout prep career at Mission Viejo, earning a slew of all-state and all-district honors. But when he arrived in Boulder, he found out quickly that he would have to add some size and strength. Thus, he redshirted his freshman season, spending the fall on the scout team; then practiced at outside linebacker and defensive end in defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt's new scheme in the spring.
That's also when he began to turn heads. He won the "Iron Buffalo" award for linebackers in the spring, which recognizes "hard work, dedication, toughness and total lifting performance." But since the spring, he's been spending more and more time with the true defensive linemen instead of linebackers — and when he finally got the chance to get some playing time, he made the most of it.
Mathewes called the opportunity to play again after sitting out a redshirt year "Undescribable — just amazing. Just to get back out there in that atmosphere and have a chance to contribute is a great feeling. It's a credit to Coach Jeffcoat and Coach Leavitt, just playing and learning from them every day."
The Buffs don't know yet whether Jackson will be available for Saturday's game against Oregon. If so, he'll likely start. If not, Mathewes could find himself with another starting assignment.
But either way, he'll almost assuredly see his share of playing time.
"His technique is good — real good for someone as young as he is," Jeffcoat said. "I'm happy for him. He's going to get bigger and stronger, but he's developing at a rapid rate and he's going to get more and more time if he keeps that up."
Saturday, Mathewes will find himself lining up against one of the premier programs in the nation — a far cry from the Nicholls Colonels. But instead of being intimidated, he said it's an opportunity.
"I'm looking forward to it," Mathewes said. "They're a great team, no doubt. But you have to ignore the decals on the helmets and play to your best possible performance every single game. That's what we're all trying to do now."
