Matt Tuiasosopo Is A Dawg

There are very few players who we feel are talented enough to build a program around. One of those players we feel has that ability is Matt Tuiasosopo, a 6-1, 205 pound quarterback from Woodinville (Wash.). Tui was rated by his fellow campers at the EA SPORTS Elite 11 as the No. 1 quarterback at the camp and tonight, the signal caller ended the recruiting process and committed to Washington.

“I just followed my heart,” Tuiasosopo said. “It was such a tough decision for me that in the end came down to UW and UCLA. Both have staffs that I like a lot. Both have a lot of young talent on the team and I have family ties that are strong to both programs. I’ve just been praying about it and kind of slept on the decision the past couple of days.

“Earlier today, I called up Coach Gilbertson and told him I was ready to commit and I wanted to be a Dawg. He was so excited, it was great. Right now, I’m just relieved. This whole process has been tough and stressful for me. Once I committed, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my back and that helped me know I made the right decision. I’m just so comfortable at Washington and I’m looking forward to helping turn the program around.

“They have a good class coming in right now and I’m looking forward to being a part of that. I called Coach Axman at UCLA and let him know about my decision already. He was upset but he still wished me luck. What can I say, I’m just real happy right now and glad I can just go back and focus on the rest of my school year and finish off my senior year.”

One player never makes or breaks a recruiting class but at the same time, one player can have a huge impact and we believe that will be the case with Tui and the Huskies. We’ve followed Tui since before he was in high school and had him as a ball boy at the EA SPORTS Elite 11 camp two years ago, even though he didn’t play quarterback the year before. Marques Tuiasosopo, Matt’s older brother who we had as a counselor at the camp, told us his younger brother was better than he was, much better.

At the time, we didn’t believe him. Marques was an All-American and future pro but after seeing Matt work out along side the best of the best this past summer, we’re believers. Tui is more athletic than Marques, has a stronger arm and has the same leadership skills and intangibles that made Marques such a great football player. Injuries have hindered him the past two seasons, but assuming he stays healthy, Tui has the skills and makeup to lead the Huskies back to prominence.