Mattingly sees recruitment take off

Danny Mattingly cannot believe how fast recruiting is moving for him.

The Spokane (Wash.) Mead tight end has picked up some big-time offers in recent months and Mattingly could not be happier.

"It's crazy how it all happened all at once," Mattingly said.

"I kind of expected one from ASU because I've said so many good things about ASU and I've been talking to their coaches and the Nebraska thing, I kind of saw that coming too because they've been showing a lot of interest in the last year.

"Oregon said they'd like me to come down and meet them. All of them are good offers, they're all big-time schools and it's going to be pretty hard to decide."

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound prospect has already landed offers from Arizona State, Boise State, Nebraska, Oregon, Oregon State, UCLA, Utah, Washington and Washington State and others are showing interest.

Since recruiting has moved so fast for Mattingly, he said there are no frontrunners yet and he's hoping to take some unofficial visits over spring break to figure things out. A big driving trip could happen but Mattingly said he's still not sure about it.

"I have no idea about leaders," Mattingly said. "After I take a couple unofficial visits, I feel like I'll have a good idea in my mind. I want to make sure I'm making the right decision though. I want to make sure I take some visits before I say anything.

"I really want to see ASU and UCLA. I was talking to my dad and he said he'd like to take a road trip at the end of spring break and take a big, long loop. We'd see Washington and the Oregon schools and keep going from there and go down to UCLA and trek back toward Arizona and possibly Utah. We might make a big loop and it would take a week or so."

Something else interesting in Mattingly's recruitment is that some schools like him at tight end, other prefer linebacker and some are recruiting him as an athlete and will fit him in where needed.

Mattingly, a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, doesn't have a preference of position yet but he could figure it out during his senior season.

"It's really half and half," Mattingly said. "There have been a few schools that are recruiting me as an athlete like Oregon or ASU or UCLA. They're all looking at me at both positions. I have potential at both. Nebraska likes me as a double-set tight end and then there are some schools like Utah who like me straight for linebacker.

"I really love both. I have another year of football so I feel I'll be able to choose after that. I'm having fun with it all."