Sokol realizes dream with MSU commit

The recruiting process has taken off for Rochester (Mich.) Adams tight end Matt Sokol in the last few weeks, but just as soon as it started the 6-foot-5, 226-pound prospect ended it with a commitment to the team he grew up rooting for.

"Michigan State is definitely a school I have been dreaming about playing at for a long time," Sokol said. "It really is a dream come true to have an opportunity to play at State. I didn't want to make a decision too fast, but I didn't want to miss an opportunity to play for a school I have dreamed of playing at for a long time."

Sokol and his mother drove up to East Lansing Monday afternoon to deliver the news of his commitment in-person to the Michigan State coaching staff.

"When I sat down with Coach [Mark] Dantonio I told him, 'Coach, I've talked about it with my family and I want to be a Spartan,'" Sokol said.

"I was excited, my mom cried and Coach Dantonio seemed excited. He is a people person and a really classy coach and I have the utmost respect for him. What he told me is the recruiting process is about building relationships, especially when you commit, so I cannot wait to build a relationship with him and all the coaches at Michigan State."

The offer from Michigan State came through ten days prior to Sokol's commitment. He has had an opportunity to evaluate his fit in their offense since then, and hear from the coaching staff how they see him contributing.

"I definitely feel I have the ability to develop and grow into a successful tight end there," Sokol said. "Coach [Jim] Bollman and Coach Dantonio have produced such a successful program over the last few years with a lot of successful tight ends, and the [position] has really developed into an important role in their offensive scheme.

"The ability to catch at tight end and be a receiver with speed is some things the coaches have pointed out. The one area I do need to improve on is my physicality and putting weight on. I look forward to beefing up and contributing to the run game in their offense."

An offer from Wisconsin came in on Monday, though Sokol had already made his decision to commit to Michigan State. Other offers included Illinois, Bowling Green, Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan.