Wile commits to Big Ten school
Matt Wile said he knew soon after he stepped off the plane that Michigan was the right place for him. Seeing the facilities and meeting the coaching staff only solidified his decision.
Wile, a kicker from San Diego (Calif.) Francis Parker, will become a fifth-generation Michigan man on his father's side and while that didn't play a major role in his final decision it's still something interesting about his recruitment.
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"First of all, they have great academics which I really like," Wile said. "They have a top five engineering school and a top 10 business school which is really important to me.
"I really like the coaching staff and a lot of their facilities are really impressive. When I got here it just felt right. I got that gut feeling that it just felt right. My dad is a fourth- generation Michigan man and I'll be fifth generation and that played into it a little bit.
"That was not a deciding factor but it's kind of cool to know I'm the fifth person in a row on my dad's side to go to Michigan."
Wile, who kicked at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, also has a unique relationship with new Michigan coach Brady Hoke, who heavily recruited the local prospect while Hoke coached at San Diego State.
The Aztecs, Air Force, Nebraska and Washington were all involved with Wile, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound prospect, but while visiting Michigan this weekend he knew it was the place for him. He didn't want to waste any more time with his recruitment.
Wile has averaged in the mid-40s per punt this season and has touchbacks on about 100 percent of his kickoffs. He has hit 6 of 8 field-goal attempts with a long of 49.
"The stars just fell in line," Wile said. "(San Diego State) had offered me right before my junior summer and they were recruiting me.
"I kind of made a decision that I wanted to get out of town. When Hoke took the job on Wednesday I received a call on Saturday telling me they wanted to offer me a scholarship."