In-state OL walking on at Iowa
Despite having multiple FCS offers on the table, a lifelong dream of playing football at Iowa led Council Bluffs St. Albert offensive lineman Matt Fagan to pick the Hawkeyes. We caught up with the 6-foot-5, 265-pound Fagan to discuss his decision to walk on at Iowa next year and much more.
Q: Why did you end up picking Iowa?
FAGAN: I ended up picking Iowa because it has been a goal of mine. It is my dream school with the coaches, the culture, and the environment. It was something I couldn’t pass on.
Q: When did you receive the walk-on opportunity?
FAGAN: I received it about a week and a half ago.
Q: What was the process to come to that final decision?
FAGAN: For me, I was excited when I got the news but wanted to talk to my parents first. It was a decision that is important to my family and we decided what was the best thing for me.
Q: What was the reaction from the coaches when you committed?
FAGAN: I talked to Coach Polasek for about 20-30 minutes about what a preferred walk-on actually means and the things I’d be doing. He was excited. Coach said he thinks I am someone who can make an impact on the team. He said I have an opportunity to compete to play.
Q: Did they give you a specific position they were recruiting you at along the line?
FAGAN: We haven’t really talked about that yet.
Q: When will you report to Iowa City?
FAGAN: I will be reporting this summer. They told me I am part of the 105-man cut and would be at the camp.
Q: What other colleges were considered?
FAGAN: I would say that UNI and South Dakota were the two schools that had offered me and I had visited both. I really enjoy their coaching staffs. The offensive line coaches at both places are very, very good and the school was good but at the end of the day, my heart was set on Iowa.
Q: Was it hard turning down scholarship money?
FAGAN: It was definitely something me and my family had to talk about.
Q: What does it mean to you to live that dream out?
FAGAN: It is really exciting for me but it is just the beginning obviously. It is something I’ve been working towards. Now I have that chance and I plan to exploit that chance.
Q: How were the Iowa coaches during the recruiting process?
FAGAN: They have been recruiting me since I was a sophomore. I’ve been in contact with Reese Morgan a lot throughout the year and Coach Polasek when he was hired. I was there for a spring visit and camp this summer. I have been going to games for a couple of years.
Q: What was the hardest part of recruiting?
FAGAN: Probably just being patient. I had to wait things out and see what would come.
Q: When will you be getting back up to Iowa City?
FAGAN: I’ll be going up for the Ohio State game.
Q: How do you feel the Iowa season is going?
FAGAN: I feel there have been some good spots.
See highlights from Fagan's senior year at St. Albert in the video below.
Iowa's Class of 2018 walk-ons:
Matt Fagan - 6-foot-5, 265-pound offensive lineman from Council Bluffs, IA
Blair Brooks- 6-foot-3, 190-pound wide receiver from Marion, IA
Connor Ruth- 6-foot-0, 215-pound fullback from Seward, NE
Turner Pallissard- 6-foot-2, 220-pound fullback from Frankfort, IL
Kordell Stillmunkes- 5-foot-9, 180-pound wide receiver from Cuba City, WI