Tuscarora D-Lineman Fitz Commits To Dukes
The visit wasn’t designed for Matei Fitz to find his early favorite.
But last October, the Tuscarora (Leesburg) defensive lineman did just that while in Harrisonburg.
“Honestly, I was going there to watch Villanova and I just fell in love with JMU,” Fitz said with a laugh Sunday – less than 24 hours after announcing his commitment to JMU and joining the Dukes’ 2021 recruiting class.
Fitz said he was eager to tag along with Tuscarora coach Brandon Wheelbarger to the top-five contest at Bridgeforth Stadium between the Dukes and the Wildcats last year.
The pair had multiple reasons to be there. Another Tuscarora player was taking a recruiting trip to JMU, according to Wheelbarger, and former Tuscarora quarterback Daniel Smith was starting at the position for Villanova.
“[Smith] was my brother’s best friend in high school,” Fitz said. “We’d always go watch him play even when he was at Campbell. We’d watch him there. And before high school I’d always watch him when I was a kid. I looked up to him.”
Said Wheelbarger: “It was funny. He was rooting for Daniel, and as [Fitz] is seeing the [JMU] fan base and game day experience, he looked at me halfway through the game and was like ‘Coach, I could see myself here.’”
At that point, college programs hadn’t pursued Fitz with as much intent as they did this past spring.
He didn’t have any scholarship offers then, but by the time the 6-foot-2, 263-pounder made his decision he had earned 31 offers from a mix of FBS and FCS programs. Of the 31 offers, 28 came between early March and late May.
“They started snowballing,” said Wheelbarger, who added that he thought Fitz did a great job of researching all the programs that provided him with opportunities.
Fitz said he was able to narrow down the 31 choices to a final group of JMU, Air Force, Appalachian State, Buffalo, Coastal Carolina and Kent State.
He said JMU defensive tackles coach Marcus Hall-Oliver, who teamed up with Dukes wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Mike Shanahan to recruit Fitz, was ecstatic when he learned about the defensive lineman’s pick.
“He’s the most down to earth coach I think I’ve ever met,” Fitz said of Hall-Oliver. “I feel like I can talk to him about anything and that he’d be in my corner through it. And his knowledge of the game is just ridiculous. He just has so much wisdom and it’s mind-boggling to think how much I’ve learned from him in a short period of time. He’s overall a great person and another reason why I chose to be a Duke.”
Fitz said Hall-Oliver and JMU are planning for him to mostly play defensive tackle, but to also see action at different spots across the defensive front.
Last year as a junior for Tuscarora, Fitz tallied 102 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, five forced fumbles and an interception. Fitz was a Virginia High School League Class 4 first-team all-state choice and the Defensive Player of the Year in the Dulles District.
“He’s been all along the defensive line for us – in odd and even fronts,” Wheelbarger said, “so he’s been super versatile. And I think because he’s walking into a situation, especially interior wise for JMU where they have some older defensive linemen that I really feel like with his skill set and ability to play in big games that he’ll really be able to help early.”
Fitz said he believes he’s a well-rounded defensive lineman.
“What sets me apart on the line is just being quicker than the offensive linemen,” Fitz said. “I feel like I really have much more speed than these guys with hand movements and my feet that it comes easy to me. I feel like my motor is another key part of my game and I try to go hard every single play, because I know on every play I’m being watched by somebody somewhere and people are looking at me. I can’t take plays off, so I try to bring it all every play.”
Fitz is the 13th commitment in JMU’s 2021 recruiting class and eighth pledge from Virginia. He is the first defensive lineman in the class.
“JMU is getting the full package of a kid who academically could’ve played in the Ivy League and athletically, in my opinion, is a Power Five kid,” Wheelbarger said. “And he also has a chip on his shoulder because some of those Power Five offers didn’t come. JMU has a really good one coming their way.”