Reset Button: Matt Luke's energy and smile are bringing success to recruiting

Matt Luke has embraced Clemson and hit the ground running on the recruiting trail.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed Jan 31 13:30:08 GMT-04:00 2024

Matt Luke’s reset came at a good time for Clemson.

Luke, Clemson’s new offensive line coach, has been all over social media since he was hired in early December. Like most college coaches, he’s been all over the map visiting high schools as he tries to build new relationships with current prospects and rebuild relationships with high school coaches all over the region.

The one thing that stands out to me in each of those photos? Luke is wearing the biggest smile of anyone. That takes me back to the first bowl practice back in December – Luke and new defensive ends coach Chris Rumph were the new guys on the block. Sometimes, it takes new coaches a little bit of time to feel comfortable in their new surroundings. They hang back, taking it all in. Not Rumph and certainly not Luke.

Both men walked through the exercise and warmup lines like men who had been given a reprieve from the governor. Luke smiled the entire way, right until he started to coach. Then the serious demeanor took over, and he was simply an offensive line coach in his element.

“He’s a very high-energy guy. I think he really brings the energy to practice," right tackle Blake Miller said of Luke during bowl prep. “It’s infectious with everyone. I think everyone’s flying around and doing great out there. There’s some new technique to learn but I think everyone he’s told he wants us to go 100%. We can work on the technique after and we can go over it in film. I really enjoy it.”

Luke’s hire has already paid dividends for the Tigers. A year ago, top offensive line targets headed elsewhere. This time around, Luke’s presence has helped with two of the newest commits – offensive linemen Jaylan Beckley and Brayden Jacobs.

They both said that Luke has the energy they love, and he has the background – the history – to make you believe he can get you to the next level. All he has to do is turn on the video of Laremy Tunsil – who Luke coached at Ole Miss – to show off his success. Or turn on the tape of Georgia’s monster offensive line a few years ago when it won the National Championship.

But Luke decided that he needed to take a break and took two years to be a husband and a father, to attend his sons’ games. But after a year, that itch to coach started to return. Another year passed, and he fielded offers from other programs, but none seemed to be the right fit.

"It's about my family. My wife and two kids, they're a football family,” Luke said. “The first year was pretty good, but then we started getting that itch a little bit. I really enjoyed going to the kids' games, and I wouldn't change it for the world, but at the same time, they missed the locker room and being on the field and the bowl games. So, we just sat down as a family and felt like it was a time.”

Then Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney called with an offer.

“And obviously, when Dabo called, I have always had unbelievable respect for the type of program he ran,” Luke said. “From the outside looking in, the family and faith and all those things. It all came together with the right timing. It was a family decision and one we didn't take lightly.

“I’ve always had a tremendous amount of respect for what they've stood for here. It's a place where I think my family will be happy. It's pretty close, it's in the South. It's in my recruiting footprint. I'm going to be around really, really good people. And we are going to have the chance to compete for national championships. When you add all of that together, it's a no-brainer."

Luke said he spent the time away from the game learning to deal with the pressures that come with the job.

"I think whenever you're a head coach in the SEC, and you're coming over and competing and fighting to win a national championship, there's this anxiety and pressure that hangs over you all the time,” he said. “To be able to step back from that and realize what's really important. You can still work really, really hard, but when you're at home, be present. We all carry the weight -- it's how you carry the weight. That's what I learned during that time."

The reset worked out for Luke, and so far, it’s working out for the Tigers. Always a top-notch recruiter, his smile and energy have taken Clemson’s offensive line recruiting to another level.