Matthew Lee knows his upcoming sophomore season will be a big one for him at Loyola Academy, which is one reason why the 2028 Illinois quarterback has made the rounds getting some insight into college programs this offseason.
The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder made his way down to South Bend last month for Notre Dame’s Irish Invasion.
“It was great,” Lee told Irish Sports Daily. “It was a great camp. I really liked the barbecue thing after. I got to become closer with the coaches out of a football setting.
“I feel like it shows you them as just a normal person like any other good dude, just sitting down having some good food and getting to really know them on a personal level.”
Lee was able to chat with Irish quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli, head coach Marcus Freeman and some recruiting staffers.
“I talked to Coach Gino for a while, and some of the recruiting guys,” Lee said. “I talked to Coach Freeman for a little bit. Really just going around to all the coaches, but probably Coach Gino was the most.
“He was saying this year's a big year for me to start on varsity as a sophomore and doing well will be big in the recruiting process for them, for me. Just focus on high school this year and performing well on the field and putting up good film.”
Lee also enjoyed participating at Irish Invasion.
“The actual camp was great too,” he said. “I got to compete with some of the best guys in the country.
“I liked how pretty much all the kids were elite-level guys. It was a smaller group. I liked some of the drills that they put us through. Just getting to compete with those high level guys.”
Lee was pleased with his performance.
“I think I did really well,” he said. “Processing all the information he was giving us and then doing it right on the first time. I think I did every time. That was good. And then routes on air, I threw, well, also the one-on-ones, all of it was good.”
Lee is still waiting on his first offer, but that could come any day now. Several of the Midwest schools like Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin have expressed interest in him and have said they’ll be paying close attention to him this fall.
“Everyone's kind of saying this year's a big year for me, that they want to see me put up some good film,” Lee said.
But he’s not feeling any added pressure because of that.
“I'm more focused just on winning games with my team, not like I really have to go out and perform for these college coaches,” he said. “I think if I do what I have to do to win games with my team, the recruiting stuff will come.”
He’s planning to return to South Bend for a game in the fall.
“I love it there,” he said. “I really like Coach Freeman's thought process. He was saying it's about the people here and that's what makes Notre Dame so special. And also it's one of the few places in the country where you can compete for a national championship, but also get an Ivy League level education.”
Freeman’s message about community hit home with Lee and will be something he carries through the recruiting process.
“I want to really build a relationship and know these coaches and some of the players too, talk to them and just what the place is. The people are most important to me, who you're going to be surrounding yourself with for the next four years.”
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