This week in Mizzou recruiting: Angel Matute, Caleb Love and Aminu Mohammed
Good morning on a very, very cold Friday.
No better warm up your day than with some recruiting news ... so let’s get started.
Angel Matute commits
Missouri landed a commitment earlier in the week from junior college offensive lineman Angel Matute, who hails from California. I don’t know if I’ve ever covered a guy who has played as many positions as this 6-foot-4 tackle. He started his career as a quarterback, switched to tight end and is now an offensive lineman. He said his IQ for the game is very high at his position, which I believe, given the rarity of his experience.
His commitment tells me Missouri is done on the offensive side for this class and will use its remaining scholarships on the defensive side of the ball. Missouri hosted Rockhurst star offensive lineman Danielson Ike for an official visit last weekend, but common sense tells me the Tigers wouldn’t have taken Matute if they thought they had a shot at Ike. In-state recruits usually get the benefit of the doubt.
With Chester Graves’ status up in the air, I’d expect Missouri to take a defensive lineman, maybe two. It could also come down to best available players.
Caleb Love planning visit
Stockrisers reported recently that 2020 five-star basketball recruit Caleb Love is planning a visit to Missouri, among other schools. Virginia, Indiana, North Carolina and Texas are other visits in the works.
The Tigers haven’t really hosted many prospects at games this season (unless you count the Porter brothers). But given the schedules schools like Vashon and Christian Brothers College play, it can be tough to coordinate such opportunities.
If I’m Missouri, I would hold out on getting Love for an official visit (if possible) until next season. With the Tigers’ season in rough shape, it would be better to have him on campus next fall to show off the new south end zone at Faurot Field and a game when there will be more buzz around the team, especially with the additions of Dru Smith, Tray Jackson and Mario McKinney.
Getting Love here for a visit this season isn’t a bad play, by any means. I just think it does more for Mizzou if he holds off on an official until the fall.
Aminu Mohammed update
I spent part of my day yesterday in Springfield on my way back from Arkansas with Aminu Mohammed, the 2021 five-star basketball recruit at Greenwood Laboratory School who moved from Washington, D.C. over the summer. I plan to write a bigger story on him next week.
First impressions are he certainly looks the part. He’s about 6-foot-5 and is a very fluid athlete. Offensively, there aren’t many holes to his game, if any. His coach, Darren Taylor, told me he’s heard from Missouri, Illinois, Tulsa and Oklahoma State. His guardian, Shawn Harmon, said he holds offers from Seton Hall, Florida and Towson, with interest from Louisville, Indiana and others. His brother plays for Missouri State and Dana Ford has been a regular at his games, as he should be, given that his school is about 200 yards from the Bears’ arena.
I’ve said before that Missouri plans to be a factor in Mohammed’s recruitment and is trying to get in to watch a game soon. Harmon told me that aside from a pair of unofficial visits to Louisville, not much has happened on the recruiting front ... and likely won’t until the season ends. Again, more about Mohammed next week.
This story was originally published January 25, 2019 at 1:52 PM.