Northwestern had four players on its depth chart at defensive tackle for spring ball, and just two on scholarship, which makes the addition of Fresno State defensive tackle Matthew Lawson through the transfer portal absolutely crucial heading into the summer.
The ability to take a step up to a Big Ten program with excellent academics appealed to Lawson as much as getting his skillset in the building appealed to the coaching staff.
"I was looking for a school that would meet my needs, not only academically but athletically," said Lawson, who committed to the Wildcats on May 1, after an official visit. "I was looking for a school with the right defensive scheme, the right-minded people and a team that was a few pieces away from making a run."
The attitude and expectations of Northwestern’s coaching staff clearly made an impact on Lawson's process.
"First of all, [head] coach [Pat] Fitz[gerald] is an amazing coach and a big players’ coach," Lawson said. "I could tell the moment I had my first conversation with him that I would have a lot of respect for him as not only as person, but as a coach and a mentor.
"I talked to [defensive coordinator David Braun], he's amazing...his mindset on defense is something that I align with."
What was it about Braun's approach that appealed to Lawson?
"When you put on the defensive tape, you want to be known as one of the top defenses in the country," he said. "Being a stingy defense, that's the mindset I was looking for. And I think Coach Braun aligns with that mindset of not giving offense much to work with, confusing them as much as we can and not letting them predict our next move."
That meshes well with Lawson's personal philosophy, forged by five years at Fresno State under four different defensive line coaches.
"So my mindset as a defensive tackle is disrupting blocks and making the ball go east and west instead of north and south," he said. "I feel like I bring disruption, then with me being a sixth-year senior I bring a lot of IQ.
"In the past I've had four different D-line coaches that kind of all taught something different. So I feel through that experience, I've had a lot of knowledge and I've learned a lot through the game of football."
His fifth defensive line coach will be Christian Smith, who comes to Northwestern after a stellar stretch at South Dakota State. Lawson is just as ecstatic to start working with Smith as he is with Braun and Fitzgerald.
"He's been amazing, I love the way he coaches," Lawson said about Smith. "It's something that I was looking for, having gap integrity and being strict in what we do. I'm very like-minded with him, I could tell when I went there for my official visit."
Lawson raved about the facilities but was especially laudatory about Northwestern's nutrition staff, an area of his preparation that he is excited to take to the next level this season.
"There's a lot of resources there, especially nutrition-wise," Lawson said. "I'm big on how I develop my body, and I felt like through the strength staff and through the nutrition staff, I felt like the resources were there for me to be the best possible player I could be."
Lawson is listed at 6-feet and 280 pounds and had 12 tackles in 12 games for Fresno State last year. While he wasn't given a target weight to reach, there is an understanding that he will need to bulk up as he transitions from the Mountain West to the Big Ten, so he will soon be putting the nutrition and strength staffs to work.
"We've discussed it a little bit, it's not going to be a big weight change," he said about it the staff had asked him to bulk up for next season. "But it'll be a good amount, especially with the resources there for me in order to be the biggest and most athletic player I can be."
The Wildcats are excruciatingly thin at defensive tackle but Lawson isn't taking anything for granted. He will be the third scholarship defensive tackle in the building, and two more are on the way in the Class of 2023: Tyler Gant and Dylan Roberts. Lawson is ready and hungry for however his role shapes up.
"In all honesty, my role for Northwestern football is to come in and compete, work my ass off and be a mentor to some of these young guys," he said.
Lawson elaborated that while he's raring to go, there was no promise of playing time as part of his recruitment or commitment.
"At the end of the day, it doesn't matter where you go, the opportunity for playing time is earned," he said. "There was nothing guaranteed, there were no talks of guarantees, there were talks of coming, competing and working my ass off...
"Especially at a program like Northwestern, you're not going to be just given the opportunity to play. It needs to be earned."
Lawson played both high school and college football in California, and has a transition ahead of him on and off the field as he transfers to Northwestern and the Midwest.
"I honestly like the cold, when I went over [to Evanston] there was a nice little breeze," he said.
"In terms of competition...I'm not scared. I expect opponents to be better technically and athletically. But that's something that through the resources at Northwestern, I feel like I'm going to up my game to the next level."
Lawson reflected at the end of the interview about what this opportunity means to him and his excitement going forward.
"Seeing Northwestern and seeing how they operate, it's one of the best programs I've had the luxury of talking to," he said. "I'm looking forward to using my time in my last year for one of the best years for the program. I look forward to contributing and making an impact in everything that I do."
