Mendenhall Announces Two Signees

PROVO -- BYU head football coach Bronco Mendenhall today announced that defensive back Joe Sampson out of San Mateo Junior College and offensive lineman Ryker Mathews out of American Fork High School have signed with BYU.

Both players plan to enroll at BYU in January. As a junior college player, Sampson signed a national letter of intent to join the Cougars, while Mathews signed a scholarship agreement as a high school senior and mid-year enrollee.

"Ryker and Joe are both great athletes and excellent football players and we look forward to having them join our program," Mendenhall said.

Mathews is a 6-6, 270-pound offensive lineman from American Fork, Utah. His size, agility and strong football IQ help make him one of the top offensive tackles in the country. Mathews was recently named to the Army All-American team where he will compete on the West squad in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl televised live on NBC on Jan. 8.

An outstanding athlete, Mathews also played defensive line and was a center on the Cavemen basketball team. He was a BYU Nike Camp MVP and the top offensive lineman at the All-Poly Camp. Mathews was also recruited by Utah and Kansas, among others.

Sampson is a 6-0, 205-pound transfer out of San Mateo College in San Mateo, Calif. An Oakland, Calif., native, Sampson led the Bulldogs with 72 tackles, 13 pass breakups and two interceptions during his sophomore year in 2009. Sampson helped San Mateo win the Northern California championship and finish runners-up in the California Community College Athletic Association state championship.

After redshirting this season, Sampson will have two years of college eligibility remaining. During his freshman year, Sampson played at Foothill College with his cousin and current Cougar defensive back Brian Logan.

Known for being physical and aggressive in the backfield, the junior's combination of strength and speed enables him to play either safety or cornerback. Sampson was also recruited by a number of other schools, including Utah, Oregon, Oregon State and Arizona State.