Oakdale lineman: ‘Target even bigger’ after verbally committing to Fresno State

Matt’s best friend isn’t a dog.

Rather the reason he became a ’Dog.

Oakdale High defensive tackle Matt Kjeldgaard has verbally committed to Fresno State, fulfilling a lifelong dream. Kjeldgaard says his first collegiate football game was a Fresno State-Nebraska clash at Bulldog Stadium.

A young Kjeldgaard marveled at the size of the linemen.

“I’ve dreamed of playing there,” said Kjeldgaard, an imposing presence in his own right at 6-foot-3, 270 pounds. “I wanted to be a ’Dog, to be one of those guys. It was exciting that they were interested, and when they offered ...”

Well, when they offered, Kjeldgaard ended all suspense. He broke off conversations with San Jose State and Sacramento State, two schools that showed interest early, and pledged his allegiance to first-year coach Jeff Tedford and staff.

Kjeldgaard was a signature piece on a defense that carried Oakdale to its first CIF State Bowl victory last fall. The Man in the Middle anchored the defensive line, keeping a talented linebacking corps clean. The Mustangs didn’t allow a point over its final six quarters and scored three defensive touchdowns, all pick-6 returns by linebackers.

Still, it took some time for college coaches to find Kjeldgaard, whose frustration mounted as his best friend and teammate Nico Sarale saw his recruitment take off. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Sarale has been offered by nine schools, including Nevada, Sacramento State, Fresno State and the military academies.

“It was a long process,” Kjeldgaard said. “Nico had a few Division I offers and I was sitting back and watching all of that happen. I decided, ‘Well, I’m here for the ride. I might as well do something about it.’ So I picked up my game a little bit.”

It all clicked at a camp at UCLA. Kjeldgaard raised his level of intensity and turned heads by winning all of his one-on-one battles. By the end of the night, Kjeldgaard held an offer from the Spartans.

Fresno State wasn’t far behind. Scheduled to be at a camp at Cal Poly two days later, Kjeldgaard and his family made a detour to Fresno to work out for assistant coaches.

“UCLA made it for me,” Kjeldgaard said. “Fresno State extended me an invite. They said they knew how hard I was working and that they’d like me to come to Fresno State to get a better look. My dad was willing, so we went.”

With his commitment in place, Kjeldgaard doesn’t feel a sense of relief, as most high school athletes do. Instead, he believes the target grows with every accolade and opportunity that comes Oakdale’s way.

Kjeldgaard will reprise his role as a starting defensive tackle. He’ll also line up at tight end in the Mustangs’ power package.

“Now that I’ve committed, I’ve got something else to prove,” he said. “Returning from a state championship is awesome, but now we have a target on our back even bigger than before. I’m just as committed to my team as before, but I have a little something extra to prove to have a really good season.”

This story was originally published July 19, 2017 at 2:42 PM with the headline "Oakdale lineman: ‘Target even bigger’ after verbally committing to Fresno State."