Army picks up first 2023 commitment as Matt Gemma extends his pledge
On Wednesday evening the Army Black Knights received some good news from the neighboring-state defensive lineman, Matt Gemma.
The product of Delbarton High School in Morristown, New Jersey, who holds tons of offers announced his intentions to the Army coaching staff, as well as reaching out to GoBlackKnights.com that he will become the first commit in the 2023 class.
“I committed yesterday at 8:30am after talking with Coach (Matt) Drinkall,” declared the very enthusiastic Gemma. “I spoke with Coach Drinkall on Monday about the admissions process and everything West Point. The next day I called coach again asking if I was able to speak with a player…he recommended Josh Lingenfelter a tight end at currently the academy. He was absolutely great.”
“I soon realized Army West Point was the place I wanted to spend my next 4-years. I believe they offer something that no other school can give. Soon after I spoke with Coach (Matt) Drinkall I called Coach (Jeff) Monken and he picked up right away and was ecstatic. He was very very excited that I decided to commit to the brotherhood. Next, I called Coach (Sean) Cronin and he was very pumped up I was calling him to commit. He said he can’t wait to coach me and watch me grow.
“Today I called Coach (Nate) Woody… he was so fired up I committed,” added Gemma. “He told me that I made the best choice of my life and that he sees me dominating in his defensive schemes. He is currently putting me in contact with Nolan Cockrill because he believes I resemble him a lot and can learn from him greatly and I look forward to speaking with him.”
Under Monken, there are many positive recruiting nuances that have unfolded under his rein, and having such an early commit is not the norm, but the Army faithful will surely take it.
“I believe it came as a surprise to most of them (coaching staff), however, the coaches I have been in contact with not as much,” Gemma explained. “I have been speaking with Coach Drinkall a lot and have been very honest with him of where my thoughts were at.”
So what factor into the local product making his early decision and selecting Army West Point?
“The Brotherhood. Army offers something more than just an amazing football program with one of the top if not best academics,” Gemma declared. “They are a family up there, I wanted to be able to say I am a West Point football player and a part of the greatest brotherhood in the world.”
“They see me as a weapon they can utilize on the defensive line. During my visit, Coach Woody and Coach Cronin explained they saw me as potentially a 3 technique, nose guard, or a defensive end. They said it is hard to tell exactly right now because I am still growing and developing … however they are absolutely sure they can use me to cause havoc on other teams.”
From an outsider's perspective, the recruiting process is typically viewed as non-stop exhilaration, but often times that is not the case and recruits like Gemma will tell you that when they make a decision, it is a sense of relief.
“Yes I definitely feel a sense of relief,” he explained. “To be honest I don’t really enjoy recruiting as much as other kids. It is obviously fun and all, but I just wanted to find my home and place where I belong. I am also very competitive and I wanted to be the first in my class to commit. I am in contact with the Head Strength, Coach (Conor) Hughes at West Point who will be putting me on a program to develop me into a monster. I am going to use that to dominate my opponents my senior year and get myself ready to beat up on my opponents in college.
So will Gemma be entertaining any current or future offers from other programs?
“I believe in loyalty and respect and I am 100% committed to Army West Point,” declared Gemma, who is anxious to get his college career started, although he still has some high school business to take care of.
“Yes, I can’t wait,” said Gemma, who is still waiting to see if he enters the academy as a direct or prep admit. “I have not fully determined which route I want to take … I will do whatever Coach Monken and the coaching staff want me to do.”
Stay tuned as GoBlackKnights.com will have the breakdown of Gemma’s commitment and the impact his pledge will have on this 2023 recruiting class, so keep it right here as we have you covered with all the latest.
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