2014 Football Roster
Roster
Matt Sokol
- Position:
- TE
- Height:
- 6-5
- Weight:
- 244
- Class:
- Freshman
- Hometown:
- Rochester, Mich.
- High School:
- Adams
CAREER NOTES: Four-letterwinner played in 52 career games, with 22 starts at tight end . . . had 31 catches for 348 yards and two TDs . . . two-time member of the team’s Eagles leadership council . . . three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection graduated in December 2017 with his bachelor’s degree in economics and earned his master’s degree in marketing research in December 2018 . . . was one of 10 Spartans to help volunteer with the Hurricane Harvey relief efforts during the bye weekend (Sept. 15-17, 2017) in Houston . . . both of his parents were athletes at Army West Point . . . invited to play in the East-West Shrine Game.
2018 SEASON (SENIOR): Named offensive recipient of the MSU President’s Award, given to a senior who has shown the most perservance . . . played in all 13 games, including 12 starting assignments . . . had eight receptions for 100 yards and one TD . . . had one catch for 10 yards in his final collegiate game in the Redbox Bowl vs. Oregon . . . drew start in Rutgers game on Senior Day and snared an 18-yard TD catch for first TD of season . . . started at Nebraska and snared one catch for 14 yards . . . drew start against Purdue and tallied one catch for 13 yards, which earned MSU a first down and set up Spartans for their first TD of game . . . started at Penn State and had one reception for career-long 25-yards . . . snared season-high two catches for 14 yards against Northwestern . . . started against Central Michigan and had one catch for 6 yards . . . saw action in opener vs. Utah State and was the team’s game day captain.
2017 SEASON (JUNIOR): Saw action in all 13 games, including 11 starts . . . had a career-high 21 receptions for 222 yards with one TD to lead the Spartan tight ends . . . ranked fourth on the team with 21 catches . . . 11 of the 21 catches resulted in a first down or touchdown . . . also had five special teams tackles . . . tallied one catch for 12 yards in the Holiday Bowl against No. 18 Washington State . . . had season-long 22-yard catch at Rutgers, adding one tackle on a kickoff . . . recorded one catch for 12 yards against Maryland, setting up MSU field goal . . . snagged two receptions for 10 yards at No. 11 Ohio State . . . tallied two catches for 15 yards in win over No. 7 Penn State, adding one tackle . . . had career-high tying three catches for 30 yards at Northwestern with a long of 16 yards, which came on MSU’s first play from scrimmage on Spartans’ opening scoring drive, as all three catches went for first downs . . . tallied one tackle on special teams against Indiana . . . snared career-high tying three receptions at No. 7 Michigan, totaling 14 yards, including a 9-yard catch for a first down on third down on MSU’s second TD drive . . . tied career-long with 18-yard catch as part of two receptions for 24 yards against Iowa and also had one rush in goalline play . . . snared two receptions for a career-best 35 yards with a career-long 18-yard catch against Notre Dame, marking second straight game logging his career high . . . had one catch for 17-yards against Western Michigan . . . registered career highs with three catches for 31 yards, and also caught his first career touchdown pass on a 13-yard reception in the third quarter, vs. Bowling Green . . . additionally posted two tackles on special teams against the Falcons, earning special units player of the week team award.
2016 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): Played in all 12 games, primarily on special teams, to earn his second letter . . . had two catches for 26 yards . . . Academic All-Big Ten honoree . . . had one catch for career-long 16 yards at Illinois . . . posted one tackle on special teams . . . recorded first catch as a Spartan vs. No. 11 Wisconsin with 10-yard reception.
2015 SEASON (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN): Appeared in all 14 games to earn his first letter . . . saw action at fullback, tight end and on special teams . . . named Scout Team Offensive Player of the Week vs. Central Michigan.
2014 SEASON: Redshirted . . . named Scout Team Offensive Player of the Week twice (vs. Jacksonville State and Eastern Michigan) . . . enrolled at Michigan State on Jan. 6, 2014, for the beginning of the spring semester and participated in spring practice.
HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Rated one of the nation’s top tight ends by Scout.com (No. 20) . . . named to PrepStar’s All-Midwest Team . . . listed among the state’s top seniors by The Detroit News (No. 5), Detroit Free Press (No. 8), 247Sports (No. 11), Rivals.com (No. 14) and Lansing State Journal (No. 14) . . . played multiple positions in high school, including defensive line, linebacker and quarterback . . . three-year starter and two-year captain for Coach Tony Patritto . . . rushed for 289 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries against Farmington . . . ran for 138 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries against Oak Park . . . missed second half of his senior season with a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula; had three receptions for 26 yards and 11 solo tackles as a linebacker in six games . . . threw for more than 1,200 yards and rushed for more than 600 yards while playing quarterback his junior season . . . son of David and Kimberly Sokol . . . both of his parents were athletes at Army West Point . . . his brother, Mitchell, is a walk-on linebacker for the Spartans . . . born Nov. 9, 1995.
