Wide Receiver Matrail Lopez Will be a Fan Favorite at Oklahoma State
It is officially National Signing Day for high school athletes across the country and the Oklahoma State Cowboys landed most of their early commitments. The Pokes landed their first commitment of the class of 2025 in Idabel, Oklahoma, senior Matrail Lopez, who made it official on National Signing Day.
Lopez may not have the most stars of any commit or be the most highly sought-after player in the country, but once fans of Oklahoma State Cowboy football hear his story, they will have no choice but to fall in love with the kid.
That Oklahoma Connection 🤝 #GoPokes | @LopezMatrail pic.twitter.com/1gnk27iFUp
— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) December 4, 2024
He is the type of player who is hungry for the game and not one who just wants something to eat. The Matrail Lopez story started nearly four years ago when the promising freshman enrolled at Idabel High School in the far southeast corner of Oklahoma.
Lopez quickly blossomed into a player who had a different level of football knowledge. He may not have had the tremendous combine numbers early on in his career, but he made up for it with his play on the field. He had a set of skills on the football field that couldn’t be taught. A God-given ability to play the game of football.
In the summer before his senior year of high school, Lopez had five Division I football offers. When the Cowboys offered Lopez a chance to play wide receiver, he jumped at the opportunity and became Oklahoma State's first commit of the 2025 class.
Tragedy struck for Lopez when he unexpectedly lost his father in the summer of 2024. Sammy Lee Lopez was Matrail’s high school baseball coach and one of his biggest fans. He got to experience the Oklahoma State campus with Matrail early on in his recruiting process and was happy to wear the Cowboy orange.
Lopez entered his senior season and helped lead his team deep into the playoffs. He finished the season with over 1,600 all-purpose yards and a team-high 24 touchdowns. Rather outstanding numbers for a kid who was only months removed from losing his father.
@LopezMatrail is going to be a 🌟 in the Big 12 for @CowboyFB. He has back-to-back 4 TD games. @seancooper_C4 @C4SportOklahoma @OKStateOnSI pic.twitter.com/kfsgkensu5
— Taylor Skieens (@Taylorskieens) October 18, 2024
Matrail is hungrier than ever to make the jump to Stillwater next season. He is so committed to the program that he chose to graduate high school early so he could get to work at Oklahoma State at the start of the new year.
With the recent dismissal of offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn who heavily recruited Lopez, the question remained if he still was committed to the Oklahoma State football program.
"Despite the coaching changes I'm locked in with Oklahoma State. I am excited to get to Stillwater early and compete for a chance to be on the field in 2025," Lopez mentioned in an interview with OK State on SI. "There is nothing like the atmosphere of Boone Pickens Stadium and I can't wait to fulfill a life long dream of playing football on Saturday. Go Pokes!"
Lopez attributes much of his success during the recruiting process to his trainer Sean Cooper of C4 Sports Performance and Training. "I don't know if I would be where I am at today without the help of coach Cooper. He told me early on to trust the process and now I can proudly say I am a Division I athlete," said Lopez.
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Taylor Skieens has been an avid sports journalist with the McCurtain Gazette in Idabel, Oklahoma for seven years. He holds the title of Sports Editor for one of the oldest remaining print publications in the state of Oklahoma. Taylor grew up in the small lumber town of Wright City Oklahoma where he played baseball and basketball for the Lumberjax.