PROVO — High school All-American offensive lineman Matt Reynolds, a senior for 4A champion Timpview High School, declared BYU as his college choice on Monday.
The Cougars also picked up a pledge from the fastest player in Idaho, Cade Hulbert, a 5-foot-10 senior at Capital High in Boise, who will play cornerback in college.
The 6-foot-5, 270-pound Reynolds gave BYU his pledge after informing recruiters at Arizona State, Cal-Berkeley and Oregon on Monday. "Those coaches who were recruiting me told me to make the decision which was right for me, and I appreciate my friendship with them," Reynolds said.
The third-oldest son of BYU associate head football coach Lance Reynolds, the all-state tackle, considered the top prep recruit in Utah, said he will follow in the footsteps of two older brothers. Lance Jr. is the Cougars' starting center, and Dallas, who is serving an LDS mission, will return and play at BYU.
"I was kind of the lucky one," Matt said. "I have never played football without having a brother on my team. I played with Dallas for two years, and the past two years I've played with (younger brother) Houston. That's kind of a cool thing, to be with your brothers."
All of his brothers asked Matt to base his decision on what he wanted, not what was expected in terms of tradition.
Reynolds, who has a birthday May 31, expects to go on an LDS mission starting this summer.
RECRUIT COORDINATOR: In other recruiting news, head coach Bronco Mendenhall has appointed assistant coach Paul Tidwell as the Cougars' recruiting coordinator. It is a job he held his first year under head coach Gary Crowton.
Tidwell was previously head coach at Snow College and Eastern Arizona.
PREP VISITS: BYU hosted a large group of recruits this past weekend, including Boise's Hulbert; Spencer Hafoka, a receiver at Kahuku High School; and teammate safety Al Afalava. Others included Blaze Soares, a linebacker from Castle High in Kaneohe, Ikaika Aken-Moleta, a 295-pound offensive lineman from Kapolei, and 310-pound-lineman Shawn Sisifo Lauvao, who played at Farrington High.
8 PLEDGES: BYU now has eight pledges. Others include five high school players and one junior college linebacker. They are Timpview quarterback/defensive back Stephen Covey, 6-0, 185; Shawn Doman, 6-2, 210 defensive back, Canby, Ore.; Russell Tialevea, a 6-3, 285 defensive lineman from Oceanside, Calif., and his cousin tight end Vic So'oto, 6-4, 230, Carlsbad, Calif., Granger High defensive end/linebacker Kyle Luekenga, 6-5, 250; and Riverside City College linebacker Chris Bolden, 6-1, 225.
E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com