WVU Freshman Matt Sieg is a Legit Talent and Will Make His Impact Felt From Day One

There are a handful of freshmen that every West Virginia football fan is excited to see take the field for the first time this fall, one of which is former four-star safety Matt Sieg.

The 2025 National High School Player of the Year is coming off an insanely impressive career at Fort Cherry High School, where he became the first player in WPIAL history to rack up 5,000 rushing yards and 3,000 passing yards for his career. As electrifying as he was on the offensive side of the ball, WVU will keep his primary focus on the safety position, which we reported a couple of months back.

"He’s a sharp guy, so he seems to pick up what we’re doing defensively pretty well, but it’s a lot. We’re probably doing more than we need to," WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez said. "He’s comfortable there (at safety). He’s confident. And he’s sharp enough that a few of the things we might use with him on offense, he can come over and do that."

Defensively, though, he's fitting right in.

“Matt’s a phenomenal athlete and an even better person. I mean, just world-class," said defensive coordinator Zac Alley. "Everything that he does is at a really, really, really high standard. He comes in every morning and in the indoor at like 6:30, and he catches balls at receiver and then comes to practice as a safety. He does it all. He does everything. He’s got the freshman learning curve going too, but you can see that he’s got real ability and is a very natural and instinctual kid.”

Sieg made some plays in the spring game, but more importantly, he did so all throughout spring ball, showing that he's among the select group of true freshmen around the country who are not only ready to play right away, but ready to make a significant impact.

The thing that really stands out with him is that he is even-keeled. He is beyond his years in that regard, which is what allows him to stay consistent and confident. Sometimes the hype can get to a freshman, or when a mistake is made, it plants a seed of doubt in their mind about their ability. Not Sieg. There is a reason why the staff is considering giving him reps on offense at some point. There has to be a level of maturity, professionalism, and IQ of the game to be able to do it, and the coaches fully believe he checks all of those boxes.

Because of how much the ball was in his hands in high school, he understands what the offense is trying to do, what the quarterback sees, and where the ball is expected to go. The pass coverage skills are in a good place to start, and they'll only get better as he settles in at the position full-time (for now). Oh, and he doesn't mind coming downhill and getting involved in run support.

Sieg is a big-time talent, and it won't take long for Mountaineer fans to realize he's a foundational piece for the program.

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