Hard Work Paying Off

Matthew Cosentine is still hearing from many of the same schools, however a number of Division I-AA programs have started stepping up their level of interest as of late, but the Hughesville, Pa., product has been focused on getting stronger for the season and went on a camp trip to Temple recently.

Matthew Cosentine, a 6-foot-3, 280-pound defensive tackle from Hughesville High School in Hughesville, Pa., is already plenty strong for a player his age, however his work ethic in the weight room is simply part of the package he brings to the table. Already boasting a bench press of 425 pounds and a squat of 525 pounds, Cosentine is hitting it hard this summer to get bigger and stronger.

“Right now I have just been making sure to get my lifting in everyday on my own and with my teammates at school,” Cosentine said. “I have also been working with a strength coach on the side to work on some other things and am trying to improve my core strength leading up to my senior year. I also went to an offensive line clinic recently to continue getting better on that side of the ball if schools want me there.”

“I was able to attend camp at Temple and I really thought I did well and held my own with the players that were there,” Cosentine explained. “It was a very strict camp and the coaching staff was working everyone extremely hard and that is how it should be in my opinion. I know some players can get turned off by that, but I am all about getting out there and working my butt off, so that camp was great for me.”

“The campus at Temple was very nice and I was a bit surprised considering the part of the city that it is in,” Cosentine added. “I liked the layout of things there and it seemed like there were plenty of things to do on and around campus. The facilities looked pretty good and there were a lot of parts of it that looked brand new. The staff seemed to really know what they were doing and their offensive line coach was like a drill sergeant out there with us. Temple is definitely near the top of my list right now.”

Cosentine has continued to keep in touch with schools like Boston College, Connecticut and Ball State while also talking to a handful of Division I-AA programs who are showing a lot of interest in the two-way lineman.

As a junior, Cosentine registered 95 tackles, nine coming for a loss, five sacks, forced a fumble and recovered two.