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Recruiting Picking up for Lake Stevens QB Kolton Matson
The Viking junior was a guest at UW Saturday after a stellar six TD performance last week. This weekend? Matson is headed to the Palouse as an invited guest to Wisconsin at WSU.
LAKE STEVENS - Vikings head coach Tom Tri compares him to program greats.
Tracy Ford calls him the best junior QB in the state.
QB guru Lavelle Durant says the 6’2, 185 pound signal caller, Kolton Matson is the real deal.
And yet the state champion Lake Stevens quarterback is yet to receive his first major scholarship offer.
Judging by the quickening pace of his recruitment, that’s about to change. And when the dam breaks, expect the offers to flood in.
Pac-12 programs including the state schools are closely monitoring Matson. Although his name didn’t show up on every published list of visitors, Matson was an invited game day guest at the University of Washington Saturday, joining a stellar group of Husky targets that included several other 425-based talents: the state’s top-rated recruit T’Andre Waverly of Kamiak and Archbishop Murphy 2026 edge Jack Sievers among others. A who’s who of regional talent rounded out the rest of the group.



Matson told J425 he enjoyed watching Michael Penix, Jr and the Huskies thrash Boise State, but he noted that the Husky’s interest in him picked up noticeably after Saturday’s event was completed.
Apparently, the film-watching prep occurs on Sunday and Monday, because as soon as Matson’s game tape stopped flickering across LED screens in darkened film rooms, the phone started ringing in Lake Stevens. There was suddenly a concerted effort by Dawg staffers to reach Kolton over the phone.
Two or three different Coug staffers were leaning on Matson to attend this week’s big Wisconsin game.
Washington wanted him back down again this weekend too. And Oregon State is monitoring as well.
However, Kolton’s next trip will be to Washington State University Saturday for the Cougars’ home opener against the Wisconsin Badgers Saturday. The Cougs are using the showcase Big-10 opponent as a centerpiece of their recruiting strategy.
Matson was 26/35 for 332 yard and six touchdowns last Friday in leading the 4A title-holders to a decisive 48-21 victory over a talented Garfield opponent quarterbacked by the top 2024 QB in the state in EJ Caminong, a Cal commit.
The Bulldogs are stacked with three and four star talent on the perimeters as well, but it was Matson’s Viking offense that looked like it was ready for Saturdays during the Week One win. But Matson diced up the Garfield secondary with ease. He wasn’t sacked or hurried and at halftime he was 17/19 for 221 and three touchdowns.
Matson is currently an unranked propect across industry platforms, although J425 can confirm that 247’s Brandon Huffman — organizer of the Avery Strong camp series and the leading figure in the national recruiting analysis scene — was impressed with Matson’s summer and is paying close attention to the quickly-improving 2025 signal caller in the 425.
The 1-0 Vikings are at Bellevue tomorrow at 7:00 pm. J425 will have full coverage.
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