Matt Leo

Scene from Iowa State vs Oklahoma State football game at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa on October 26, 2019. Photo © Wesley Winterink.

Position:
Defensive End
Height:
6-7
Weight:
276
Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Adelaide, Australia
High School:
St. Michael's
Prev School:
Arizona Western CC

Awards and Honors
First-Team Academic All-Big 12 (2019)

2019
Was a key reserve at defensive end, playing in all 13 games … posted 14 tackles, 5.5 TFL and one sack … had two tackles, including 1.5 TFL, vs. UNI … recorded only sack of the season vs. ULM … had a pair of tackles and a TFL vs. TCU … tied a career high with four tackles, all solo stops, with 2.0 TFL vs. West Virginia … ended career with 33 tackles, 11.5 TFL and 3.0 sacks.

2018
Played in all 13 games, earning five starts … started five games in a row at defensive end late in the season filling in for an injured Enyi Uwazurike … tallied 19 tackles, 6.0 TFL and 2.0 sacks … tallied first career sack vs. Akron … had two tackles and two QB hurries vs. Texas Tech … earned first career start at Kansas, registering three tackles and 2.0 TFL … posted a career-high four tackles and a sack vs. Texas … his lone tackle vs. Washington State in the Alamo Bowl was a TFL.

2017
Played in the first three games before receiving a medical redshirt.

Arizona Western CC
Chose Iowa State over Arizona, Oklahoma, Mississippi State and UCF … three-star recruit by Rivals, Scout, ESPN and 247Sports … the 34th-best JC player nationally by Scout … rated No. 42 overall and No. 7 DE in the ESPNJC50 … ranked as the 46th-best JC player nationally and the fifth-best weakside defensive end by 247Sports … team finished the 2016 season at 9-1 and advanced to the NJCAA national championship game, falling to Garden City CC, 25-22 … posted 17 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks and one fumble recovery as a sophomore … was a reserve in 2015, seeing action in 11 games … coached by Tom Minnick

High School
Did not play football and competed in rugby growing up in Australia.

Personal
Born May 8, 1992 ... son of Michael and Margaret Leo ... earned his degree in liberal studies major in the Spring of 2019.