Versatile 4-Star OL Matt Farniok Down to 3 B1G Schools

SAN ANTONIO — The moment was nearly astronomical, but Matt Farniok never let the thrills of playing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl get too overpowering.

He'll be the first to admit, however, that behind closed doors, he wanted to do backflips. After all, ending your high school career playing in one of the most prestigious all-star bowls around makes for a nice bullet point on an athlete's football resume.

"To be honest, it was incredible," said Farniok, a 4-star offensive lineman from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. "To say I was one of 90 kids who got selected, that I got to play in front of the United States Army, that I was able to meet some really great guys and get to hang out with them and talk with others going through the same stages of recruiting as I am…it was just a ton of fun."

Farniok now shifts his focus to his college future. The 6'5", 297-pound lineman has two official visits in January, the first taking place this weekend at Michigan State and the second occurring the weekend of Jan. 22 at Iowa.

Michigan State and Iowa make up two of Farniok's top three schools. Nebraska is the third school; he officially visited it last week. All three programs, Farniok said, have equal chances of signing him.

"Really, it's just a matter of seeing myself there and getting to know the guys better," Farniok said of his pending decision. "I want to see if I can picture myself being a part of it."

Wherever he ends up, Farniok will have big shoes to fill. And that is in addition to all the accolades he's earned while playing for Washington High School, including being the South Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year, a U.S. Army All-American, a 4-star athlete with nearly 20 offers and a state champion.

With all that, Farniok finds himself chasing the success of his big brothers. Older brothers Tom and Derek both were offensive linemen in the Big 12, with Tom a center at Iowa State and Derek a tackle at Oklahoma. Tom even saw time in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, signing last year as an undrafted free agent.

With Matt, the third of four football-playing Farniok brothers, preparing for his upcoming college career, the expectations are high for him to be successful. In fact, back when Matt was a junior, Tom described his younger brother as a "freak of nature."

"He's by far the best out of all of us," Tom said of Matt, as told to Stu Whitney of the Argus Leader. "Genetically, we got it pretty good, but he absolutely hit the jackpot."

Farniok is a lineman who can play guard or tackle in college. He's a national top-300 player who also is the top-ranked player from the state of South Dakota and someone who is looking to make an impact early in his college career. He also excels off the field, as he owns a 3.78 grade-point average and is a member of his high school's student council and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Farniok is a confident athlete who is driven by an athletic family. Along with his older brothers, his father, Brad, was a lineman for St. Cloud State in Minnesota in the 1980s. His uncle, Bob Reeves, played tight end in the 1980s at South Dakota State and also was a star pitcher for the baseball team.

The Farnioks have a fourth brother expected to be in Matt's shoes in two years. Will Farniok is a 2018 lineman who can play every position on the offensive line. Will already has offers from two of Matt's top three schools, Iowa and Nebraska.

From a recruiting perspective, Matt is only planning to use three of his five allowed official visits. With an important decision coming up, Matt said he's relied on his big brothers for advice—and he's received great words of wisdom regarding his choice.

"Go where you feel comfortable. Go where you feel like it's the best fit," he said. "If you're just chasing a team with the most wins or a team with the nicest things, you could end up having a miserable, five-year career. That's the main advice they gave me."

And what will the winning school get out of Farniok? Oldest brother Tom needed one word to describe his younger brother.

"Superstar," Tom called Matt, as told to David Nicholson of the Argus Leader. "But he works his butt off. He works out like he's going to be a walk-on."

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports.com's composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles