RECRUITING: Another All-State Lineman Commits To Weber State
Updated: Jan 31, 2021
(Photo provided by Luke Sampson)
NAME: Luke Sampson
HIGH SCHOOL: Corner Canyon High School
POSITION: Offensive Tackle
TOP SCHOOLS: Committed to Weber State (Other interested schools: Idaho State, Southern Utah)
Whenever you’re able to add a Utah all-state first-team player from the eighth-ranked high school team in the nation, that’s a massive win.
That’s exactly what happened for Weber State on January 24, when Luke Sampson, a 6’4”, 245-pound left tackle from Corner Canyon High School announced on his social media feeds that he had committed to play for the Wildcats.
Sampson was a critical part of one of most dynamic teams in the nation, protecting the blindside of Utah’s “Mr. Football,” Jaxson Dart. Sampson had a killer career playing for the Chargers. He started out as a defensive lineman during his freshman and sophomore years, but transitioned to the other side of the line just prior to his junior year.
"I started at tackle and we won the state championship, which was awesome,” Sampson told Weber State Weekly. “I started my offensive line career and worked with the OL coach a lot. […] It was really cool to be able to be successful and help out a team like that.”
With Noah Kjar and Brennon Mangum, two of Sampson’s teammates at Corner Canyon, having committed to Weber State, Sampson felt like he had an immediate support system and was able to reach out to his friends and former teammates for support. “I kind of wanted to make the decision that was best for me, but it’s awesome to be able to have teammates like that to ask questions and have an idea of what you’re getting yourself into and what’s best for you,” he said.
Recruiting was a bit slow for Sampson until after the state championship game in his senior year. Before that game, he had heard from multiple division two schools, but things really picked up for him after his final high school game. He ended up receiving scholarship offers from Big Sky rivals Southern Utah and Idaho State, as well as a preferred walk-on offer from Weber State.
What was it about Weber State and Ogden that Sampson found to be attractive?
Winning.
“I love the winning culture and the threepeat,” the two-star lineman said. “I really like the coaching staff a lot. They are really energetic and super nice. I had really nice, long conversations with the offensive line coach and with Coach Ridley. Their lifting program is very similar to the one we have at Corner Canyon.” The proximity from Draper to Ogden is another selling point for Weber State that Sampson heavily considered.
When asked about why he would take a PWO rather than a scholarship, Sampson mentioned, “It was a long decision process. […] I was talking to a lot of people about SUU, Idaho State and Weber State. When I was talking about where I want to go, Weber State came up a lot. They hadn’t heard anything bad about it, I hadn’t heard anything about it. The culture is awesome and the fact that they’ve been on top of the Big Sky a lot and that made the decision a lot easier.”
Now that he’s made the decision to join the ‘Cats, we had to take a look at what he can bring to the program and what his skillset is.
Sampson is not as big as many offensive linemen but he prides himself on his physicality and technique. Though Sampson is solid in run and pass protection, he considers himself to be a better pass protecting tackle and thinks his physicality in pass protection sets him apart from other linemen. He knows that he wants to improve his footwork and will make putting on weight a priority. He has only been playing offensive line for two years, though, and has plenty of room to grow. With the work that offensive line coach Brent Myers has done with his players, it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see Sampson develop into an important part of the Wildcats offense.
The Sampson family has a large, 113-acre ranch, and his time on that property led Luke to develop his love for the outdoors. Horseback riding, fishing and camping are some of his favorite hobbies when he’s not playing football.
The plan that Sampson currently has laid out is to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, then enroll in school and be ready to play football in the fall of 2023.