Up next is fullback-turned-back-to-defensive tackle Scott Matlock in our 90-in-90 series!
Let’s check out how his role is changing in 2026 and how he got here!
Basic Info
Height: 6’4
Weight: 296
College: Boise State
Experience: 1
Years with team: 1
Scott Matlock is a homegrown Idaho boy hailing from the town of Homedale. He starred at Homedale High School where he earned all-state honors as an offensive lineman, defensive lineman, and tight end. He was named the 2018 Idaho Press Tribune Sports Inspirational Athlete
of the Year, a 2017 Second-Team All-State selection as an offensive lineman, and a First-Team All-Snake River Valley selection at both defensive lineman and tight end. His stat line as a senior included 22 receptions for 330 yards and five touchdowns on offense with 57 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and five sacks on defense.
Following graduation, he decided to stay in Idaho and attend Boise State to continue his football career.
Matlock was a three-year starter and three-time captain for the Broncos from 2020-2022 where he twice earned Second-Team All-Mountain West honors in his final two years. In that span, Matlock recorded 11.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss with three blocked kicks. His best season came in 2021 where he recorded 41 tackles to go with career highs of 8.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks.
Overall, Matlock is a notable athlete who posted an impressive 9.65 relative athletic score (RAS) after recording a 4.98 40-yard dash, a 7.31 3-cone drill, and a 9’5 in the broad jump.
Following his career with the Broncos, Matlock earned an invite to participate in that year’s Senior Bowl (he had a sack in the all-star game) before being selected by the Chargers in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
As a rookie, Matlock played in 12 games, securing 15 total tackles and one tackle for loss.
In 2024, Matlock began a transition to fullback. He played in all 17 games with 11 starts that year, catching four passes for 28 yards.
Last season, he started eight more games while playing in 16 total. He scored his first and only NFL touchdown thus far while catching four passes for 12 total yards.
With the switch to Mike McDaniel’s offensive system, Matlock will make the transition back to being a full-time defensive lineman after the team added former Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold.
The Good
Matlock plays with a high motor and an obvious chip on his shoulder. He won over fans following his selection in the 2023 NFL Draft when he told reporters that he wants to “snatch souls” and it’s tough not to love a rookie coming in with that amount of confidence.
Though undersized, Matlock has above average athleticism for the position.
The Bad
Matlock only spent his rookie season as a full-time defensive tackle before making the transition to fullback in 2024. He played both ways that year and then only on offense in 2025. After transition back to a full-time defensive player, he’s behind the ball when it comes to being an NFL defender compared to the the other younger players on the team.
He plays at a lower weight (even before the switch to fullback) and it’s tough to see him earning many snaps, even in front of the the rookies who will be fresh to the defensive system.
2026 Outlook
In Mike McDaniel’s offensive scheme, Matlock is no longer going to be used as a fullback and has made a transition full-time back to defensive tackle. That has drastically cut down his chances of making the Chargers active roster this year, in my opinion.
The majority of his value to the team was tied to fitting as a lead-blocker in Greg Roman’s gap run scheme and without that, Matlock is immediately the team’s sixth defensive tackle on the depth chart. Depending on how many Chris O’Leary wants to hold on any given week, Matlock is right there on the edge of the roster bubble entering training camp.
