Player Highlight: Matt Struck, Quarterback

Matt Struck may not get the credit he deserves for his role in 2026, but for those close to the team, his presence was priceless. Some will doubt his impact on the field, but when you consider the overall body of work and where he finished, fans may be surprised. Before we get into 2026, we will recap his road to Dodge City. 

College Career

If there is one role Struck is all too familiar with, it's that of the underdog. Coming out of high school, he was not ranked by any of the large recruiting services, and scouts just weren't prepared to take his Head Coach's word for it, who once said: "My quarterback can throw it 60 yards through a window." Unfortunately, this led to a lack of suitable offers, and a trip into the JUCO ranks. 

Riverside Community College 

He committed to attend Riverside Community College, where he was still expected to prove himself before being handed playing time. With two other quarterbacks on the roster, nothing would come easy. Struck spent the better part of the next two seasons trying to seize the starting job. While he ultimately never completely took over, he did earn the recognition of the coaching staff, who would speak on his talents to any scout who would listen. 

Idaho State 

Finally in 2019, Struck saw the field for Idaho State, and began to see the momentum of his career pick up. In his first two full games, he managed: 39 of 66 for 745 yards, 10 tds, to 1 int, adding 15 carries for 22 yards and a touchdown. 

Big plays came left and right with Struck logging a completion of 60+ in his first four full games, with a long of 73 yards. He also managed four 300+ passing games in his first five starts for a total of 1,646 yards and 17 passing TDs in five starts. By season's end, he compiled 164-320 for 2,334 yards, 20 tds to 12 INTs, 62 yards rushing, and 1 td. 

https://youtu.be/xRmzFo18myE?si=ucim7EkGA_ZJcYEd

Missouri State 

Transferring to Missouri State paired Struck with Bobby and Nick Petrino in their first season at MSU. They must have liked what they saw in Idaho, because Struck would start 4 of the 7 games he played in during the spring 2020-21 season. He finished with a 3-1 record and an impressive 123.58 QB rating. 

This passer rating becomes even more impressive when you consider he was tasked with throwing 10+ yard passes about 40% of the time. Statistically, seeing that he completed 49 of 79 passes (62.1%), for 548 yards, 2 tds, 2 INTs, while rushing for 76 yards may not jump out. But seeing he was pressured on 46.4% of drop-backs in addition to throwing intermediate to deep passes 40% of the time isn't necessarily a recipe for gaudy numbers. 

Per Pff.com on 99 drop-backs, Struck threw the ball 79 times; he was sacked 15 times, threw it away 3 times, and scrambled 5 times. Before anyone thinks he was holding the ball too long, he had an average time to throw of 2.69 seconds, with four of his game averages falling 2.59 seconds or less. Ultimately, after one season of splitting time at QB for MSU, Struck opted to transfer one more time. 

Southern Oregon 

Transferring closer to home, Struck chose Southern Oregon to close out his college career. This is where things took a turn and prevented him from seeing the interest he may have if he was able to play out the full season. In 2021, he started 6 of 7 games before suffering an injury, and in 2022 he appeared in just 2 games before suffering a season-ending injury. 

All said and done, through 9 games in his first two seasons with Southern Oregon, he managed 120 of 236 for 1,466 yards, 12 tds to 5 INTs, adding 3 rushing tds. He also proved he is versatile, punting 3 times and catching a pass. Granted a medical redshirt, Struck returned for 2023; his return to school yielded 4 more games. 

Struck finished 67 of 104 for 702 yards, 5 tds, 3 INTs, and 131 net rushing yards. With eligibility exhausted, Struck entered the 2024 NFL Draft process and chose to play in the Tropical Bowl. It was here that Struck caught the eye of the Storm. Unlike most true rookies, Struck was open to any way he could play professional football. 

https://youtu.be/VDgXoPbO0XA?si=Em9UmEtENFtJw3WG

Professional Career 

Signing with the Storm in 2024, he joined the team after they had signed Caden Walters, a veteran of indoor football, who had played for Coach Thomas at Dodge City Community College. Despite this fact, Struck still saw playing time early. He would play his way into the starting job and, by the end of 2024, earned an invitation to return in 2025 as the starting quarterback.

https://youtu.be/RDmmzpLgZSo?si=73vU2vRd44GlyFps

https://youtu.be/6w2jd3q2MIg?si=sOhQJRg4xOxJeFNT

Football Takes Struck Far From Home

Struck made it clear his intentions were to return unless an opportunity to play outdoor football at the highest levels presented itself. It was not until about a month before the 2025 season for the Storm that just such an opportunity presented itself to compete for a roster spot with the Obic Seagulls of the X-League. This was a unique and rare opportunity that Struck opted to pursue. 

In the X-League, the numbers game is intensified; they can only carry so many American players, which left just 1 roster spot for 2 American QBs. Struck was the odd man out. At this point, the Storm had not only signed another quarterback, but also played through most of their regular season. Struck was brought back as depth behind Jalen Morton. He didn't end up throwing a pass but did see the field in multiple roles, including on kick coverage and at wide receiver. 

Following the 2025 season, Struck wanted to continue to gather film. After a cup of coffee in Brazil with a team, Struck ultimately was signed by the Assindia Cardinals of the German Football League 2. During their final 3 games, Struck compiled impressive numbers, completing 69% of his passes for 704 passing yards, 9 tds, 0 INTs, adding 187 rushing yards and 2 tds.

https://youtu.be/WSwM6N6HV2M?si=frDVfrqThW-q1aoq

Struck Returns as QB1 in 2026

After the season, Morton signed a UFL contract, and once again Struck was in the driver's seat as the incumbent for 2026. This time he signed early even though he still had an eye on playing outdoors. Through just 4 games as the starter, Struck led the Storm to a 4-0 record, scoring 13 tds to 6 INTs and 696 yards. 

Even though he played in just 40% of the regular season games, he finished 5th in passing yards, 3rd in passing yards per game, and 5th in rushing yards by a quarterback. Obviously, he was on his way to a very solid season until an injury cut things short. 

One thing that stuck out was Struck's leadership. He leads with action, and oftentimes has shown a grit and toughness that most quarterbacks simply do not possess. He has the type of personality that causes teammates to gravitate to him, and this has served him well as a quarterback. If there was one act that showed the type of teammate he is, he decided to remain with his team, continuing to contribute however he could until the confetti fell at the championship game. 

Next Steps

With 2026 now complete, Struck is once again hoping he did enough to prove he deserves a chance at the next level. After watching his full body of work, I am surprised a CFL team has not called looking for a player who can handle short-yardage situations, while learning the offensive system and adding depth at quarterback. 

The UFL is, of course, another option, with multiple teams seemingly a fit. Struck has also made it clear he would entertain certain overseas opportunities as well. Regardless of what happens, we hope we haven't seen the last of Struck operating an offense.