Wayne Eugene Matthews III (born July 10, 2002)[1] is an American football linebacker for the Michigan State Spartans. He previously played for the Old Dominion Monarchs.
| Michigan State Spartans – No. 26 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker |
| Class | Junior |
| Major | Occupational/Tech Studies |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | July 10, 2002[1] |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 227 lb (103 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
|
| Bowl games | |
| High school | Charles Herbert Flowers (Springdale, Maryland) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life and high school
editMatthes attended high school at Charles Herbert Flowers. In his junior season, he notched 79 tackles with eight being for a loss, and three sacks.[2] Coming out of high school, Matthews was rated as a three star recruit, where he decided to commit to play college football for the Old Dominion Monarchs.[3][4]
College career
editOld Dominion
editIn Matthews first collegiate season, in 2021 he played in three games where he recorded no statistics, using the season to redshirt.[5] In the 2022 season, Matthews played in ten games where he notched 13 tackles and a forced fumble.[6] During the 2023 season, Matthews tallied 135 tackles with nine and a half being for a loss, three and a half sacks, three pass deflections, and three forced fumbles.[7] For his performance in the 2023 season, Matthews was named third team all Sun-Belt.[8] After the conclusion of the 2023 season, Matthews decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal.[9][10]
Michigan State
editMatthews decided to transfer to play for the Michigan State Spartans.[11][12]
References
edit- ^ a b @WayneM9_ (July 10, 2020). "Blessed to see 🔞!!" (Tweet). Retrieved June 25, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ Ghafir, Ahmed (May 30, 2020). "DMV Profile: Flowers Linebacker Wayne Matthews". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ Wenzel, Matt (April 29, 2024). "Michigan State linebacker transfer unfazed by leap to new level". MLive.com. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
- ^ Truax, Barkley (January 10, 2024). "Old Dominion LB transfer Wayne Matthews commits to Michigan State". On3.com. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ Wenzel, Matt (January 10, 2024). "Michigan State adds linebacker transfer who ranked 11th in nation in tackles". MLive.com. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
- ^ Solari, Chris. "Michigan State football gets LB Wayne Matthews III from transfer portal". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ Champion, Aidan (June 16, 2024). "REPORT: Michigan State LB One of Highest-Graded Returning LBs in the Big Ten". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ Champion, Aidan (April 14, 2024). "Why transfer LB Wayne Matthews III was interested in Michigan State". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ O'Bleness, Ryan (January 10, 2024). "Old Dominion Transfer LB Wayne Matthews III Commits To Michigan State". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ Robinson, Corey. "Michigan State lands Old Dominion star linebacker Wayne Matthews III". 247Sports. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ Trezevant, Ezekiel (May 25, 2024). "New MSU Spartans DL Jalen Satchell Excited to Play with Wayne Matthews III Again". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ Killop, Jason (January 10, 2024). "Michigan State lands transfer portal LB Wayne Matthews". On3.com. Retrieved July 6, 2024.