| Michigan State Spartans–No. 26 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker |
| Class | Junior |
| Major | Occupational/Tech Studies |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | July 10, 2002 |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 227 lb (103 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
|
| High school | Charles Herbert Flowers (Springdale, Maryland) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Wayne Eugene Matthews III (born July 10, 2002) [1] is an American college football linebacker for the Michigan State Spartans. He previously played for the Old Dominion Monarchs.
Matthews attended Charles Herbert Flowers High School. As a junior, 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 and committed to play college football for the Old Dominion Monarchs. [3]
As a freshman in 2021, Matthews played in three games where he recorded no statistics, using the season to redshirt. [3] In 2022, he played in ten games, notching 13 tackles and a forced fumble. [4] 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, earning third-team all-Sun Belt Conference honors. [4] After the season, Matthews entered the NCAA transfer portal. [5]
Matthews transferred to play for the Michigan State Spartans. [6]