Michigan State's Wayne Matthews III celebrates after a tackle for a loss against Prairie View A&M during the second quarter on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

MSU Needs Matthews to Turn Clock Back in 2025

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Dominic Minchella | Last updated May 7, 2025 5:01 PM ET

Going into the 2025 Big Ten campaign, the Michigan State Spartans are looking to turn what was a lackluster 2024 season around. MSU was overmatched on both offense and defense but has once again built through the transfer portal and commits.

One player who can easily help the Spartans' defensive plan going into the new season is redshirt senior Wayne Matthews III. Matthews goes into his second season with MSU after spending the first three seasons of his collegiate career with the Old Dominion Monarchs.

The Spartans have previously seen how successful Matthews can be when he is on. Unfortunately, he just wasn't last season. In the games he did play, Matthews recorded 33 total tackles, 18 of which were solo. Other than the combined and solo tackles, the Spartan linebacker had no extra impact.

A year before taking his talents to East Lansing, the former Monarch was very strong on the defensive side of the ball for Old Dominion. A testament to why the Spartans wanted him, Matthews recorded a career high 135 total tackles, with three passes defended, 3.5 quarterback sacks, and three forced fumbles.

Those are the type of numbers the Spartans need on defense. Regardless of whether 96 of the 135 total tackles were assists, Matthews was contributing to the team. While last season wasn't his best, it was the second-best season he has had in college.

Last season, MSU was ranked 15th in the Big Ten in scoring defense, with 26.1 point allowed per game. Knowing that Matthews has the type of capability he showed at Old Dominion in 2023, it is a tad frustrating that he wasn't able to carry over that similar success.

Going into 2025, Matthews has the opportunity to build his resume strong enough to where NFL franchises could be looking to add him in the 2026 NFL Draft. As we have seen in the past, several Spartans have been taken to the show out of MSU, and if Matthews wants to be another name on that list, he needs to shine.

Looking to also prove he can stay healthy for the full season, as Matthews missed the final three games due to injury, that only bodes well if he can stay on the field.

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This article first appeared on Michigan State Spartans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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