Michigan State football newcomer rated No. 2 transfer LB per PFF

According to Pro Football Focus, Michigan State football newcomer Wayne Matthews III is the No. 2 transfer linebacker in the nation.

Jonathan Smith has worked the transfer portal extremely well since taking over the Michigan State football program. Everyone knows Aidan Chiles was the best transfer in the class, but the Spartans have many others standouts as well.

One, in particular, is regarded as one of the best transfer linebackers from this offseason. That is Wayne Matthews III who transferred from Old Dominion to Michigan State in January.

One site in particular is extremely high on Matthews as a player. PFF is a site that grades and ranks players based on their in-game performance, and Matthews is the No. 2 transfer linebacker in the country according to their rankings.

Highest graded transfer Linebackers this off season🔥 pic.twitter.com/bgaZKVQQ6R

— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 20, 2024

Get to know Wayne Matthews III

As mentioned, Matthews is a transfer linebacker from Old Dominion. Out of high school, he was only a two-star recruit and the No. 321 linebacker in his class. However, he has had a much larger impact than you might guess from a two-star and likely would be ranked much higher now.

Matthews did not see the field much his first two seasons and only accumulated 14 tackles and one forced fumble in those seasons. This past season, however, Matthews really ramped up his production.

In 2023, he accounted for a whopping 135 tackles with 39 of them being solo tackles. That’s an average of 10.4 tackles per game. He also recorded 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery this season as well. His best games of the season came at the end of the year as well which you love to see. In their bowl game against Western Kentucky, Matthews finished with 14 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. He also recorded 16 tackles in their regular season finale as well.

I expect Matthews to compete for a starting role with Michigan State football this season. The Spartans’ linebacker room is deep, so I’m not sure if he will be a starter or not, but Matthews undoubtedly will make the two-deep and will get significant playing time this season.

The addition of Matthews is one of the more under-the-radar moves from Smith this offseason. Adding a veteran linebacker isn’t a flashy move, but the impact this will have on the team will be massive. Linebackers are the quarterbacks of the defense, so you really couldn’t ask for a better addition than Matthews at this position this offseason.