Reliable, rangy, and built for contact
In the 2025 season, Wayne Matthews III was a steady Michigan State linebacker who finished with 73 total tackles, showing reliable downhill production and a nose for the ball. The big differentiator is his physical style: he’s a 6-foot-2, 230-pound tackler who plays with clear trigger speed and toughness, and he has already shown he can bounce back after a scary in-game injury against USC in 2025, with reports noting his motor skills were intact and he was released from the hospital. For a team, he looks like a plug-and-play, tough, inside presence—more tone-setter than splashy stat-padder.
