2023: Third-Team All Sun Belt ... Started all 13 games at linebacker ... Second in the Sun Belt with 135 tackles ... Led the team in tackles three times ... Totaled eight double-digit tackle games ... Second on the team with 9.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks ... Forced three fumbles and had three pass breakups ... Recorded eight tackles in the season-opener at Virginia Tech ... Registered 10 tackles in the win over Louisiana ... Notched nine tackles and a TFL against Wake Forest ... Totaled seven tackles, one sack and 1.5 tackles for loss in the win over Texas A&M Commerce ... Had 10 tackles, recovered a fumble for a 55-yard return and a TFL at Marshall ... Recorded 10 tackles in the win at Southern Miss ... Notched six tackles in the win over App State ... Registered 14 tackles and half a TFL vs. Coastal Carolina ... Had 14 stops at Liberty ... Recorded seven tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss in the win at Georgia Southern ... Totaled a career-high 16 tackles and added two tackles for loss in the regular-season finale win over Georgia State ... Had 14 tackles and a sack in the Famous Toastery Bowl against WKU.
2022: Played in 10 games on special teams and at linebacker ... Recorded 13 tackles and had a forced fumble ... Finished second on the team with seven special teams tackles ... Notched a career-high six tackles and forced a fumble at Appalachian State.
2021: Redshirted ... Played in three games, including the Myrtle Beach Bowl against Tulsa.
HIGH SCHOOL: A two-star recruit by 247 Sports … Ranked as No. 56 recruit from the state of Maryland … Earned First Team PG All County honors in 2018 after just his sophomore year … Helped lead Flowers to the quarterfinals of the playoffs as a junior.
PERSONAL: Son of Wayne Matthews Jr. and Yolanda Jackson ... Full name is Wayne Eugene Matthews III ... Two brothers, DIonte Anderson and Jeremiah Anderso, and three sisters, Tierra, Niesha, Laquaya and Natalia ... Majoring in occupational/tech studies.
WAYNE MATTHEWS CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS
| Year | Games | UT | AT | TOTAL | Sacks | TFL | INT | FF | FR | PBU |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 13 | 38 | 97 | 135 | 3.5-32 | 9.5-63 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| TOTAL | 26 | 44 | 104 | 148 | 3.5-32 | 9.5-63 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 |