The Flood Gates Are About to Open for Mission Viejo’s Mikey Matthews
When you haul in 12 receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown in one game, you are going to attract some attention. When you’re a 5-foot-10-inch sophomore, you’re going to turn some heads and attract even more attention.
That is exactly the case for Mission Viejo sophomore wide receiver Mikey Matthews. A solidly built 180 pounds at 5-10, Matthews is a dynamic receiving threat whose recruiting is about to take off very soon.
CA’s Most Underrated WR
Matthews ended the 2020-21 season with 34 catches for 470 yards and eight touchdowns. He averaged an impressive 13.8 yards per catch. What’s even more exciting is that he did all this in just five games. Imagine what @_mjmatt8 will be able to do with a full season this fall.
Arizona State head coach Herm Edwards saw something in the undersized Matthews when he was in eighth grade. The Sun Devils were the first to offer Matthews despite his age and lack of size.
Two more offers would come. One from San Diego State and this one, from Nevada in June of this year.
With just three offers, Matthews is among the most underrated wide receiver recruits in all of California. He has all the tools of a quality FBS wide receiver and he is still has two more high school seasons left to play.
The Grind
Matthews got to see action as a freshman at Mission Viejo on a team that went 10-0 and eventually lost to Mater Dei in the state semifinals. That experience as a freshman helped Matthews to prepare for what was to come on the field. Nothing could prepare him though for a sophomore season affected by the coronavirus.
The decision of the CIF to move the 2020 fall football season to the spring of 2021 meant that Matthews would play just five games. Still, he took advantage of the five-game season and posted those notable numbers.
He continues to grind in the offseason with OC Elite, his 7-on-7 team and he attended a number of offseason camps which have helped his recruiting process. Matthews continues to work out with his Mission Viejo teammates and recently put his skills on display at a South County passing tournament.
More to Come
Once prospective schools see film of Matthews’ first five games of the 2021 fall season, the offer gates are going to open. Numerous schools are going to jump on the chance at getting a dynamic, cat-quick receiver with great after-the-catch skills.
Matthews is the prototypical slot receiver with good speed and quickness. Matthew has been clocked at 4.5 in the 40-yard dash. He understands how to use his body and has a knack for getting open. Matthews also catches the ball in traffic. Time and again, you can see on his sophomore highlight tape Matthews makes an outstanding grab, outruns several defenders, and makes a big play.
It’s those types of plays that are going to attract the attention of college coaches from around the country. That is when Matthews, one of California’s most underrated wide receivers, is going to experience an overflow of scholarship offers.
