LOOK: 2024 On3 top-25 prospect Mike Matthews wearing USC gloves
Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview four-star athlete Mike Matthews is one of the top players in the 2024 cycle. He is currently ranked as the No. 23 overall prospect and No. 3 athlete in the 2024 On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Matthews has earned 30 offers from some of the top programs in the country. One of them is USC, who received an unofficial visit from Matthews on July 25. The trip to Los Angeles seemed to make a good impression on the 6-foot-0.5, 180 pound prospect.
Ahead of Parkview’s matchup with Johns Creek in the Corky Kell Classic, Matthews was photographed donning USC gloves. He played well in the game, recording two touchdowns and an interception in Parkview’s win.
Inside Mike Matthews’ recruiting process
If Matthews chooses USC, he would be the fourth member of the Trojans’ 2024 recruiting class. The group currently includes Calabasas (Calif.) four-star cornerback Aaron Butler, Long Beach (Calif.) Long Beach Poly four-star linebacker Dylan Williams and Houston (Tex.) Long Beach Poly four-star wide receiver Jason Robinson.
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According the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, it is a close race between multiple programs for Matthews’ commitment. Currently, Clemson has the highest odds for Matthews at 30.8%.
Matthews broke down three of the schools he is considering with On3’s Chad Simmons. He discussed Clemson, Georgia and Notre Dame with Simmons.
Clemson: “I love how they treat their players. They have a program called P.A.W. It’s about career-wise after football. They believe you’re only in the league for eight years, so they focus on after the fact and put it all into the players.”
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Georgia: “It just means a lot to be offered by such a high program that has faith in me and believes in my abilities. I really liked sitting down with Coach Smart; I got to talk to him one-on-one with him and my family. He’s a really cool dude and I was just locking in to getting information from such an important person like that.”
Notre Dame: “It was good, but it was really after the fact. They pretty much dug into me, and I’m always on the phone with them building a relationship. I talk to Coach Brown and Coach O’Leary… As I got to know all of them, they’re all cool people and good to their players. And they all tell me that, it’s not just one-sided coming from the coaches.”
Mike Matthews had a strong performance at OT7
Matthews was named one of the top performers of Overtime’s OT7 7-on-7 league in June. According to On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power, he had a “breakout showing” and earned On3 MVP honors on the third day of the showcase.
Matthews may have had the best ball skills on hand, which is saying something considering the number of top pass catchers in Las Vegas bordered on ridiculous,” Power wrote. “The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder has noticeably long arms to go with vertical leaping ability and coordination. He’s also quick in confined spaces and has some upside as a route-runner. The Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview standout is actually being recruited as a safety by some programs and says he doesn’t currently prefer one side of the ball. With that said, it’s hard to see Matthews make the plays he did at receiver and not be tantalized by his upside on offense.”