Kentucky Football Countdown: No. 55 Noah Matthews

Happy Sunday, BBN! We are back with your daily dose of Kentucky football excitement. Today brings us to just 55 days from the start of Kentucky Football’s 2022 season. Wearing No. 55 for the Wildcats this year is freshman EDGE rusher Noah Matthews.

No. 55 Noah Matthews

Mark Stoops and company reached all the way into the great state of Delaware to land this guy. Noah Matthews graduated from Woodbridge High School in a tiny town called Bridgeville — population just above 2,500 according to the last census.

Matthews committed to the Wildcats on National Signing Day back in February, but his recruiting journey was quite different than some of his counterparts. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound defensive end lost much of his pivotal junior year to the COVID-19 pandemic, making his senior season that much more important.

He made it count. Matthews earned first-team all-state honors after his final season with Woodbridge where he helped push the team to a 12-1 record and a spot in the 2A state championship game. Though his Raiders couldn’t pull out the win, Matthews’ effort earned him the class’s Lineman of the Year award. More importantly, it earned him a spot on the radar of several big-name collegiate programs.

When all was said and done, Matthews racked up 70 tackles, 11 sacks and eight quarterback hurries as a senior. That stat-line helped move him to a top-5 prospect in Delaware according to both 247Sports and Rivals. By January of this year, he finally received his first Division I offer from Maine. Shortly after, he was contacted by Weber State, where he ended up verbally committing.

Enter defensive coordinator Brad White. White invited Matthews to campus in late January, where he officially offered him a spot as a Wildcat. Matthews ended up de-committing from Weber State, eventually picking Kentucky over Illinois.

KENTUCKY is HOME. #GoCats @UKCoachStoops @CoachWhiteFB @EdwardsCBS @RowlandRIVALS @BrianDohn247 pic.twitter.com/lpphLFcage

— ɴᴏᴀʜ ᴍᴀᴛᴛʜᴇᴡꜱ (@lightsoutNoah) February 2, 2022

Following his commitment, Matthews said that talking to his fellow Delawarean and UK signee Tomiwa Durojaiye helped him in his decision. While they both play the same position, they agreed if they both worked hard enough they could see the field at the same time.

The bottom line is this: don’t overlook Noah Matthews. Though he is a late addition with a short offer sheet, he is also very athletic and brings lots of potential to Brad White and the Wildcats’ defense.