You start to get an idea about the type of player Georgia got in Tray Matthews when you ask him a simple question such as, “what position do you expect to play for the Bulldogs?”
“Ball hawk!,” Matthews proclaims with a toothy grin.
The actual position is free safety, but that’s not descriptive enough for this outspoken athlete from Newnan. And he doesn’t just expect to play the position. Matthews fully intends to start there by the time the Bulldogs kick off against Clemson on August 31.
“I have high expectations for myself,” said the 6-foot, 194-pound U.S. Army All-American. “Me and my parents set high goals for me. I have high standards. I feel like with my work ethic and my ability I can come in and play. Of course I have to put in a lot of work. I’ve got to stay humble, stay grounded, get into the playbook. That’s the main thing right there, getting into the playbook. The coaches say they know my abilities, but I’ve got to transition to this college life and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Ambitious for sure, but Matthews has already taken the first important steps toward making that happen. The 4-star recruiting prospect managed to graduate from Newnan High School early and has already enrolled at UGA. He is one of 13 midyear enrollees the Bulldogs brought in with the 2013 recruiting class.
It could be argued that Matthews is tops among them, for which Matthews will offer no argument.
Of his decision to come to Georgia, Matthews tells of a conversation he had with Bacarri Rambo and Jarvis Jones during a recruiting visit this past season. Rambo told Matthews that he was “passing the baton” to him. He promised to workout with him and assist him with the playbook and that he expected him to lead the team.
“Jarvis Jones told me the same thing,” Matthews said. “So I’m trying to build onto what they said. I’m going to work hard, I’m going to grind. Jarvis said, ‘don’t try to be like me; try to be better than me.’ That’s my mindset. Rambo was a great player. If I want to be better than him I’ve got to keep working hard and keep grinding.”
There will certainly be an opportunity for Matthews. Both Rambo and fellow starting safety Shawn Williams have graduated and will be at the NFL combine later this month. Meanwhile, head coach Mark Richt served notice before the bowl game that returning defensive backs not only were competing against fellow lettermen but against the signees that were about to come in.
Matthews is one of eight defensive backs the Bulldogs signed in this past week’s recruiting class. At least four of those are coming in as safeties, including Paris Bostick of Tampa, Kennar Johnson of Gulf Coast Community College and Quincy Mauger of Marietta’s Kell High School.
But it is Matthews, rated the No. 7 safety in the country by Rivals.com, who everybody is expecting to make the greatest impact at the position. Matthews doesn’t disagree.
“I don’t want the players here to feel any type of way toward me,” Matthews said. “I want them to know that I’m grinding just as hard as anybody and I’m working toward the same goals that they are. But they’re going to have to watch me because I’m coming and I’m coming hard.”
Matthews was an early commitment for the Bulldogs and stuck to his pledge despite being vigorously recruited by more than a dozen schools, and even more fellow prospects. And Matthews was trying to recruit them Georgia’s way as well.
He remains a close friend of Alabama signee Reuben Foster and worked hard to get Laremy Tunsil and some other elite prospects to follow him to Athens. As he was interviewed Friday on the second floor of UGA’s Butts-Mehre football complex, he remained mystified as to why more didn’t follow his lead.
“It hurt a little bit, but that’s what comes with all this recruiting stuff,” Matthews said. “Players have to go where they fit in at. Reuben’s a great player; he’ll fit well in Alabama’s system. And Laremy will fit in well at Ole Miss. I feel like all of us have a good chance to come in and start. But, I mean, it hurt. I’ve just got to focus on myself now and trying to help the Georgia Bulldogs win a national championship.”
And when it comes to dropping words like “national” and “championship,” it’s something Matthews said he doesn’t do frivolously. He means it, he said, and intends to achieve it.
“I want the whole world to know this: We’re trying to win a national championship here,” Matthews said in a very serious tone. “Every year. So that’s my mindset.”
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