Overview
With two family members having not only played, but excelled at Southern California, you would think that with a name like Clay Matthews III that he would have been one of the team's elite recruits. However, 160-pound high school players do not have Pete Carroll knocking on their door, no matter what his last name is. Still, after joining the team as a walk-on, putting in three years as a reserve and a special teams player, Matthews wrote a terrific final chapter to his college career that could end in April with him joining his father and uncle as USC first-round selections.
When the Matthews family gets together during the holidays, that gathering is filled with athletes. It all begins with Clay's grandfather, Clay Sr., who was on the football, wrestling and swimming teams at Georgia Tech in the 1940s and then played in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers in the 1950s. Clay's father, Clay Jr., was a four-year (1974-77) linebacker at USC who played on the Trojans' 1974 national championship team and earned All-American honors in 1977. He went on to play with the NFL's Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons from 1978-96.
Clay's uncle, Bruce, was a three-year (1980-82) letterman offensive guard at USC who earned All-American honors in 1982 and then played with the NFL's Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans from 1983-2001. Clay's older brother, Kyle, lettered at safety on USC's 2003 national championship team. Another brother, Casey, is a sophomore linebacker at Oregon. His cousin, Ashley Nick, is a senior on the USC women's soccer team that captured the 2007 NCAA championship.
Matthews prepped at Agoura High School. His dramatic rise as a pro prospect would be one of this draft's more compelling stories, even without his bloodlines. Lightly recruited as a high school junior, he walked on to USC rather than take a scholarship to a smaller program. "He was 160 pounds as a junior in high school," his father, Clay Jr., said. "His senior year, he just got taller and bigger. But you're recruited your junior year. I was thinking he wasn't going to be able to play football, and I was fine with that."
The freshman linebacker was relegated to duties on the scout team at Southern California in 2004. As a red-shirt freshman, he played mostly on special teams in 2005, seeing action in all but the Hawaii contest (missed that game with an elbow sprain). He managed to record eight tackles (4 solos) to earn his first varsity letter.
Now measuring in at 230 pounds, Matthews earned a scholarship during 2006 fall camp. He served as a reserve strong-side outside linebacker behind Dallas Sartz, but made his reputation when he was named Co-Special Teams Player of the Year. He was also a second-team Academic All-Pac 10 Conference pick. In 13 games, he delivered 15 tackles (9 solos) with a 7-yard sack.
Matthews was again the key backup at both outside linebacker positions and captured the team's Co-Special Teams Player of the Year Award for the second consecutive season in 2007. He played in all 13 games, blocking two kicks while posting 17 tackles (15 solos) with three stops for loss. He also caused two fumbles, both coming vs. Illinois in the Rose Bowl.
An intense weight training program during the 2008 offseason was tempered by surgery performed on his hand, but he still ended up receiving Co-Lifter of the Year honors. The now 240-pounder opened the 2008 campaign as a reserve, but took over right defensive end duties for the final 10 contests. The All-American honorable mention and All-Pac 10 Conference second-team choice was named the team's Co-Special Teams Player of the Year for the third consecutive season. He ranked fourth on the team with 56 tackles (28 solos), blocked another kick and had 4.5 sacks to go with nine stops for losses.
Scouting Report
GENERAL REPORT: GRADE: 6.44
Body Structure: Matthews has a compact, solid frame with good upper body development, broad shoulders, thick chest, tapered thighs and thick hamstrings. He shows good straight-line quickness and the arm extension to shed blocks and has room on his frame to carry another 10 pounds of bulk with no loss in quickness. His body is more suited for linebacker, as he is more likely at maximum growth potential and will not be able to carry the bulk needed to compete as a down lineman on a steady basis.
Athletic Ability: Matthews has good upfield quickness, showing suddenness in his initial move off the ball and gets to top speed quickly. He has some stiffness in his hips that affects his lateral and change of direction agility, but is combative in attempts to slip off blocks and string plays wide. He shows good strength upon initial contact and breaks down well on the move. He is an effective short-area pass defender because of his foot speed to stay with most receivers through their routes. He is playing out of position on the defensive line and is better suited for the outside linebacker position, as he has good explosion coming off the ball and adequate power behind his hits. GRADE: 6.6
Football Sense: Matthews has solid field instincts and vision. He needs minimal reps to retain and has no problems taking plays from the chalkboard to the playing field. He is not used much in pass coverage and needs to show he has the ability to locate the ball when working in the deeper areas of the zone. He will sometimes take poor angles in pursuit and lacks the hip snap to neutralize the cutback lanes. He can slip under trash when trying to shoot the gaps, but is susceptible to side blocks and must become more alert to blocking schemes. Right now, he plays more on adrenalin that on football knowledge. GRADE: 5.9
Character: Matthews plays with a solid blue-collar work ethic. He is a self-starter who puts in the extra hours in the weight room and film room. He comes from a football oriented family, as his father and uncle both starred in the NFL. He has a good approach to his play and is a solid individual, both on and off the field. GRADE: 6.7
Competitiveness: Matthews was a former walk-on who excelled on special teams so much, the staff finally gave him an opportunity to start early in the 2008 season. He is the type of athlete that gives full effort until the whistle. He is not the type that will let emotions get the better of him, playing with a good head on his shoulders. He stays focused and plays hard, whether in game action or practices. He handles pressure in the heat of the battle well and will always run to the ball with total effort. GRADE: 6.5
Work Habits: Matthews is the type of player who will do whatever the coaches ask. He is a self-motivated athlete who takes well to hard coaching. He is an outstanding worker in practices and a self-made type that pushes himself hard to succeed. While he is always in control of his emotions, he will not hesitate to get vocal in the huddle. His passion for the game is highly evident. GRADE: 6.5
ATHLETIC REPORT: GRADE: 6.70
Key and Diagnostic Skills: For a one-year starter, Matthews shows the vision of a veteran reading key and getting into position to make the play. He is not one to get fooled by misdirection and shows good knee bend to take on blockers and escape. He needs to play with better control, though, as he will get reckless and then over-pursue the play (tries to make the sensational hit rather than taking what the offense has to offer). He attacks the ball with good urgency due to his ability to quickly break down plays in front of him. He is very quick coming off the snap, staying low in his pads while generating quick lateral movements to string the plays wide. He has the natural ability to anticipate the flow of the ball. He needs to be quicker dropping back in pass coverage, but is effective at reacting and tracking down the ball when working in a crowd at the line of scrimmage. GRADE: 6.9
Playing Strength and Explosion: Matthews has good weight room strength, but is still developing proper hand placement and techniques to separate from blocks. He hits with a good thud, but due to his lack of bulk as a down lineman, he needs to avoid the opponent rather than engaging the bigger blockers. He does not use his hand punch well in attempts to shed and when he short arms, the bigger offensive linemen have good success in engulfing him. He needs to be more combative with his arm swipes, as he will try to out-finesse rather than battle his opponent in one-on-one confrontations. He is an avid weight lifter and a product of the team's training room, adding more than 40 pounds of bulk since his sophomore year. He has more than enough functional strength to take on blocks and shed, but must be more alert to low blocks to protect his body from double teams. He has no problems running downhill to fill the rush lane and plays with good leverage when taking on the linemen. With his power and intelligence, he could be a better fit for middle linebacker at the next level, as he has the strength to stack and the power to contain the running game between the tackles. GRADE: 7.2
Lateral Pursuit/Range: Matthews is a little stiff in his pass drops, but does a good job of moving down the line and redirecting to plays at the Xs. His ability to play in space make him a better fit at linebacker than as a down lineman. Perhaps because of the team's system, he is used more to keep plays in front of him and did not get enough reps in pass coverage to fully evaluate his ability in that area. He has the ability to run through and around traffic. He gives good effort in pursuit and when he plays under control, he can properly read and adjust to the flow of the ball, but can get caught in trash when he fails to keep leverage on the ball. GRADE: 6.2
Use of Hands: Matthews runs hot and cold here. He will short arm at times, letting blockers to get under his jersey when he does so. He has a strong punch, but will try to avoid power confrontations when he should be meeting them head-on. When he keeps his hands properly extended, he can effectively to keep blockers off his feet and get around trash quickly, but must keep them active at all times, as he is susceptible to the low block. He is not a natural hands catcher (more pass deflections rather than interceptions), but the USC system calls for him to attack the man, rather than the ball, making it difficult to evaluate his ability as an interceptor. GRADE: 6.2
Tackling Ability: Matthews is developing into a solid wrap-up tackler, showing good mechanics to secure and drag down. He extends his arms properly to stalk and is the type that collides with ball carriers upon initial contact, showing the strength to shed blocks and stay on the ball. He has that ease of movement getting to the ball when working in space and the leg drive and strength to get the ball carrier on the ground and impede the opponent's forward momentum. He can deliver a strong thud upon contact and his hits have been known to jar the ball loose from several ball carriers. When he brings his arms properly to wrap, he can strike opponents with good pop on contact. GRADE: 7.1
Run Defense: Most linebackers his size can get engulfed when working in-line, but Matthews does a good job of coming downhill, using his hands to shed when working near the line of scrimmage, which allows him to fill the rush lane. He plays with good leverage taking on blocks coming off the edge. And has the speed and burst to head off ball carriers along the corners. He is a smart player who stays in control and while he has some hip stiffness, he can make plays sideline to sideline. His change of direction skills might not let him cover large portions of the field, but he runs to the ball well and has the hand usage to slip off passive blocks. When he closes on the ball, he will usually take good angles. His speed is evident when he simply explodes and accelerates to close. GRADE: 7.4
Pass Defense: Matthews needs to generate better hip swerve in order to drop off deep in the zone. While he takes no wasted steps in transition, he must become quicker when trying to turn coming out of his backpedal. He doesn't flip his hips properly, but plays at a good pad level. Because of the stiffness in his turns, he can't drop off quickly. He gets adequate depth in his pass drops, but does keep his head on a swivel to locate the ball in flight. In man coverage, he has the quickness to stay on the tight ends and slot backs, using his hands effectively to reroute. He has the acceleration to maintain position on the receiver when working underneath. His quick feet allow him to shadow the speedier running backs on screens, but he needs to do a better job of opening his hips to turn and run. GRADE: 6.3
Zone Defense: Matthews is a work in progress, as he was rarely used on plays outside the box. He lacks the fluid hips to come out of his backpedal suddenly and will trip over his feet at times, as he does not have a strong concept for angling. He is not used much in zone coverage, especially when picking up and switching off on receivers, but is effective at keeping the play in front of him. He has an explosive break on the ball and keeps his hands properly extended to wrap and secure. He is too smart to be fooled by the tight ends, but has not had enough playing time in the passing game to evaluate if he has an understanding of zone concepts. GRADE: 6.0
Pass Rush and Blitz: Matthews shows the ability to elude blockers on the move, staying low in his pads and maintaining balance coming off the edge to get into the backfield with good urgency. He plays with 100 percent effort and if unblocked, he is relentless in his pursuit of the quarterback. He is better served pressuring the pocket on the move than with his hand down, as he gives up too much bulk to combat offensive tackles on a regular basis. With his burst through the gaps, he could be a nice fit as a strong-side linebacker, as his speed is evident racing through the holes. Unfortunately, speed is his only asset as a blitzer, as he does not have a good array of pass rush moves. He can get caught up vs. inside trash due to a lack of ideal size for a down lineman, but as a linebacker, his acceleration and power lets him get a strong push off the blocker. He needs to stay active with his hands to prevent getting absorbed working inside, but he gives good effort as a blitzer, especially when attacking from the back side, making him a better fit for the linebacker position than as a rush end. GRADE: 7.0
Compares To: MARCUS WASHINGTON, ex-Washington -- Matthews knows how to use his quickness to slip past and avoid blocks in order to get to the ball and clog the inside rush lanes. He has the balance and body control to run clean and take proper angles to the ball when working in space. He is a solid wrap-up tackler with enough power to drag ball carriers down. He is not big enough to prevent NFL linemen from engulfing him as a defensive end, but as a linebacker he could develop into a solid blitzer. He has the hand strength to get a decent push off the ball and works hard to play off blocks to get to the quarterback. When working off the edge, he can surprise a lethargic offensive lineman with his ability to explode past the opponent and has more than enough speed to close, making him a nice fit for strong-side linebacker.
OVERALL GRADE: 6.66