Rutgers Scarlet Knights Standout Freshman Enters Transfer Portal
The decision for a standout, New Jersey offensive tackle to commit to Rutgers came as a bit of a surprise. Now, Ja'Elyne Matthews made another shocking decision on Wednesday.
Matthews' agent told 247Sports that the tackle plans to enter the transfer portal as the spring window opened on Wednesday.
Matthews is now the fourth Scarlet Knights to hit the portal joining offensive lineman Dominic Rivera, tight end Matthew Ogunniyi, and walk-on defensive back Trent Brown.
Head coach Greg Schiano got a commitment from Matthews in June. Rutgers was a late addition to the final list along with Georgia, Tennessee, and Miami. Matthews has been a standout lineman for N.J. powerhouse Toms River North. During a ceremony held in Toms River, former MLB All-Star Todd Frazier and UFC legend Frankie Edgar delivered a pizza to Matthews while wearing Rutgers apparel. Matthews signed with the Scarlet Knights in December.
Matthews held many offers from some of the top programs in the nation. This included Florida, Michigan, Ohio State, Texas A&M, and many others. He originally committed to Penn State in January 2023 before re-opening his recruitment.
Matthews has been taking part in spring practices for three weeks now. The 6-foot-6, 340-pound tackle came in as a highly-touted recruit that was viewed as a future anchor along the left side of the offensive line.
The Scarlet Knights will look to replace Hollin Pierce at left tackle as he prepares for the 2025 NFL Draft. The offensive line has become a strength for the Scarlet Knights during Schiano's second tenure as head coach.
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Greg Patuto is a sports writer who covers College Football, College Basketball, MLB, and NBA. He previously worked as Managing Editor at SB Nation's On The Banks, covering Rutgers Athletics, and has also been featured on Fox Sports, NJ.com, ClutchPoints, and FanSided. Greg enjoys spending time with his family while rooting for the Washington Commanders and New York Mets.