Texas A&M football: 30 greatest players of all-time
By Jeff Shull
Stats – Started 49 out of 52 possible games of his four-year career
Accolades – 2013 Consensus First-Team All American, 2012 and 2013 All-SEC, 2012 First, Second and Third-Team All-American by various outlets, All-Big 12 Freshman Team in 2010
Team signature moment – Defeating the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa in 2012, finished 11-2 that year with a win in the Cotton Bowl over the Oklahoma Sooners.
Jake Matthews is one of a long run of incredibly successful offensive lineman that went on to become starters in the NFL. Most of them were first-round NFL Draft picks. Like most of them, Matthews was a Mike Sherman recruit which Kevin Sumlin inherited.
Matthews played for both and obviously made an impression on both. He started 10 games as a true freshman and every game as a sophomore under Sherman, then started every game of the 2012 and 2013 seasons with Sumlin.
His elite versatility made him a dream prospect for NFL teams. He was named to multiple All-American teams as a right tackle in 2012. Upon Luke Joeckel graduating (and being the No. 2 overall NFL Draft pick in 2013), Matthews took over at left tackle for his final season in 2013 and was named a consensus First-Team All-American.
Matthews was coveted by several NFL teams and ended up as the No. 6 overall pick to the Atlanta Falcons in 2014. He was one of three Aggies taken in the first round that year, along with Johnny Manziel and Mike Evans —selected right after Matthews at No. 7. He has enjoyed a successful career with the Falcons and made the Pro Bowl in 2018.