NFL Draft profile: Matthew Golden, Texas
Matthew Golden
Wide Receiver #2 Texas
6’0 195 lbs.
Positives:
- Explosive speed off the line of scrimmage.
- Able to get behind defenders instantly to create a deep ball threat.
- Great but inconsistent route running. Throws off defenders with many breaks in his route.
- Position flexibility. Able to line up in the slot and out wide.
- Good hand-eye coordination. Able to position himself with the ball.
- Useful as a kick returner as well. Plenty of experience.
Negatives:
- Poor downfield blocking in the run game. Lacks aggression when blocking.
- Consistent drops over his college career.
- Injury prone, missing multiple games in his early career.
- Not consistent in route running. Late on quarterback deliveries
- Trouble boxing out defenders in 50/50 balls.
Who is He?
Born August 1, 2003 in Houston, Texas. He stayed local throughout his schooling. After quickly becoming a high school standout, Matthew Golden began his collegiate career as a Houston Cougar. He spent two years at Houston racking up 988 yards in 20 games. Impressing many schools in his first two years, he took his talent to Texas and became a Longhorn. He is ending his collegiate career after one season with Texas, ending with 987 yards and 9 touchdowns. Golden set himself on track to become one of the hottest wide receivers going into the NFL Draft after leading Texas in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in the 2024 season.
It's All in The Film
Matthew Golden is an extremely dangerous weapon on offense. It’s not surprising defenders keep a close eye on him, even before the ball is snapped. Pre-snap motion is a very key way to confuse defenses and get them out of position. This first clip is a perfect example of this down in the redzone. This is the area of the field where pre-snap motion is the most successful. Golden is often put into motion, most out of all receivers on Texas last season. Right out the huddle, Golden lines up in the slot on the right. Quarterback Quinn Ewers motions him right to left then back to right, leaving the defenseman confused as to who is getting the ball. Is Golden going to get the ball snapped directly to him or handed off from Quinn Ewers? Neither. Which leads to a Longhorns touchdown.
Even when not getting the ball, Golden is able to open up the defense by drawing them into his motion, as you see above. With a receiver with that kind of presence, there is no wonder why he is top of a lot of NFL teams scouting reports. This is a huge part in an offensive scheme as it opens the run game, making them a threat in play action.
Continuing, Golden’s speed and acceleration is remarkable. It is a huge part of his game and is found evident in this clip. One of his biggest games from the 2024 season comes against Arizona State in the Peach Bowl. Golden went for 149 yards with a touchdown, becoming Quinn Ewers number one guy in a very important game. Speed and acceleration was the name of the game for Golden in this game. Breaking off his route, Golden found himself behind defenders quickly becoming an open target. The clip above shows just that. As he uses his elite acceleration passing through two defenders, he quickly finds a soft spot in the zone becoming an open target for his quarterback. Golden uses his speed to cut past the single high safety and has an open field ahead.
More blazing speed shown off from Matthew Golden above, as he is positioned on the bottom of the screen being the lone receiver on the right side. He runs a simple go route here where he hesitates for a split second, to make the corner freeze as he waits for Golden to make a move, then takes off like a rocket. Golden simply burned the corner, but was very much assisted by a beautiful pass from Quinn Ewers. One on one press coverage wasn’t the smartest move played by the ASU corner.
Rounding out this display of speed, Matthew Golden puts on the burners for a 50 yard gain against Georgia in the SEC Championship game. The classic wheel route is what he runs in the clip above. Golden is positioned in the slot, he starts motioning outside right and takes off upfield as the ball is snapped. Again, he quickly finds the soft spot in the zone, between the two retreating defenders, and Quinn Ewers hits him with a beautiful rainbow pass. Golden shows off his great catching ability and hand-eye coordination as he turns around, tracks the ball, and catches it all while remaining in bounds.
Matthew Golden found himself positioned in the slot and out wide, proving that he is as versatile as they come. In these previous clips, there have been instances where see Golden in motion. Longhorns utilized his speed to send him in motion on multiple plays, thus causing the defense to react and try to keep up with him before the ball was snapped. This became a huge part of his success as it opened up the Texas offense letting him rack up a great amount of yards.
Speed and acceleration aren’t the only thing apart of Golden’s arsenal. His route running is undoubtedly one of his best traits. Once he gets a clean release off the line, defenders have to be careful. Not only his speed, but his footwork is incredible. He can cut in his routes, makes nasty juke moves, or just flat speed right by you.
This is a clip all teams should look at when scouting Matthew Golden. The true athleticism shown here is outstanding. He is seen running a wheel route and curling at the top of his route. Golden sees his quarterback under pressure and works with him as he cuts up field, burning his defender. His awareness shows as he works his way upfield becoming an open target for his quarterback. What stands out in this play is his tracking of the pass and catching ability. Not only the route, but tracking the ball in the air to his hands and completing the grab is truly elite level play.
This is a prime example of now you see me, now you don’t magic from Golden, and boy is it gold. Lined up out right, paired with DeAndre Moore, he hits the gas right off the snap. Golden is seen running a post here and does it with ease. At the top of his route we see him juke the corner by cutting outside for a split second then back inside and finding himself wide open down the middle of the field. This was a clutch play in overtime in the Cotton Bowl, tying the game and keeping the hopes alive for the Longhorns.
What Do We Think?
There is a lot to like about Matthew Golden. He combined for over 1,000 yards the first two years of his collegiate career at Houston. Never losing a step, he almost reached 1,000 in only one season as a Longhorn. His speed and acceleration is prominent in every game he played, and I see that continuing into the pros. Pressed man coverage is the last option to choose when lined up against Golden. He will blow right by you in an instant. In any zone coverage, he will get behind defenders and find the soft zone for his quarterback to hit him in. Reading defenses and positioning himself accordingly adds to his success and is something all teams should be looking at.
Though his route running is stellar, it’s far from consistent. This is seen when some routes are not on time with throws from his quarterback. Golden is seen to have a difficult time boxing out defenders on contested catches, this is due to his smaller frame. One other negative to keep an eye on is downfield blocking. He shows little to no effort in most blocks on run plays, one resulting in a safety because he missed his block against Arizona State in the Quarterfinal.
All in all, Matthew Golden is a solid receiver with an incredible speed and stellar footwork, sure to be a stud in the NFL. My player comparison would be Calvin Austin on the Pittsburgh Steelers. At around the same height, both show explosive speed off the line. They both can be found deep over the middle by cutting through the defensive backs and getting themselves open. Both receivers are seen spread out in the offense, mainly in the slot, also in motion often because of their speed. Trouble being aggressive with cornerbacks and creating space on one on one catches bites both receivers as well. They share the same weaknesses as well as a common tendency to show their strengths.
Calvin Austin seems to solidify more of a slot receiver option. Look for Matthew Golden to start his NFL career in the slot. As he molds himself into the league, Golden will be spread out in multiple positions, using his speed to help any offense he is on.
