Awards/Honors
- 2024 Phil Steele Postseason CUSA All-Conference Second Team Defense (S)
- 2024 All-Conference USA Second Team Defense (DB)
- 2024 CUSA Defensive Player of the Week (9/23)
2024 (Sr.) | 14/14: Mathews started all 14 games at safety in his one season with the Hilltoppers. He led the team in tackles, finishing with 98 on the season, and he had one tackle for loss, two interceptions, four fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. He posted a season-high 16 tackles at Liberty, and also had double-digit tackles in the Conference USA Championship Game at Jax State, finishing with 13. He ranked 17th in CUSA in total tackles. The two interceptions came in the final two minutes against Toledo – in the end zone and at the 1-yard line – to help clinch WKU's win, and he was named CUSA's Defensive Player of the Week following the victory. He was one of two players in the league to have multiple interceptions in a game during the season. His fumble recoveries came on big stages, including at Alabama, at Boston College, at preseason CUSA favorite Liberty, and at New Mexico State, and the four led CUSA and were second nationally. Mathews was named All-CUSA Second Team Defense and was a Phil Steele Postseason CUSA All-Conference Second Team Defense selection.
Before WKU: Mathews came to WKU from Nicholls State, where he spent one season after starting his college career at West Georgia. As a junior at Nicholls in 2023, Mathews was third on the team in total tackles, posting 52 in 10 games played. He had two tackles for loss, a pair of interceptions he returned for a combined 60 yards, four pass breakups, and a fumble recovery he returned 58 yards for a touchdown. In 2022 at West Georgia, he posted 43 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, and two pass breakups. He had 35 tackles in 2021. West Georgia did not compete in 2020 and he redshirted in 2019.
HS/Misc.: Mathews prepped at Central High School in Alabama, where he was rated a two-star prospect by 247Sports, led his team to a 14-0 record and a state championship as a senior, and was named All-State as a defensive back as a junior by the Alabama Sports Writers Association.
