Matthew Golden, WR
Junior wide receiver Matthew Golden has decided to forego his final year of eligibility to enter the 2025 NFL Draft, per a report from ESPN's Pete Thamel on Jan. 13.
Golden spent his final season in college at Texas after transferring to the Longhorns from the Houston Cougars last offseason. He broke onto the scene as Texas's top receiving threat in the red zone and on the boundary in 2024.
He led the team in receiving yards (987), yards per game (61.7), touchdown catches (nine), and yards per catch (17.0).
Golden posted one of the best stretches of his collegiate career in the SEC Championship Game and the postseason. He boasted 100-receiving yard games in the SEC Championship against the Georgia Bulldogs and the College Football Playoff quarterfinal Peach Bowl win over the Arizona State Sun Devils.
Thanks to his stellar 2024 campaign for the Texas receiving corps, Golden's stock for the 2025 NFL Draft has skyrocketed in the past couple of months. He was ranked by ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. as the No. 8 receiver in the 2025 NFL Draft class.
Golden has proven his elusiveness and versatility as a receiver and returner on special teams in his one season at Texas and two seasons at Houston. He registered over 700 career kick return yards and two kicks returned for touchdowns at Houston in 2023.
He caught 136 career passes in college, 1,975 receiving yards, and 22 receiving touchdowns.