Matthew McConaughey reacts to Packers drafting Texas star Matthew Golden

Texas Longhorns star wide receiver Matthew Golden will trade burnt orange for green and gold as he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in round one of the 2025 NFL Draft.

In front of a packed crowd outside Lambeau Field, Packers fans watched and joyfully reacted when they announced that they were drafting their first wide receiver since 2002. However, they were not the only ones to react to Golden becoming a Packer.

Texas Longhorns fan and iconic actor Matthew McConaughey also gave his take on the pick. Reacting on social media, he wrote:

"Route, hands, speed."

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Golden spent three years in college football, spending the first two of them with the Houston Cougars. Here, Golden had a good level of success. But it was during the 2024 season when Golden was truly able to shine.

He recorded 987 yards and scored nine touchdowns, becoming a reliable target for Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (who himself is still available in the NFL Draft)

One of his more notable appearances for the Longhorns came in their College Football Playoff (and Sugar Bowl) game against the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Thanks to a masterclass from Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo, this game went to overtime. In this period, Ewers found Golden for a 28-yard touchdown pass to take the Longhorns into their second consecutive CFP semi-final.

Green Bay GM bullish about Matthew Golden

Speaking on Friday morning, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said the following about their new player:

"The one thing, as we scouted [Matthew Golden], he's a third-year junior coming out, he’s a young guy, and his best football is ahead of him. He's still got a lot of room for growth. He's not at his ceiling.”

In joining the Packers, Matthew Golden gives quarterback Jordan Love another strong target to throw to. This is likely to be important, as while the NFC North is potentially not going to be as competitive as it was last season (three of the four teams made the playoffs), Green Bay is going to need all of the help they can if they are going to make a strong run.

About the author

Ben Tredinnick is a journalist who covers college football and college basketball at Sportskeeda who is currently studying for a masters in Data Science. His degree in Psychology has helped him gain an in-depth understanding of the minds of coaches.

Ben has been involved in sports writing since 2022 and covered the NFL previously. His strengths include providing in-depth profiles of athletes and coaches, with a particular focus on development, and looking at which teams could be in the hunt for today's college stars.

Ben enjoys following college sports more than the NBA or NFL because there is more variation in terms of playstyles. The tournaments are often more competitive than the major leagues, and due to the constant turnover of players, there are rarely any "superteams" in college sports.

He prioritizes research, looks at multiple sources and publications to make sure he gets the full picture of the story before writing. He tries not to write from a one-sided perspective to allow the reader to be able to make their mind up on their own.

A Texas Longhorns fan, as well as a massive New York Giants fan, some of his favorite college players of all time are Arch Manning, Tim Tebow and Reggie Bush.

When he is not working, Ben enjoys watching films (especially Godzilla) and spending time with his cat.

Know More

Green Bay Packers Fans! Check out the latest Packers Schedule and dive into the Green Bay Packers Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by John Maxwell