Safety Tray Matthews' time on the Georgia football team has come to an end, and he apparently already knows where he'd like to play next.
Georgia head coach Mark Richt announced Tuesday in a strongly worded statement that Matthews, who was arrested this spring on three counts of theft by deception, has been dismissed from the program.
"We are trying to make room for guys who want to do things right," Richt said in the statement.
The 6-foot, 196-pound safety made six starts for Georgia as a true freshman and was one of the top recruits in the country at his position coming out of high school. His departure is another blow for a defense that was already facing a number of issues.
However, Matthews' departure is only surprising in that it comes so late in the year. He was one of four players on the team that were arrested on at least two counts of theft by deception right before spring practice began. The safety and his teammates allegedly cashed their school stipend check twice for several weeks before being caught.
All four players were facing a suspension to start the season, but wide receiver Uriah LeMay already announced he would transferring last month.
A tweet published to Matthews' Twitter account shortly before Georgia announced his dismissal indicated that Auburn or Louisville would be his "home."
Auburn was a serious player for Matthews when he was being recruited, but he would have to sit out a year if he opts to transfer to Auburn or Louisville, due to NCAA transfer rules. At Louisville, he would be able to join up with former Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and teammates Shaq Wiggins and Josh Harvey-Clemons. Matthews could play in 2014 if he transfers to a junior college or FCS program.
If Matthews joins the Cardinals, they would end up with three-quarters of Georgia's 2013 starting secondary and all would be eligible in 2015.
It's not exactly the great situation new defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt thought he'd have in 2014 after coming over from national champion Florida State.
*Follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter **@BryanDFischer.*
