Bayron Matos (born December 8, 2000)[1][2] is a Dominican American football offensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). After growing up in the Dominican Republic, he moved to the U.S. in high school and played basketball. He played college basketball for the New Mexico Lobos and South Florida Bulls from 2019–20 to 2021–22, before switching to football in 2022. He is a participant in the NFL's International Player Pathway Program (IPPP).
| No. 79 – Miami Dolphins | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Offensive tackle |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | December 8, 2000 Los Mina, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
| Height: | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Weight: | 290 lb (132 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Hamilton Heights Christian (Chattanooga, Tennessee) |
| College: | New Mexico (2019–2021) South Florida (2021–2022) |
| Undrafted: | 2024 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Active |
Early life
Matos was born in Los Mina, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.[3][2] He grew up playing baseball, the country's most popular sport, and was considered a talented pitcher and outfielder, being able to throw at speeds in the low 90s.[4] He liked basketball, however, and so he gave up baseball and moved to the United States at age 16 to pursue a professional basketball career.[2][5]
Matos moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and began attending Hamilton Heights Christian Academy, but initially spoke no English, learning some phrases through Google Translate.[6] He noted that for a time, the only English he knew was "I'm hungry": he said, "If somebody asked how I was doing, I said, 'I'm hungry.'"[6] He was a top player at the academy, being the state leader in double-doubles and rebounds while helping them win a state championship.[1] He had 16 athletic scholarship offers coming out of high school and was ranked a three-star recruit, the third-best player in the state and the 16th-best nationally.[1] He initially committed to play college basketball for the Mississippi State Bulldogs but later flipped to the New Mexico Lobos.[1]
Matos redshirted at New Mexico in the 2019–20 season and debuted in the 2020–21 season, in which he played 20 games and started 15, totaling an average of 6.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.[4] He entered the NCAA transfer portal after the season.[7] He ultimately transferred to the South Florida Bulls.[8] Matos appeared in 28 games, four as a starter, for the Bulls in the 2021–22 season, averaging 10.6 minutes per game while posting 1.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.[1]
Football career
Matos joined the South Florida Bulls football team as a walk-on in 2022.[9] Initially a defensive lineman and special teams player, he was later moved to offensive tackle.[10] He briefly played on special teams and defensive end during the 2022 season.[11]
In January 2024, Matos was announced as one of 16 players selected for the National Football League's International Player Pathway Program (IPPP), designed to give opportunities in the league to foreign players.[12] He trained at IMG Academy and has been praised by NFL analyst Scott Pioli for his skills and size.[10][13] Despite being 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m) and 290 pounds (130 kg), he ran a 4.88 40-yard dash at his pro day, which would have been the best among all linemen at the NFL Scouting Combine.[10][13] He was eligible to be selected at the 2024 NFL draft and was considered a potential late-round pick.[10][13] He ultimately was not selected in the draft, but afterwards was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent.[14]