| No. 88 – SMU Mustangs | |
|---|---|
| Position | Tight end |
| Class |  |
| Personal information | |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 252 lb (114 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Lake Braddock (Burke, Virginia) |
| College | Michigan (2020–2023) SMU (2024–2025) |
| Awards and highlights | |
Matthew Hibner is an American football tight end. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines and SMU Mustangs.
Early life
[edit]Hibner is from Burke, Virginia.[1] He attended Lake Braddock High School in Burke where he played football as a tight end.[1] He also played basketball for a time before deciding to focus solely on football.[2] He had relatively little attention as a college recruit entering his senior year due to his small size. After being advised by his coach to add weight, Hibner "loaded up a plastic tub each day, full of eggs and meat wrapped in lettuce, carrying it around the hallways of Lake Braddock, [and] added nearly 40 pounds," according to The Washington Post.[3] He posted 42 receptions for 940 yards and 12 touchdowns in his senior year while winning the 6C regional championship.[1]
Hibner was ranked outside of the top 1,000 college recruits in May 2019, but by the end of his senior year was ranked the 14th-best tight end and a top-160 prospect nationally by 247Sports.[3] He was also a top student, posting a grade-point average (GPA) of 4.3 while having never received a "B" grade through high school.[3] He committed to play college football for the Michigan Wolverines.[4]
College career
[edit]Hibner appeared in no games as a true freshman at Michigan in 2020, then played in eight games on special teams in 2021.[1] In 2022, he appeared in 13 games, posting two catches for 15 yards along with three tackles and a fumble recovery.[1] He won a national championship during the 2023 season while playing seven games and recording two tackles.[1][5] Across his four years at Michigan, Hibner played in 28 games as a reserve, catching only two passes for 15 yards while tallying five tackles.[6] Following the 2023 season, he entered the NCAA transfer portal and transferred to the SMU Mustangs.[7] He saw more playing time at SMU, starting eight games during the 2024 season while recording 24 catches for 368 yards and four touchdowns.[1] That year, he scored his first collegiate touchdown on an 80-yard catch against the Pittsburgh Panthers.[5] He returned for a final season in 2025 and posted 31 catches for 436 yards and four touchdowns.[8] At the conclusion of his collegiate career, Hibner was invited to the 2026 Senior Bowl.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g "Matthew Hibner". SMU Mustangs.
- ^ Trieu, Allen (June 11, 2019). "Trieu: Virginia TE Matthew Hibner packed on pounds to pique UM's interest". The Detroit News.
- ^ a b c Stubbs, Roman (December 18, 2019). "Matthew Hibner's surprise path to Michigan among early signing day highlights in D.C. area". The Washington Post.
- ^ Sang, Orion (June 10, 2019). "Michigan football 2020 TE Matthew Hibner commits after Ann Arbor visit seals deal". Detroit Free Press.
- ^ a b Richman, Jacob (November 13, 2024). "How a national champion is finally getting to prove himself on the field at SMU". LoneStarLive.com.
- ^ Zuke, Ryan (April 3, 2024). "Former Michigan tight end announces transfer destination". MLive.com.
- ^ Assimakopoulos, Lia (August 7, 2024). "How SMU plans to use Michigan transfer Matthew Hibner, star TE RJ Maryland". The Dallas Morning News.
- ^ "Matthew Hibner College Stats". Sports Reference.
- ^ Root, Jess (January 26, 2026). "Senior Bowl roster: NFL draft prospects compete in college all-star game". USA Today.