Southern California native Mikey Matthews always envisioned playing at UCLA, but he just had to take a roundabout route to get to Westwood this offseason.

The Irvine product was rated a four-star recruit out of Mission Viejo High School and was the nation’s 166th-best overall player in the 2023 class by Rivals.

The Bruins, though, never extended a scholarship offer and Matthews spent his first two seasons at Utah and California.

The 5-foot-9, 180-pounder brings 61 career catches for 533 yards and a touchdown to UCLA, which needed a slot target to replace Logan Loya after he transferred to Minnesota in the offseason.

Once Matthews’ position coach at Cal, Burl Toler III, joined the Bruins’ coaching staff, the “full-circle moment” didn’t take much thought.

“What brought me here to Westwood is my receiver coach, coach Burl Toler,” Matthews said Thursday after the team’s fifth practice of spring camp.

“He’s a great coach, very personable. He’s very down to earth, very easy to connect to, he’s a great human — he’s just teaching me things, on and off the field, teaching me how to become a better man. It’s always bigger than football.

“I’m really happy to be here and really able to show what I can do, and excited for the season.”