The Texas Longhorns added an elite defender to their 2026 recruiting class with the commitment of Samari Matthews on Friday.
The No. 57 player overall and the No. 6 corner in the country, Matthews had a hotly-contested recruitment with a reported 45 offers on the table with schools from each Power Four conference vying for his services. Known as “Smoke,” Matthews narrowed the list down to four schools, all of which received visits during the summer window — the Miami Hurricanes, the Florida State Seminoles, the South Carolina Gamecocks, and the Longhorns.
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Landing Matthews marks a massive win for first-year cornerbacks coach Mark Orphey, who needs to add depth at the cornerback position. Going deep into ACC territory and wrenching the 6’0, 190-pound defender away from the big names in that conference represents the level of recruiting Orphey is capable of with the resources of Texas at his disposal.
Matthews is a two-sport star and a two-way player for Cornelius (N.C.) Hough, competing in track in addition to football, turning in a sub-23-second 200m as a sophomore. He’s also been productive on the gridiron after getting the call-up to varsity as a freshman, racking up 77 tackles and four interceptions in his three seasons.
The commitment of Matthews marks just the second dedicated corner in the class, joining fellow four-star Hayward Howard Jr. Matthews could, however, be the third corner, with Orphey serving as the primary recruiter for Willis athlete Jermaine Bishop, but he will likely get looks on both sides of the ball. This marks commitment No. 18 for Texas, who continues its ascent up the 2026 class rankings, positioning itself for a strong finish come National Signing Day.
Here is some film analysis of what Texas is getting in Matthews courtesy of 247Sports’ Clint Brewster:
Matthews qualifies as one of the top-tier cornerbacks in the class as a complete player that’s checked boxes in terms of physical ability and testing metrics. Adequate height/weight/speed with ability to shell and mirror in both man coverage of zone situations. Stays lockstep both underneath and over the top with quick-reacting traits and physicality through contested catches. Pattern match skills that translates to the next level. Very technically sound and can read, drive, and finish. The type of cornerback that can matchup against bigger wide outs and hold his own. Doesn’t get much action his way to show off ball skills and athleticism when the football is in the air. Projects as a Day-2 draft pick with multi-year starter potential for a an elite college team.
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