With the 2025 college football season approaches, the 2026 recruiting class is beginning to take shape. This summer, a lot of top players plan to commit to have it done with prior to their senior year.
Among those players is four-star cornerback Samari Matthews out of Huntersville, North Carolina. Ranking as the No. 12 cornerback in the class, according to On3, is one of the nations best players and has offers from big schools.
The Texas Longhorns have been linked to him as his top destination, and On3’s Charlie Williams has placed an expert pick that he will be heading to the Longhorns next fall.
Matthews has announced that he will be making his commitment decision on August 10 this summer.
The Clemson Tigers join Texas as his top predicted landing spots, and both schools would benefit greatly from Matthews’ ability.
Clemson and Texas both rank in the top 15 for their overall 2026 recruiting class, and the addition of Matthews could have them jump the rankings even further.
A fun rivalry between the two, as the last time they faced, Texas defeated Clemson in the first round of the newly formatted 12-team College Football Playoff.
Among other schools in the running are South Carolina, Florida State, and Oregon, and could be potential suitors for Matthews.
He currently has visits locked in for Clemson (May 30), FSU (June 6), Texas (June 13) and South Carolina (June 20).
After a previous visit to Texas in April, Matthews was impressed, saying that the Longhorns “exceeded his expectations.”
Head coach Steve Sarkisian has his work cut out for him this summer to secure Matthews, but another impressing visit could end up doing the trick.
Related: Five-Star Tight End Projected to Commit to Historic College Football Program
