Gamecock Digest

2026 4-star CB, Samari Matthews Feels Overlooked and Ready To Prove It

Samari Matthews feels North Carolina football is overlooked as a whole
Arvon Bacon|
Samari Matthews is using his platform to bring awareness to North Carolina football
Samari Matthews is using his platform to bring awareness to North Carolina football | Photo Courtesy of Samari Matthews X

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South Carolina Gamecocks

South Carolina DB Commit, Samari Matthews, is widely recognized for his dominance on the field, and rightfully so; his elite skills have earned him the No. 8 ranking among defensive backs in the nation, according to 247Sports. However, it's a bigger picture for the standout talent from Cornelius, NC. He sees himself as a trailblazer, using his platform to make an impact while competing at OT7, one of the most prestigious 7-on-7 leagues in the country. Matthews isn’t just showcasing his skills, he’s bringing awareness to the football acumen that gets overlooked in the Tar Heel state. Here's what he had to say.

"I'm a North Carolina kid, and people say North Carolina is this and that -- I always took it disrespectful when they say we're only a hoop state; I'm trying to get it out there more. We really have ballers, if you look at the ESPN rankings, we got like 11 or 12 kids in the top 300, so Im playing 7 on 7 to get my state out on the map, said Matthews."

To his point, the top five players in the nation currently are from the Carolina's, and per GHFD (Georgia High School Football Daily, North Carolina ranked no. 10 in players per capita, 141,073 for producing NFL players.

I'm sure as a reader you can feel Mathews' confidence through his quote, but he said that his confidence had to be built; it didn't come overnight. He credits his family for stoking his competitive fire within coming from a household full of athletes.

"When I was younger I was quiet, I wasn't a trash talker. Growing up in my family my older sister ran track, she's D1, so I'm hearing it from her when I'm little, saying you're not going to go D1 like me. My brother, he hooped, he was really good at basketball, so he was like You're not going to be a better athlete. My mom would talk smack, my dad would talk smack, so I grew up around it, so you just going to have to adapt to it. That's one thing that I love about my family," said Matthews.

Matthews is a long corner with a sculpted frame known for being physical at line paired with his exceptional ball skills theres not too much not to like about the 6-1 defensive back. For his junior season he recorded 17 solo tackles, 19 total tackles, 2 interceptions, and 2 fumble recoveries in the 4A Queen City Conference, helping his team to an elite 8 playoff appearance.

With his senior year approaching, Mathews has planned to make his commitment decision on August 10, per 247 Sports. His choice of schools has been narrowed to five teams: South Carolina, Clemson, Oregon, Florida State, and Texas. The three schools he's visited in the month of April are Texas, Miami, and South Carolina on April 5. After a visit during the month of February, he went on record recognizing how much he loves the Gamecock faithful.

Some of the best fans I've seen," said Matthews.

Upcoming Official Visits For Matthews

Clemson May 30- June 1

Florida Stae June 6-8

Texas June 13-15

South Carolina June 20-22

To lean more about the young man behind the face mask watch this full interview with Samari "Smoke Matthews.

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