Breaking: Vols Land Prized CB Jordan Matthews Over Texas

Tennessee and Texas have battled down the stretch for the last month and half to try and secure the commitment of elite 2023 Woodlawn (La.) cornerback Jordan Matthews. The highly sought after cornerback just announced his decision moments ago, and he chose in favor of the Vols. 

Tennessee, often overlooked in this recruitment, has prioritized Matthews for months, thanks to the efforts of Willie Martinez and that paid off for the Vols. 

"Since they've been here, they've been with me from the start," Matthews previously told Volunteer Country. "They've been liking me. Coach Martinez, when he came to one of my practices, he fell in love with me and everything. And I fell in love with him and everything. I really like the program. Coach Banks, what he's doing, he's been succeeding at every program he's been to. I feel like he could succeed at Tennessee and I could be a part of that. I love Coach Heupel and he loves me. Our bond grew as the weekend went on. He's a real genuine guy. He's not some head coaches that are real, you know, I don't want to take time with my recruits. He doesn't care. Whatever you want to talk about, he's comfortable talking about it. He helped me this whole weekend."

Matthews' heart was in Texas for a long-time in this race, but the allure of playing for a coach with a track record like Willie Martinez kept the Vols foot in the door and allowed them to capitalize. 

"The good thing about Tennessee is Coach Martinez, the DB Coach, is one of the best developmental guys in the nation right now," Matthews said of what he likes the most about Tennessee. "He knows what he is doing. The one time I went to Tennessee, it felt like home, and they had great hospitality. It is an SEC school that plays big-time football. I just feel like they are building a winning culture over there with Coach Heupel. They have made me very much a priority. Coach Heupel, Coach Banks, and Coach Martinez they hit me up every day. It is like the transparency from that coaching staff is key. You never want to commit to a school because of a coach, but with Coach Heupel, I can tell that with the winning culture he is building that he is going to be there for a minute.

Matthews joins a loaded Tennessee secondary class, featuring John Slaughter, Sylvester Smith, Jack Luttrell, Cristian Conyer and Rickey Gibson.