Samari Matthews Makes Early Recruitment Cut
2026 five-star corner Samari Matthews (Cornelius, N.C.) cut his recruitment down to 10 schools and included the Tennessee Volunteers.
William Amos Hough High School corner Samari Matthews is one of the top defenders in his recruiting cycle. Matthews ranks as the No. 32 prospect in the 2026 class, according to the 247Sports' Composite Rankings, and commands 29 offers from a wide range of elite programs.
There's a lot of time left before Matthews puts pen to paper, but the Vols are trying to get into this recruitment early. He's scheduled to be in Knoxville, Tennessee, for the first time on April 1, which will be a big opportunity for Tennessee to continue its strong standing. They will go into the visit as one of his top schools, as Matthews cut his list down to 10 programs on Friday.
Alabama, Duke, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Virginia, and Virginia Tech made his first cut. Matthews plans to see Clemson, Miami, North Carolina State, Penn State, Tennessee, and West Virginia this spring. He's already built relationships with the coaching staff at Alabama and Georgia.
2026 5-star Samari Matthews during an unofficial visit to Georgia. (Photo courtesy of Samari Matthews)
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