Four-star cornerback Samari Matthews has been a priority target for Clemson and was the first player in the 2026 class to receive an offer from the Tigers last summer. The William Amos Hough High School (North Carolina) has set an official visit to Dabo Swinney's school for the May 30 weekend.
"They've definitely been in my ear a lot, which is why I make time to come up," Matthews told Sam Spiegelman of Rivals.
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Matthews is the No. 8 cornerback in the 2026 class and the No. 7 recruit in North Carolina, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He has narrowed his top choices to South Carolina, Clemson, Florida State and Oregon but doesn’t want to make the decision hurriedly.
“I am not one to commit and then decommit, so I want to be sure before I make the decision," Matthews told On3.
South Carolina coach Shane Beamer and secondary coach Torrian Gray identified Matthews as a top prospect early in his career, giving the Gamecocks a strong position in his recruitment. On3 currently gives South Carolina a 30.8% chance of landing his commitment.
Meanwhile, Clemson sits at 8.4%, but the Tigers could gain momentum with a strong impression during his upcoming visit.
Samari Matthews raves about Clemson coaching staff
Samari Matthews' combination of length and physicality is a major reason coaches are so high on him. His ability to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage and hold his own in coverage without safety help makes him stand out even more.
His phenomenal skill set has kept Dabo Swinney and the Clemson coaching staff heavily interested in him.
"The first time I talked to him (Swinney) it felt like I’d been talking to him my whole life," Matthews told Tiger Net. "Me and him connected real fast. He’s definitely a great coach."
Matthews has also developed a great bond with Tigers cornerbacks coach Mike Reed.
"Coach Reed, he’s like my best friend, too," Matthews said. "I talk to him pretty much every week about random stuff, not even about football. We can talk about anything under the moon you can think of. He’s a great coach. Both staffs are kind of similar.”
Samari Matthews can be a big addition to Clemson's 2026 class, which has five committed players.
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