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Elite 2026 CB Samari Matthews visited by Oregon's Dan Lanning and South Carolina's Shane Beamer

hunterby:Hunter Shelton•01/27/25•

HunterShelton_

Samari Matthews
Photo by Jeremy Johnson.

The recruitment of Huntersville (N.C.) William Amos Hough four-star cornerback Samari Matthews continues to heat up as he gets back on the road for his next round of visits.

Coming off a successful visit to Florida State last weekend, Matthews is now set to see Tennessee and Clemson this coming weekend. Coaching staffs are making their way to North Carolina to visit Matthews, too.

North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick was in earlier this month. On Monday, Matthews posted photos with Oregon head coach Dan Lanning as well as South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer.

Matthews has felt the love from plenty of schools throughout his recruitment. A whopping 30 Power Four programs have offered the 6-foot, 180-pounder. Contenders are beginning to emerge as he heads into the spring. He named a top eight of Alabama, Clemson, FSU, Georgia, North Carolina, Penn State, South Carolina and Tennessee at the end of November.

His trip to Tallahassee last weekend left Florida State in a great spot:

“This visit most definitely made an impact on me,” Matthews told On3. “I loved it. It was a great visit and Florida State is a top contender now.”

South Carolina has been one of the most consistent schools pushing for Matthews to date. He’s taken multiple visits to Columbia and has held the Gamecocks in high standing.

“They are another school that will be there to the end,” Matthews said about the Gamecocks. “Out of all the schools right now, they have been in contact with me probably the most. I have a great relationship with the whole staff, but especially Coach Gray and Coach Beamer.”

“My plan is to visit some schools for Junior Day, then take my official visits and commit. This is my last cut. My plan is to commit late in the summer, maybe around August, but we will see how I feel,” Matthews previously said.

He is the No. 51 overall prospect and No. 4 corner in the 2026 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 7 player in North Carolina.

“It is going to be a tough decision. A lot of little things will factor into it. The atmosphere and how they will develop me on and off the field are very big. Football doesn’t last forever, so their plan for life after football is important.