South Carolina hosting priority 4-star DB again this weekend
South Carolina has two 4-star defensive back commitments so far in the class of 2026. Top-100 safety J’Zavien Currence and On3 top-200 cornerback Peyton Dyer pledged their services to the Gamecocks during the 2024 football season. As GamecockCentral’s Chris Clark broke down earlier this week, the USC coaching staff has its collective eye set on several other big-time secondary prospects in the class and could wind up signing an elite crop of players in their ’26 cycle defensive backfield haul.
One of the top targets remaining on Carolina’s board, regardless of position, is cornerback Samari Matthews. The talented coverage man revealed on social media that he will be back in Columbia this weekend. He’s taken several trips to campus previously and has an official visit slated for the weekend of June 20th.
The Gamecocks have hosted a number of major targets (in multiple classes) since spring practice started. Matthews’ drive from the Charlotte metropolitan area to Columbia could serve as an opportunity for South Carolina to strengthen their standing in his recruitment and increase their recruiting industry-wide perceived lead.
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Earlier this winter, Matthews said that he could “see [himself] playing at South Carolina.” According to Matthews, no team has recruited him as hard as the Gamecocks, either. He told On3, “Every time I’ve been to Columbia, I have felt the love from the fans and staff. They definitely make me feel like a priority.”
Head coach Shane Beamer and defensive backs coach/defensive passing game coordinator Torrian Gray have established strong relationships with their priority cornerback target, and those relationships have been paramount in the team’s courtship of Matthews.
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As a player, Matthews fits the “Torrian Gray model” for cornerbacks. With length, aggressiveness, and athleticism, he physically resembles recent Gamecocks like Cam Smith, Darius Rush, Marcellas Dial, and O’Donnell Fortune. And as good as that group was for the Gamecocks, Matthews ranks higher as a prospect than any of them.
Positioned 68th nationally in the On3 industry rankings–a weighted composite of the player rankings from On3, 247Sports, Rivals, and ESPN–Matthews also is the No. 6 player in a talent-laden state of North Carolina and is the No. 11 cornerback in the country.
The 6-0 corner previously released a top-4 of South Carolina, Clemson, Florida State, and Oregon. However, Texas has pushed into the conversation over the last few weeks, as well. At the time of this writing, Matthews has official visits set to South Carolina, Clemson, Florida State, and Texas. He recently took an unofficial visit to Tallahassee to check out FSU, as well.
