Texas Lands Commitment From 4-Star Cornerback Samari Matthews

AUSTIN – Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns landed a commitment from 4-star CB Samari Matthews Friday evening, pushing Texas into the No. 14 spot in the recruiting class rankings.

Matthews, standing 6 feet tall and 180 pounds, is ranked as a top-10 cornerback in the country out of Hough High School in Huntersville, North Carolina.

This was a tough battle for the Horns as they were in a recruiting battle with close-to-home South Carolina for the top-75 prospect that took his last visit to Columbia.

However, Matthews eventually chose Texas over South Carolina, Florida State, and Miami. He visited South Carolina five times, more than any other school, but the Horns still won the battle.

Matthews stands out as one of the players whose on-field performance shines more than the stats on paper. In his junior year, he accumulated 19 tackles and 2 interceptions. The year prior, he tallied 25 tackles with just one interception. 

Although his stats may not seem immediately impressive, it is the eye test where he prevails. Matthews excels in man coverage, using his physicality to lock receivers up, and it is for this reason that the receivers he defends rarely get targeted.

Matthews is the second cornerback in Texas’s 2026 class, alongside the No. 1-ranked athlete in Michael Terry III. This pair of cornerbacks landed in big thanks to cornerback coach Mark Orphey and will provide the Texas roster with good depth behind an already strong secondary.

The commitment arrives one week after the Longhorns landed 4-star IOL John Turntine. Since then, Texas has been named in 5-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson’s top-4, and there should be a decision coming soon for the blue-chip prospect.

However, Texas has missed out on two other prospects during the week. On Thursday, the Horns lost out on 5-star ATH Lamar Brown and 4-star EDGE Jamarion Carlton.

On Saturday, 5-star TE Kaiden Prothro will announce his commitment, but as of now, it seems as if his recruitment is leaning towards in-state Georgia. Texas has made a strong push for the tight end, but only time will tell where the top-30 prospect will land.

Sitting with the No. 14 recruiting class, Sarkisian and the Longhorns will continue on the recruiting trail and attempt to possibly flip some commitments. Hook ‘Em!