Notre Dame Surprised Elite Corner Samari Matthews With An Offer

Star 2026 cornerback Samari Matthews recaps recent offer from Notre Dame

Talented 2026 cornerback Samari Matthews /

Don’t blink, Notre Dame continues to add more and more talented players to the 2026 recruiting board seemingly by the day. The Irish coaches have been on the road over the last couple of weeks during the Spring evaluation period. Mike Mickens made his way to Huntersville (N.C.) William Amos Hough, where he extended an offer to 2026 cornerback Samari Matthews.

Aptly named "Smoke", Matthews is one of the more impressive athletes you will find of any 2026 cornerback recruit. It isn’t overly surprising that Notre Dame values the North Carolina athlete. They weren't a school that was on Matthew’s radar prior to the offer but you can bet he will be doing a ton of research moving forward.

"I was surprised,” Matthews told Irish Breakdown. "I didn’t see the offer coming but I was grateful to have gotten an offer from such a prestigious school.

"I don’t know too much about Norte Dame right now,” he continued. "I am looking forward to learn more throughout my recruitment journey. I do know they have a long history when it comes to football though.”

Things have gotten very hectic for Matthews, who is one of the most heralded cover men in the 2026 class. It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that a few big time programs are already making a big impression.

"My recruitment has been going well,” said Matthews. "I have been taking it day by day and just enjoying the journey. As of right now Penn State, Clemson, South Carolina and Florida State are my early standouts.”

While Notre Dame will be playing slightly from behind, there isn’t any rush from Matthews to make a decision. There is time to showcase all that they can offer as a program. There is a tentative timeline that the talented defender would like to try and follow.

"I plan on cutting my list down sometime this upcoming season,” Matthews explained. "I will probably commit somewhere around this time next year.”

Matthews is considered a four-star recruit by every major recruiting platform. He ranks highest by Rivals, who has him pegged as the No. 17 overall player and No. 2 cornerback in the 2026 recruiting class. 

There are a long list of impressive programs that are pursuing the North Carolina native. Some of his top offers so far include the Fighting Irish, Alabama, USC, Penn State, Oregon, Florida State, Miami, Florida, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Auburn, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Colorado, South Carolina, North Carolina, NC State, West Virginia, Arkansas, Wisconsin and Indiana among others.

As a sophomore, Matthews put together a tremendous season for the Huskies. In 10 games, the 6-0, 180-pound cover man collected 25 total tackles, one interception and one pass breakup. Matthews also posted a tackle for loss from his cornerback position.

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