Top-100 cornerback Jordan Matthews details Vols interest
As Tennessee continues its evaluation of the 2023 big board, defensive back Jordan Matthews of Baton Rouge, La. is a name to pay attention to.
The Vols initially offered the 6-foot-1, 165 pound cornerback back in May but kept close tabs on the Woodlawn standout during the season. In late fall during the travel period, area recruiter Jerry Mack stopped by the school twice to visit with the prospect.
“He said [Tennessee] is a real family-oriented program that welcomes with open arms,” Matthews said of Mack. “And I think Rocky Top has one of the coolest stadiums out there.
“They really like my length and speed. They like how I get out of my breaks and said they felt like I could fit in their program well.”
The four-star sits at No. 94 in the Rival Rankings and is tabbed as the 13th-best cornerback in 2023. Matthews is considered the 10th-best prospect out of Louisiana in the class and boast around 25 offers at current standing.
“I was looking at them here and there this past fall,” the target said of the Vols. “They look like they are ramping up a bit. I can see them being a very successful program in a couple of years.”
Matthews knows about the program’s success throughout its playing days. He knows Peyton Manning attended Tennessee. But the Vols do have an inside track in this recruitment as recent signee Dylan Sampson is a close friend of the prospect.
“He says it’s really nice over there with facilities that have everything to offer,” Matthews said of Sampson. “If one of my closest friends is saying that, I feel like I would fit right in.”
The two friends attended middle school together and have kept up the bond while competing against one another in track during high school.
The cornerback checked in with Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, Mississippi State and Purdue over the fall for game day visits. Over the final two weekends of January, Matthews may stop by Texas and Texas A&M, again.
“A lot of coaches have been on and off lately and there’s been some coaching changes around the country and everything as they try to get settled in,” the prospect said of recruiting. “It’s been picking back up for me. I really can’t wait to go on visits this offseason.”
Matthews, who has never been to Knoxville, would love the opportunity to see campus this offseason. He plans to drop a ‘top-10’ list soon in the coming weeks-to-months with his official visit process beginning over the summer.
“I feel like I’m a high football IQ guy with lots of speed and length,” the defensive back said of himself. “I feel like I can pick up on route combinations, offenses and coverages pretty fast.”
Matthews is only repping at cornerback for the time being, but he could see some action at wide receiver this fall. As a junior, teams usually stayed away from his side of the field while throwing the football. Still, the athlete made an impact with several PBUs, tackles and two blocked PATs.
The All-State football player will be on the track this spring, competing in the 200 and 400-meter dashes, as well as the 4X2 and 4X4-meter relays.
