Standing at 6-foot-1 and 185-pounds, Charlotte area class of 2026 Samari Matthews from Hough High School in Cornelius, NC, is already a top target for North Carolina defensive backs coach Charlton Warren’s secondary and other defenses across the country.

The sophomore, who was offered by Hall of Fame legend Mack Brown and UNC in January, has been picking up momentum on the recruiting trail since his early invite to join the program from the Tar Heels.

Matthews’ list of offers now totals 22 schools, which includes major Power 5 programs Arkansas, Auburn, Colorado, Florida State, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Miami, North Carolina State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin.

After a standout performance at Mack Brown Showtime Camp back in June, he followed up with the Tar Heels for a visit to Bank of America Stadium to watch UNC take on South Carolina on Saturday, where he watched the coach make history, recording his No. 100 overall win with the program.

Tar Heel Illustrated recently caught up with Matthews to gather his thoughts on UNC, and it’s safe to say that the instate school is still making a large impact on his recruitment early in the process: