It’s never too early for programs across the country to start going after younger classes on the recruiting trail, and Penn State was able to host some targets during this past weekend.
The class of 2025 is going to get all the attention for the time being, especially since so many important recruits were on campus, but starting to develop relationships with 2026 players and beyond is a great starting point.
That’s what the Nittany Lions were able to do with one of the top cornerbacks in the class of 2026.
[autotag]Samari Matthews[/autotag] is a 6’0″, 180-pounder from North Carolina. 247Sports’ Composite Rankings have him ranked as the 34th overall player in his class and the No. 3 corner.
He took his first trip to Happy Valley over the weekend and told Tyler Calvaruso of 247Sports that he and his family enjoyed the experience on campus, with the program, and watching practice (subscription required).
Matthews was able to speak with all the coaching staff in person, but really was able to connect with [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and cornerbacks coach [autotag]Terry Smith[/autotag] who have been recruiting him since January 2023.
With him being able to watch practice to see how everything operates, he came away with a better understanding of the relationships that the coaching staff has with the players.
The recruitment process for the talented cornerback is extremely early, but it sounds like the Nittany Lions got off to a great start with Matthews.
He’s picked up offers from multiple teams across the Power Four conferences and is already planning on visiting more campuses and programs for the remainder of spring and summer.
Matthews is definitely someone to monitor as it looks like he’s one of the high-priority players in the class of 2026.
