Temple (TX) 4-star DL Jamarion Carlton and Hough (NC) 4-star CB Samari Matthews are set to officially announce their commitments on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
Both players are ranked extremely high on the Longhorns' 2026 recruiting board, mostly because they have the talent and size to play early on in their Texas careers.
Carlton is currently ranked as the No.3 overall defensive lineman in the class, and the 4th-ranked player in the state of Texas according to 247sports.com. At 6'4.5" and 260 pounds, he already has the length and size to contribute at multiple spots for the Longhorns. It's still undecided as to where he'll settle in at, defensive end or defensive tackle, because he has the frame of a defensive end but the strength of an interior defensive lineman.
Elite EDGE Jamarion Carlton will announce his commitment this Thursday, choosing between Baylor, LSU, Texas and Texas Tech⌛️
— Rivals (@Rivals) July 8, 2025
One team has moved into pole position, according to @samspiegs👀
Intel: https://t.co/waQt5Yf9Hy pic.twitter.com/fP9TjJFSyb
As a junior in 2024 he totaled 57 tackles, 11 TFL, 5 sacks, 3 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble for Temple High School. He also competes in Track & Field and basketball for his school. Though he was recently crystal-balled to Baylor, the Longhorns are still very much in the running for the intriguing defensive lineman.
Matthews is currently ranked as the No.12 overall cornerback in the class, and the 7th-ranked player in the state of North Carolina. He has a long, game-ready frame that's rare to find at the high school level. Texas DC Pete Kwiatkowski gravitates to field-corners with Matthews' size and play style because they're usually adept at the press/box-out element of coverage, which is what he likes to do on the outside.
After talking it over with my family, we’ve decided to move my commitment date up to July 11th. Where is 🏠? @samspiegs @ChadSimmons_ @adamgorney @TomLoy247 @SWiltfong_ @AnnaH247 @RivalsFriedman pic.twitter.com/SF0hZroAE9
— Samari “Smoke” Matthews (@samari_matthews) June 23, 2025
Matthews was lockdown in coverage last season, totaling 19 tackles and 2 interceptions as a junior for Hough High School.
Clemson has seemingly gained ground on the Samari Matthews recruitment train, but the Longhorns coaching staff hopes that their consistent contact and relationships made plays a significant role on luring the blue-chip CB to a Texas commitment on Friday.