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Four-star CB Jordan Matthews shocks recruiting world, picks Tennessee

Tennessee shocked the recruiting world on Monday afternoon as the Vols dipped into the state of Louisiana to pull away an elite secondary prospect in Baton Rouge (La.) Woodlawn four-star cornerback Jordan Matthews, who announced his commitment to on Monday afternoon at a ceremony at his high school.

Matthews officially chose Tennessee over finalists Michigan and Texas, but the hometown LSU Tigers also posed a threat down the stretch in his recruitment beginning in the early summer. However, it was Texas that the recruiting industry and fans expected him to pick on Monday afternoon.

"We've been to Texas about five times now, so everybody guessed it was Texas, but I had a change of heart," Matthews said. "When I went to Tennessee, it was my best visit. I feel like in my heart it's the best school for me."

The relationship piece at Tennessee allowed the Vols to go from the darkhorse to the winner in this recruitment as Josh Heupel, defensive coordinator Tim Banks and secondary coach Willie Martinez all went all-in on the Louisiana star.

"The reason I picked Tennessee, I felt like they had the best situation for me in my heart in this process," he said. "Coach Heupel, Coach Banks, they've been great to me. I feel like it's a school I can thrive at for the next 3-4 years."

For Matthews, development for the next level is also something that stands out about Tennessee's coaching staff as he believes in the track record that the staff has built.

"One, I feel like they were the best for playing early," he said. "My development for the NFL with Coach Martinez, he's developed many players in the past. With Coach Heupel coming in and having a winning season last year, we can build that even more."

Looking forward, Matthews will be in Death Valley once again this season when Tennessee makes the trip to Baton Rouge, but this time on the opposing sideline with his committed program to get a taste of what it will be like when he makes it back to Knoxville.

"Who doesn't want to play at Rocky Top? I feel like it's a different environment. I want to play in that environment and thrive in it."

A track star and a stud on the 7-on-7 circuit for F3 Elite, Matthews uses his 10.66 100-meter and 21.27 200-meter speed and 6-foot-1 length to create an island as a boundary corner. Stepping into a secondary in Knoxville that will need early contributors in the 2023 class, Matthews will be able to serve that role upon arriving.

At 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, Matthews is the No. 125 ranked recruit in the country for the class of 2023, according to Rivals. He is the No. 11 ranked recruit in the state of Louisiana and the No. 18 cornerback in the country.

TigerDetails.com's Jerit Roser contributed to this article.

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