Matthews just beginning
Olive Branch (Miss.) defensive end Chris Matthews may only have one-year of high school football under his belt but he has definitely made the most of it.
Growing up Matthews played the game but concentrated more on basketball as he grew older. That is until 2012 and after starting the season on JV he quickly made his way up the depth chart.
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"At the beginning of the season I was playing JV and they put me in a few games and I made some plays," Matthews said. "It took a few games but they began starting me and I've been starting ever since."
Since he only played in the last five or six games, there is not much film on Matthews so he has been hitting the camp circuit.
"I went to the Memphis camp, and I went an Ole Miss camp," Matthews said. "I went to an Alabama camp for the 7-on-7/O-line, D-line camp. I'm trying to go to the (Mississippi) State camp later on this month."
The camps have paid off. Memphis has extended an offer and he felt like he left an impression on the Ole Miss coaching staff while in Oxford.
"It was good," Matthews said. "I didn't get an offer, but they said what I did at the camp really helped them to see because I don't really have any film and they really liked what they saw out there."
Memphis joins Auburn on Matthew's offer list. Auburn offered shortly after the season but the defensive end has not heard much lately from Auburn.
One school he feels could possibly join his list in the near future is Ole Miss, and the Rebels currently sit at the top of his list of favorites.
"Ole Miss, I really like their program but I'm not going to rule anything out," Matthews said. "I have to keep playing and keep visiting schools because I never really know what I like until I see it."
What is it about the Rebels that has them so high on Matthews' list?
"When I went to Ole Miss I got a good relationship with the coaches," Matthews said. "I like the environment they have down there with their players."
Matthews is taking the recruiting process in stride and at this point plans to wait and make his decision after the 2013 season.