Tennessee moving up for Mathis

The Tennessee Volunteers are known for having great defensive backs. Eric Berry is the latest in a long line of talented defensive backs to be the present star in the backfield. That said, in the college football world coaches are always looking for that next big star and the guy who can step right in and take over the leadership role and be that big play threat. Lane Kiffin and the Tennessee football program are hoping that Detroit’s Dior Mathis from Cass Tech High School will be that next star to don the orange and white.

VolNation got a chance to speak with Mathis about this recruiting process and to discuss the recent developments in his recruitment and where Tennessee stands in it.

“Things are going really well. I am starting to hear a lot more from Tennessee and the staff and that excites me. I’ve gotten three personal letters from them over the course of the last few weeks and that is really exciting. When I think of Tennessee I think of all the players on defense and in particular the defensive backs that they put into the NFL. I definitely want to try and get down there for a visit and check them out. The new staff seems to have things going in the right direction so I have to check it out,” explained Mathis.

Mathis may have some of the better ball skills and athleticism in this cornerback class. With that talent level schools from all over the nation have come calling with scholarship offers. Where does Tennessee stand in this race?

“Well right now my top five in order is Oregon, Michigan State, Tennessee, Michigan, and Miami. Oregon is on top with Michigan State close behind but also Tennessee is moving up as well,” explained Mathis.

With Tennessee moving up the list Mathis informed VolNation what he’s looking for in a school and why he’d choose a school.

“Well I am looking for a few things. I am looking for a school that has a family atmosphere. I want to go somewhere and it be like I am back home. I get done with school and head home and sit down and it feels good to be home. I want that that in a school. I also want to have a coaching staff that gets along well with the players and vice versa. I’m not really bothered by distance,” says Mathis.

With his checklist in order Mathis is waiting on making his decision, but if it feels right he could pull the trigger.

“Right now I am waiting till the end of the season. I might commit earlier but I won’t announce it till the end of the season. I want to do it on TV at the U.S. Army All-American game that I will be playing. I could however commit if I get that feeling in my head that this is the place to be.

Check back with VolNation.com as we track Mathis and his interest in Tennessee and wherever he may end up. VolNation would like to thank Dior for his time for the interview and wishes him good luck in the upcoming season.

Evaluation: Mathis may have some of the better ball skills and athleticism in this cornerback class. Should be one of the top corners in the Midwest this year. A very quick, fluid perimeter defender with a knack for coming up with the big play. His lack of height is his biggest detriment, but he’s high-cut and has long limbs for his short frame. Very fluid pedal and opens and turns very smoothly in coverage. Has great footwork. Can stop-start on a dime mirroring in off-man and flip his hips fluidly when transitioning to run vertically. Body control adjusting to the ball in the air is excellent. Does a great job anticipating the pass and shows outstanding reactive athleticism. Flashes great recovery burst and closes the cushion very quickly undercutting the pass. Shows great speed on film. Understands underneath zone concepts and how to jump the correct route. Comfortable around the football and turns into a receiver on the jump ball, which often masks his lack of height. Does appear a bit quicker than fast, but has great top-end and makeup speed. However, he can get caught peeking in the backfield in man coverage and is susceptible to the double move. Can get turned, let receivers separate and will have a more difficult at the next level recovering when beat deep. We like his aggressiveness as a bump-and-run press guy, but he will need to improve his upper-body strength because he struggles at times maintaining inside leverage versus bigger receivers. Run-support skills are not a strong area. That said, Mathis has the physical tools, skill-set and natural savvy at the corner position to develop into a great lockdown cover guy at the college level. Great prospect and potential stud on special teams as well.

Notes

2008: Intercepted eight passes… Has run a 10.4 100-meter… Also recruited by: Ohio State, Florida, LSU, Florida State, USC, Cincinnati…

Tagged as: Dior Mathis