Jaren Matthews spent the entire season last year confined to the sidelines due to injury. His abilities from the previous season still lingers on the minds of various D1 coaches however. Lining up under center for Don Bosco Prep (NJ) Matthews at 6'1 195 lbs. gives opposing defenses fits due to not only his throwing ability but his wheels as well. Matthews is a dual-threat player and he sat down to give us an update on his recruitment.
"Right now I like Virginia, Indiana, and Pittsburgh. Those are the schools that have shown me the most interest." Some analysts see a position change in his future but the three aforementioned schools like him right where he is at quarterback. "All of those schools are looking at me playing the quarterback position."
Although he doesn't have any offers currently the heavy interest he's receiving from numerous D1 schools despite not playing last year shows just how good the youngster is under center. When asked to describe his play on the field Matthews responded, "I have the ability to make plays even when it might appear that nothing is available. I try to emulate Michael Vick on the field."
When it comes to his recruitment Jaren says a few things will play vital roles in his decision making process. "Depends on what offers I get but what conference plays a big role for me." To this point Jaren says that Virginia is recruiting him the hardest currently. "I get the most mail from UVa. UVa is in the ACC and the ACC is one of the best football conferences. I also like that it is somewhat close to New Jersey but I haven't visited Charlottesville before."
If the Cavaliers continue to show serious interest in the Don Bosco prospect that could very well change. In fact Matthews shared another interesting bit of information with us concerning the Hoos. We asked him if he was planning to wait out the entire recruiting process or not and he replied, "If I get an offer I would most likely commit."
QB Jaren Matthews