Matt Corral is a polarizing professional athlete with a fascinating football career arc. Corral went from high school prep star to controversial college QB to NFL backup. The Carolina Panthers backup signal-caller goes under the microscope to examine the question: Who is Matt Corral?
Matt Corral Demands Your Attention
Corral began his high school career at Oaks Christian in Westlake Village, California. Corral transferred quickly to Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California.
Corral made some noise before transferring, getting into a physical altercation with Wayne Gretzy’s son that made national headlines. Corral would describe students from Oaks Christian as “rich kids” and stated they were “never going to work a day in their lives.”
Matt Corral getting kicked out of school for fighting Wayne Gretzky’s kid is definitely the wildest story I’ll see this draft season
— Carter Donnick (@CDonnick1) February 11, 2022
Corral had a sensational high school career, totaling 11,000 yards of offense. He received scholarship offers from a number of Universities. Corral originally committed to USC, then changed his mind, committing to the University of Florida, before changing his mind again and ultimately enrolling at Ole Miss.
Corral’s Career at Ole Miss
Corral’s career at Ole Miss got off to a slow start. He was the backup to Jordan Ta’amu during his freshman season, seeing action in four contests with minimal results. Since Corral played sparingly, the NCAA granted him a redshirt season.
Corral was named the starting QB for Ole Miss entering the 2019 season. He earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors for his performance leading the Rebels to a 31-17 victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks. Corral’s first season as a starter was unremarkable as Ole Miss stumbled to a 4-8 record.
Prior to the 2020 season, Ole Miss hired Lane Kiffin as the new head coach. Kiffin’s offensive ingenuity made all the difference for Corral, and his collegiate career began to take flight. Corral started every game in 2020, leading Ole Miss to a victory in the Outback Bowl, as he was named game MVP.
Head to Head QBR
Malik Willis vs Matt Corral
Week 10: Liberty @ Ole Miss
Corral 72.3
Willis 29.62021 Season:
Corral 80.5
Willis 70.02020 Season
Corral 89.9
Willis 78.7 pic.twitter.com/KIcJ60KUvp— David Walker (@DavidWalkerQB) March 24, 2022
During the 2021 season, Corral tied a school record with seven touchdowns in a game. Corral threw three TDs and ran for four in a victory over Tulane. Corral threw for 3,333 yards and 20 touchdowns in his final collegiate season.
Ole Miss played in the 2022 Sugar Bowl, but prior to the game, Corral announced his intention to enter the 2022 NFL Draft. Unfortunately for Corral, he sustained a leg injury in the first quarter of the bowl game and did not return.
Corral’s NFL Career
Many NFL analysts had high hopes for Corral, several suggesting he could be selected in the first round. Corral slid in the draft before the Panthers selected him with the 94th overall pick in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Everyone would benefit from a strong preseason performance by Matt Corral
[Joe Person]
The former Ole Miss quarterback figures to get the bulk of the snaps in the preseason games. That will give the 2022 third-rounder a chance to showcase his skills for the Panthers (and every… pic.twitter.com/8oGAPUV1ZR— =͟͟͞Blande (@JustBlande) July 17, 2023
Corral suffered a Lisfranc injury during a preseason game against the New England Patriots, which ended his rookie season before it even began. Any hopes Corral had of becoming the future QB of the Panthers was dashed when Carolina used the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on Alabama QB Bryce Young.
Corral is long on talent, but will he ever get a chance to be a starting QB in the NFL? It is early in his career, but the early indications are not promising.