Calvary lineman Buddy Mathis steps into the spotlight as Power 5 programs take notice

Walter "Buddy" Mathis Jr. burst on the high school football scene in Georgia as a starter on the Calvary Day defensive line as a freshman two seasons ago.

He was raw, but had the size and athleticism to have an immediate impact with the Cavs, where he played alongside Terry Simmons Jr., the talented nose tackle who is now a freshman playing for Duke.

Mathis developed into an even better player as a sophomore and earned All-Greater Savannah first-team honors as he helped form one of the top duos of defensive linemen in the state alongside Simmons. Mathis made 48 tackles, including 19.5 for losses, with 4.5 sacks and added 12 QB hurries as college recruiters began to take notice. At the end of the season, he had offers from Coastal Carolina and Liberty University.

Now big-time offers are rolling in as the 6-foot-3, 285-pounder is ready to take on more of a leadership role in his junior campaign. He's picked up offers including Auburn, Clemson, South Carolina, Duke, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and UConn as the highly-rated Cavs begin practicing in pads on Aug. 1.

2022 All-Greater Savannah football team Here's the 2022 All-Greater Savannah high school football team and Coach of the Year

Calvary's Terry Simmons commits to Duke Calvary Day's Terry Simmons Jr. talks about decision to commit to play football for ACC school

"It feels really good to be getting big offers like that because not that many players get the opportunity to play for programs like that," Mathis said. "I'm very excited."

Mathis said he will miss playing alongside his close friend Simmons.

"I got the chance to play with him and compete on the field, but I also learned a lot from him over the last two years. I watched how he combined power, technique and finesse and I've brought those things into my own game."

He said the coaching staff at Calvary Day — including coach Mark Stroud and assistants Donald Joyce and Donald Chumley — has played a vital role in his development, and Stroud has been instrumental communicating with college coaches as his recruiting stock continues to rise.

"Coach Joyce is on me at every practice and he has toughened me up and made me better," Mathis said. "And Coach Chumley never lets me slack off. He wants me to always give 110 % and set an example for all the other guys on the defensive line."

Chumley, the former Savannah Christian coach who led the Raiders to a state crown in 2011, joined the Calvary staff last season, and the former defensive lineman for Georgia knows what it takes to succeed in the trenches.

"Everybody saw what a great year Buddy had las season and he has unlimited potential," Chumley said. "And as good as he already is, I think he's only scratched the surface of what he can do. He has all the tools you look for in a defensive lineman. He's 285 pounds with a super strong lower body, he's very well put together. He's been in Terry's (Simmons) shadow that last two years, but he has those same traits.

"The best thing about him as a player is his motor. He's an extremely hard worker and college coaches are looking for that intensity. Division I defensive linemen are hard to find and he's got that motor, the size, strength and work ethic. He's going to have a lot more options before he graduates. I think the sky is the limit and he could have offers from every big program in the country. Our job is to keep him hungry and working hard."

Mathis will be a defensive leader for a squad that has a plethora of talent coming back offensively, including senior quarterback Jake Merklinger, who has committed to Tennessee and his classmate, tight end Michael Smith, who is headed to South Carolina. The Cavaliers won the Region 3-3A championship last season and reached the Class 3A State quarterfinals where they lost their first game of the year to Cedar Grove. They finished with a 12-1 record.

"I've got some personal goals. I'd like to break the school record for tackles for loss in a season. I think Terry (Simmons) has that, and I'd like to win Defensive Player of the Year," Mathis said. "But the team goals are more important and our greatest wish is to go all the way to the championship game and win it."

Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Calvary football DL Buddy Mathis earning interest of Power 5 programs