Matt Corral

Matthew Anthony Corral (born January 31, 1999) is an American football quarterback for the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football for Ole Miss and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Early life
Of Mexican heritage, Corral was born on January 31, 1999, in Ventura, California. He later attended Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, California, before transferring to Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California. He later stated he switched schools due to Oaks Christian being for "rich kids" that were "never going to have to work a day in their lives", as well as a physical altercation with a son of Wayne Gretzky that finalized his decision to transfer.

Corral totaled over 11,000 yards with 123 touchdowns during his high-school career and played in the 2018 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He originally committed to play college football at the University of Southern California then the University of Florida before eventually choosing Ole Miss.

College career
During his first year at Ole Miss in 2018, Corral played in four games as Jordan Ta'amu's backup. He completed 16 of 22 passes for 239 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. As a result of his limited action in 2018, Corral was redshirted.

Corral was named the starting quarterback entering the 2019 season. In a week 2 matchup against Arkansas, he completed 16 of 24 passes for 246 yards, resulting in a 31–17 win. In the game, he set career highs in attempts, passing yards, and completions, leading to him being named Southeastern Conference freshman of the week. Corral led the Rebels to a 4–8 record in his first season as a starter, completing 105 of 178 passes for 1,362 passing yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions.

In his first season under new Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, Corral started every game of the abridged 2020 season and improved on his performance from 2019, passing for 3,337 yards with 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions and he led the Rebels to the 2021 Outback Bowl, where he was named its MVP after Ole Miss defeated the Indiana Hoosiers by a score of 26–20.

In 2021, Corral tied the school record for touchdowns in a game with seven as a junior, throwing for three and rushing for four against the Tulane Green Wave. In what would be his final season at Ole Miss, Corral would lead the Rebels to a 10–2 record and a bowl appearance at the Sugar Bowl. Corral finished the season with 258 completions of 378 attempts for 3,333 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and four interceptions. Corral declared for the 2022 NFL draft at the end of the season prior to playing in the 2022 Sugar Bowl. There, he suffered a leg injury in the first quarter and was carted off.

Carolina Panthers
Corral was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the third round (94th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. He suffered a Lisfranc injury in a preseason game against the New England Patriots and was placed on season-ending injured reserve, missing his entire rookie season. Corral was waived by the Panthers on August 30, 2023, a day after having made the initial 53-man roster for the 2023 season.

New England Patriots
On August 31, 2023, Corral was claimed off waivers by the New England Patriots. Corral was placed on the exempt/left squad list by the Patriots on September 9, 2023, after leaving the team's facility without notice and failing to report in for two consecutive days. He was released on September 18, 2023, and signed to the practice squad after clearing waivers the next day. The next day, it was reported that he would no longer be re-signing with the practice squad.

Birmingham Stallions
On February 13, 2024, Corral signed with the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League (UFL).