Miami's offensive tackle recruiting board took a hit when five-star St. Peter's Prep lineman Oluwasemilore Olubobola committed to Notre Dame over Miami and Texas A&M.
That makes the next few targets even more important for Mario Cristobal and Alex Mirabal. Miami already has offensive line commitments in the class (Sean Tatum and Tyler Ford) but the Hurricanes still need a tackle that can be an instant impact player.
OT Mark Matthews should be the top priority until he signs somewhere
Mark Matthews is the local five-star prize and the type of prospect Miami cannot afford to watch leave South Florida without a fight.
Matthews plays at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale and is one of the best players in the country regardless of position. He is the No. 3 overall player, No. 1 offensive tackle and No. 1 player in Florida in the 247Sports rankings. The 247Sports Composite has him No. 5 nationally, No. 1 at tackle and No. 1 in the state. He is scheduled to announce his commitment on May 15.
But, for Miami, this is trending to become another recruiting loss for Cristobal and company — at least for now. The 247Sports Crystal Ball expert average is split between Miami and Texas A&M, while On3's RPM heavily favors Texas A&M.
Matthews fits everything Miami is/wants to continue to be. A win here would not only be a surprise for many recruiting insiders, but it would also be one of the biggest wins in the Cristobal era. Even if the Friday announcement doesn't land the way Canes fans want, there is still going to be hope after the fact. Miami should fight to the very end for Matthews, even if it seems like the Hurricanes are currently dead in the water.
OT Joshua Sam-Epelle is another target
OT Joshua Sam-Epelle is a huge, developmental tackle that just makes sense in a Cristobal and Mirabal OL room.
Sam-Epelle, out of Douglas County in Douglasville, Georgia, stands at 6-foot-9 and weighs 310 pounds. He is the No. 45 overall player and No. 5 offensive tackle in the 2027 class. That kind of frame is rare, even in high-level Power 4 recruiting.
Miami has been a part of his recruitment with a game-day visit back in November. Getting him back in Coral Gables will be a crucial next step here. As of right now, Sam-Epelle is set to visit later this month on May 29. That weekend will be huge for Miami outside of Sam-Epellle as well.
Georgia will be a problem for Miami in this race, but the Hurricanes have shown they can hold their own against Kirby Smarts' program on the recruiting trail.
OT Kelsey Adams is a flip target
Kelsey Adams is already committed to Georgia, but his official visit schedule keeps the door open for Miami to keep pushing.
Adams is a 2027 offensive tackle from Langston Hughes in Fairburn, Georgia, and he has a Miami official visit scheduled for June 12 after stops at Georgia and LSU. Pulling a hometown kid out of his commitment will be difficult no matter how high a program is flying. But Miami has done it to Georgia before... so what's one more time?
Miami will be a destination for top OL talent as long as Cristobal is at the helm
Miami does not need to panic after losing Olubobola to Notre Dame. With Matthews, Sam-Epelle, Adams, and a ton of other top OL recruits that just missed out on this list available, Miami is still in good position.
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