For over a year, the Miami Hurricanes have been linked to five-star offensive tackle Mark Matthews. In a year when Mario Cristobal is shutting down the state from outsiders, the St. Thomas Aquinas product is the most important target on the board.
Cristobal and staff have worked hard to get Matthews on campus repeatedly for the Hurricanes' biggest recruiting weekends with the hopes that it will lead to an eventual commitment. Matthews announced his top four today, and it's an indication that Miami is one step closer, but the Hurricanes will have to fight off LSU, Georgia and Texas A&M to seal the deal.
NEWS: Five-Star Plus+ OT Mark Matthews is down to 4 Schools, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 4, 2026
The 6’6 300 OT from Fort Lauderdale, FL is ranked as the No. 1 OT in the 2027 Rivals300⁰⁰Where Should He Go?⁰⁰https://t.co/MGozxifYSS pic.twitter.com/ntJCljvZwx
It's Miami vs. the SEC for 5-star OT Mark Matthews
Matthews is on Miami's campus again this weekend attending the pool party recruiting event. There's a chance he could shut things down immediately, but even if he doesn't, it feels like the Hurricanes are in a favorable position with the elite local prospect. Silent commitments aren't as widespread as they used to be in the recruiting game, but it wouldn't surprise me if Matthews was a silent commit right now that's helping the staff gain intel on other top targets, like five-star edge and Ohio State commit DJ Jacobs.
There's no real surprise in Matthews' other three schools. Georgia has always been in the picture as a second option. It's probably safe to say that if something were to go awry with Miami, the Bulldogs would probably be the team that would benefit most. Texas A&M is not much of a surprise either. The Aggies are always tossing out big dollars and have shown there's no price too big to get a top player in the fold. LSU is in a similar boat as the Tigers brass has to put up the resources to get top talent on campus and justify the money they are paying for Lane Kiffin. Matthews has yet to announce his official visit schedule, which will likely happen in May and June.
But let's be real, it's just a matter of time before Matthews is a Hurricane. Whether it happens today at the pool party or over the summer on his official visit or before the start of high school senior season in high school, it's happening.