Miami and Mario Cristobal predicted to land 5-star OT after CFP upset

Rivals' Steve Wiltfong has logged a prediction for the Hurricanes to land elite 2027 offensive tackle Mark Matthews, a blue-chip South Florida prospect Miami has made a priority for months.

Miami is coming off a gritty 10-3 College Football Playoff win at Texas A&M. The Hurricanes won it late on an 11-yard Malachi Toney touchdown, with Mark Fletcher Jr. putting up a career-high 172 rushing yards.

2027 Five-Star Plus+ OT Mark Matthews

Wiltfong called Matthews the nation's No. 1 offensive tackle prospect and said Miami is fighting off Notre Dame, Ohio State and Texas A&M for him. Wiltfong added that Mario Cristobal's staff has gotten Matthews to campus and games several times, and said it is the kind of local battle that is tough to lose when the prospect is in the program's backyard.

Matthews is a 2027 offensive tackle at Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas. On3 lists him at 6-foot-5 and 301 pounds, and Miami is the overwhelming leader in its Recruiting Prediction Machine percentages, with Alex Mirabal listed as the primary recruiter.

"He's exactly what they're looking for from a tangibles and intangibles standpoint, and having him in the backyard, it's hard to imagine this Hurricanes staff losing this recruitment. Cristobal, offensive line coach Alex Mirabal and the Miami staff have the pedigree of development at the position and coming off a playoff win at Texas A&M on Saturday, are starting to get the results on the field to check every box a prospect is looking for."

Steve Wiltfong

Wiltfong linked the momentum from signing five star Jackson Cantwell to the Matthews chase as Miami looks to secure another elite tackle recruit.

2026 Miami OL commits

• OT Jackson Cantwell
• OT Ben Congdon
• IOL Joel Ervin
• OT Canon Pickett
• OT Rhys Woodrow
• IOL JJ Sparks

2027 Miami OL commits

• OT Zaquan Linton