Miami commit is doing everything he can to help Mario Cristobal land Mark Matthews

Zaquan Linton wants to be part of the Miami Hurricanes' next great offensive line, and he doesn't want to do it without bringing his friends along.

Fresh off of 305 Day, Linton had a chance to bond with five-star offensive tackle Mark Matthews, and he's made it clear that he wants the elite prospect from St. Thomas Aquinas to join him with the Hurricanes and be a major part of the machine that Mario Cristobal is trying to put together in hopes of bringing championships back to Coral Gables.

As On3/Rivals Miami writer EJ Holland points out, Matthews isn't the only target that Linton mentioned. He also spoke of four-star offensive guard Sean Tatum joining the trench warrios in Miami. 

OL commit Zaquan Linton wants 5-star Mark Matthews to be a 'Cane

If Linton gets his wish, and Hurricane fans should hope he does, it continues the local flavor that will likely define Miami's 2027 class. Linton plays high school football in Palm Beach County and Tatum is just a few miles north on Interstate-95 in Fort Pierce. With the commitment of five-star wide receiver Nick Lennear last week, the Hurricanes class is already bringing back memories of the 'State of Miami' recruiting from back in the day. This doesn't mean Cristobal is going to stop hunting for elite talent nationally, but he also wants to secure the big names in Miami's backyard. 

Bringing Matthews into the fold a year after signing five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell would continue to solidify the Hurricanes as the top place for elite offensive linemen. When Cristobal came back to Miami, he wanted to build a roster around elite linemen on both sides of the ball and, with the likelihood of Francis Mauigoa and Rueben Bain Jr. going in the top 10 of the upcoming NFL Draft, his proof of concept is one that blue-chip linemen are eager to buy into.