Talk about a day to forget. Unfortunately for Mario Cristobal and Miami, some rough news came in within the hour of one another, as things started with 5-star defensive lineman David Folorunsho committing to Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame.
To make things even worse for the Canes, about 60 minutes later, 5-star tackle Mark Matthews trolled The U and committed to Texas A&M. With Matthews being a Fort Lauderdale product, him saying that the Aggies felt like 'home away from home' made things worse.
Mark Matthews quote on picking Texas A&M is a gut punch for Miami
But, despite that recruiting loss, is Miami still ready to go all-in to make sure Matthews plays his college ball in Coral Gables? That seems to be the case, as Dennis Smith fired up a social media post that appears to hint Cristobal is ready to make a push here. With the Early Signing Period not till early December, there's indeed still plenty of time for the 6-5, 300-pounder to have a change of heart.
IT WILL ALWAYS BE WHAT WE ALLOW GOD 2 MAKE IT!!!!!!!! ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Kf5X24JF4E
— DENNIS SMITH (@dtrain2901) May 16, 2026
Mark Matthews committing to Texas A&M has Miami fans down in the dumps
"It's a marathon, not a sprint." That was a pretty telling message from Smith, but it sure let's us know the Canes aren't throwing in the towel - they're going to play the long game here and you really can't blame them for doing that.
Matthews is ranked five stars, the No. 1 offensive tackle in the country and No. 3 prospect overall per 247Sports. He's expected to be a total force at the next level and with him being a playmaker for St. Aquinas High nearby, it put extra pressure on Cristobal and the Canes to win this recruiting battle.
Seeing him leave town for College Station is a major bummer. It highlights yet another big-time recruiting loss for Cristobal in not keeping local talent. However, again, it does not look like this race is over just yet. Yes, A&M fans are celebrating right now, but they could be singing a different tune later this year.
Only time will tell if Cristobal will be able to pull off a massive flip, but don't rule him out. Just recently, Miami stepped in and pulled things off with 5-star cornerback Donte Wright, who was previously Athens-bound to play for Kirby Smart. Now, he's Miami-bound instead. Will the same end up being the case for Matthews? For now, the answer is no, but that could change in a few months if the Miami staff ultimately ends up getting its way.
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