For all the 5-star and blue-chip recruits that the Miami Hurricanes have secured in the 2027 class, Mark Matthews has proven to be the one who got away.
Matthews, the top-rated offensive tackle in the country, decommitted from Texas A&M on Sunday and committed to Georgia on Monday. Maybe it's as simple as the St. Thomas Aquinas High School prospect wanted to play in the SEC. Or maybe he has seen how Jackson Cantwell, the top offensive tackle in the 2026 class, struggled as a freshman. Or maybe Matthews just doesn't want to go to college so close to home.
Whatever the reason is, Mario Cristobal failed to land his top offensive line target not once, but twice. That's got to be a tough pill to swallow for the Hurricanes coach and former offensive lineman who takes pride in his ability to have the best players in the trenches.
BREAKING: 5-star OT Mark Matthews commits to Georgia 🐶
— Zach Blostein (@ZBlostein247) November 9, 2026
In surprising fashion, Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs land the nation's No. 1 ranked OT recruit.
Story: https://t.co/78FuhXK17A pic.twitter.com/u3NQmWqdVb
We can continue to hold out hope, but I have a feeling Matthews' commitment is going to stick this time, especially with the Early Signing Period less than a month away.
Miami gets played by 5-star OT Mark Matthews again
Cristobal and the Hurricanes staff have not been shy in their pursuit of Matthews. Not only is he a local prospect, living about 30 minutes from campus, but he's also playing in a position where Miami is always looking for the best guys.
It doesn't help that this is a position of need in this class. Miami has a 5-star quarterback, multiple blue-chip wide receivers, blue-chip defensive backs, a 5-star edge rusher, and some blue-chip players at linebacker and on the defensive line. They needed a tackle in this class. The overall line class dropped a bit with Jatori Williams' decommitment, but the idea of flipping Matthews made that move a little more bearable. Now we don't know what Miami will do at the position.
Offensive line has to become a focus for Miami's 2028 class
It's hard to know what, if anything, Cristobal and Alex Mirabal will do for the 2027 class. Do they feel like they need another body in the trenches or are they happy enough with last year's haul that depth won't be an issue for next season?
But what we do know is that if this season is any indication, the Hurricanes need more high-quality depth at the position. Right now, the Miami offensive line is average at best and, even more concerning, the coaches believe the current group is their best five. Not to pick on SJ Alofaituli because he's taken a lion's share of blame this season, but no Hurricanes alignment of best guys up front should have his name on it. At best, Alofaituli is a serviceable backup center. He's constantly getting blown up at guard.
The 2027 class has 4-star guard Sean Tatum, who I believe can help immediately, and 3-star tackle Tyler Ford, a little more of a developmental recruit who has some very intriguing physical tools. And in 2028, there's 4-star tackle Kweli Fielder already committed. So there are pieces that Cristobal can use to build out some good line depth for the future, but the coach will have to find more in the 2028 class because missing out on Matthews is something that could have long-term effects.
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