Mark Matthews is arguably the No. 1 target for the Miami Hurricanes in the 2027 recruiting cycle.
Matthews' recruitment means a lot to Mario Cristobal for a number of reasons. It would be the second straight year that Miami signed a five-star offensive lineman. Matthews is also a local prospect that plays at nearby St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale. A successful recruitment of Matthews would signal the Hurricanes' continued dominance in building on the lines and also send a message to any program looking to steal top talent from South Florida.
So far, the returns have been promising and Steve Wiltfong, the On3/Rivals VP of Recruiting, believes that Miami is doing everything right to land the blue-chip prospect.
"I think Miami is going to be tough to beat"@SWiltfong_ says Texas A&M and Georgia are pushing for 5-star OT Mark Matthews, but Steve is standing on his prediction in favor of the 'Canes 🙌
— Josh Newberg (@josh_newberg) February 25, 2026
MORE: https://t.co/XdhxRi95DJ pic.twitter.com/jCVN1BWJw1
"The early prediction remains on Miami. I like where the Hurricanes stand with the local road grater, Mark Matthews," Wiltfong said. "Several programs are pushing for Mark Matthews, but I think Miami is going to be tough to beat."
Hurricanes are still out front for 5-star OL Mark Matthews
It's natural for a recruit as highly regarded as Matthews to check out the overall scene and see as many programs as he wants. Many of the top programs in the country are trying to give Matthews more to think about and that includes Georgia, Ohio State, Texas...you name it. But Wiltfong says there's one SEC program that might be the biggest threat to the Hurricanes.
"Texas A&M remains their biggest adversary on the trail and then there are other programs he has a keen eye on. Georgia has been rising following a January visit. He's always shown a lot of love for Notre Dame and Tennessee," Wiltfong added.
Obviously, when Texas A&M is mentioned, the first thought is how much money the Aggie boosters will throw around. And Notre Dame, Georgia and Ohio State are all top programs that will be in the mix for elite players. But Miami has a proof of concept that Matthews can look at from Francis Mauigoa's likely top-10 selection in the upcoming NFL Draft and the chance he can line up on the other side of five-star freshman Jackson Cantwell. It should be what puts the Hurricanes over the top.