You just knew that Miami head coach Mario Cristobal was not going to go down without a fight. Recently, news came in that Texas A&M was on the verge of landing local 5-star offensive tackle Mark Matthews, which had some fans worried sick.
Mark Matthews gives Miami good news with an official visit on the way
However, despite Texas A&M already landing Kennedy Brown and looking to keep the good vibes going, Matthews has not shut down his recruitment. Not only that, but he locked in his official visit with Miami for later this month. And on top of that, he shared quite the quote with EJ Holland, letting everyone know just how much Cristobal is prioritizing him:
5⭐️ OT Mark Matthews is not planning on making a decision soon & has locked in an OV to Miami.
— "EJ Holland" (@EJHollandOn3) May 5, 2026
"(Mario Cristobal) wants me to stay home and put on for The Crib."
EXCLUSIVE: Matthews goes in-depth on the Hurricanes, recent in-home & more #GoCanes. https://t.co/rudCJBICPx pic.twitter.com/icUjic3CKq
Miami won't go down without a fight for 5-star OT Mark Matthews
Cristobal, Alex Mirabal and his staff are making it clear to Matthews that the best local talent needs to stay home. Too many times in recent years, we've seen 5-star playmakers from the Miami area decide to play elsewhere.
Obviously, one the main losses that continues to sting for the fanbase is seeing Jeremiah Smith suit up for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Smith also helped the Buckeyes win the national title during the 2024 season. That made him leaving the area even worse.
Cristobal doesn't want to see something similar happen to Matthews, as he's one of the best prospects in the country for the 2027 class. Per the 247Sports Composite, the 6-5, 300-pounder is the No. 1 offensive tackle in the country, No. 1 player out of Florida and No. 5 prospect overall.
With him being a stud for St. Thomas Aquinas High in Fort Lauderdale too, it only makes this more of a must-get recruiting battle for Cristobal. He's done his part in letting Matthews know he wants him to make the short move to Coral Gables, but the Aggies are also pushing hard for his pledge.
LSU and Georgia are also under consideration, but for now, all signs are pointing to this being a bit of a war between Cristobal and Mike Elko. Elko and A&M have been on fire recruiting wise, as the Aggies are turning heads out on the trail. Cristobal doesn't want that to continue with Matthews, but he's got quite the tall task in working to change Matthews' mind a bit. For now, Texas A&M is the presumed leader, but don't even think about ruling out Miami and Cristobal from pulling this off.
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