Top offensive tackle Mark Matthews moved up decision timeline, forcing the Miami Hurricanes to scramble before the local five-star star chooses between them and the Texas A&M Aggies.
Miami, FL. – The Miami Hurricanes’ 2027 recruiting class made a couple of splashes last week after securing four-star defensive lineman Ezekiel Ayangbile’s commitment and flipping five-star cornerback Donte Wright from the Georgia Bulldogs. They have regained momentum on the trail and are on pace to build a top-10 group. However, business isn’t always booming.
The program has made multiple attempts to regain control of Mark Matthew’s recruitment process. He’s a five-star offensive tackle who currently attends St. Thomas Aquinas High School, a private institution located in Broward County. Despite having an opportunity to play close to home, the Texas A&M Aggies have the edge to land him.
Matthews reportedly scheduled an official visit with the Hurricanes on Friday, May 29. However, the latest news likely caught them by surprise. Matthews has set a commitment date for Friday, May 15, two weeks ahead of the official visit.
Despite reports of the five-star offensive tackle taking extra time before making a decision, it appears it will be made sooner rather than later.
Matthews is listed at 6-6, 305 pounds, and ranked sixth nationally, the best offensive tackle, and the best in the state of Florida for the 2027 class, according to Rivals Industry Rankings. He received interest and scholarship offers from numerous programs, including the Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles, South Florida Bulls, Oregon Ducks, Alabama Crimson Tide, Ohio State Buckeyes, Oklahoma Sooners, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Ole Miss Rebels, South Carolina Gamecocks, and Arkansas Razorbacks, plus several others.
Ahead of this upcoming Friday, four programs are listed as finalists. However, the recruitment process actually comes down to two: Texas A&M and Miami.
Rivals’ recruiting prediction machine gives Matthews a 95.4 percent chance of landing with the Aggies, becoming the program’s fifth five-star commit of the 2027 class.
Despite landing a highly-ranked top-five offensive tackle in Jackson Cantwell, who is currently on the roster, it appears that the Hurricanes will miss out on Matthews. However, the program still has a couple of days to act on the situation before the cameras turn on.
Matthews’ decision will be streamed live on CBS Sports College Football at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
Even if the five-star recruit chooses Texas A&M, the Hurricanes will likely make attempts to flip him, similar to the Wright recruitment. These players can’t officially sign with programs until as early as Dec. 4, with Feb. 5 being National Signing Day. Unless Matthews completely shuts down all communications and recruitment, there are still ways to go.
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