Landing a five-star recruit who is every bit the blue-chip prospect out of state is nothing new for the Texas A&M Aggies. So it should come as no surprise that Mike Elko's program will have a chance at landing offensive tackle Mark Matthews out of Fort Lauderdale during the 2027 cycle. Although the hometown Miami Hurricanes are widely seen as the favorite to land him, do not count out Texas A&M.
Hayes Fawcett of On3/Rivals shared out this sweet graphic depicting Matthews' final four schools.
NEWS: Five-Star Plus+ OT Mark Matthews is down to 4 Schools, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 4, 2026
The 6’6 300 OT from Fort Lauderdale, FL is ranked as the No. 1 OT in the 2027 Rivals300⁰⁰Where Should He Go?⁰⁰https://t.co/MGozxifYSS pic.twitter.com/ntJCljvZwx
According to the 247Sports Composite, Matthews is the No. 1 player from Florida, the No. 1 offensive tackle prospect in the country, and the No. 3 overall recruit in the 2027 cycle. The St. Thomas Aquinas standout has 41 official offers, but will only be looking at Georgia, LSU, Miami, and Texas A&M the rest of the way. When you are a power broker in the sport in recruiting, you can end up with guys like him.
What does this mean for Elko and the Aggies that Texas A&M has a real shot at landing Matthews?
Texas A&M Aggies make 5-star OT Mark Matthews' list of four finalists
Look at the head coaches of these four schools still in the running for Matthews. They would be Kirby Smart at Georgia, Lane Kiffin now at LSU, Mario Cristobal at Miami, and Elko obviously leading Texas A&M. These are all head coaches who led teams to the playoff last season. Kiffin may have bailed on Ole Miss for LSU before the Rebels played Tulane, but that is neither here nor there. Elite teams only.
Let's be totally honest with ourselves. If Matthews ends up committing to anyone other than Miami, that would come as a real shock to the system. That is not to discredit what Georgia, LSU, or Texas A&M are all about, but how could a former offensive lineman from South Florida like Cristobal let him leave? Then again, Miami did not seal the deal with Jeremiah Smith, or with Fernando Mendoza, twice.
In the end, Texas A&M may be as good as any of them to land Matthews not named Miami. Kiffin is brand-new to Baton Rouge, while Smart does not always give the biggest bag when it comes to recruitment. It may very well devolve into an arm's race for Matthews' services between Texas A&M and Miami. If that is the case, then do not be shocked if Matthews breaks hearts near his hometown.
At this time, Miami should continue to be seen as a heavy favorite to end up landing Matthews here.