Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas offensive tackle Mark Matthews is back on the board.
The five-star prospect decommitted from Texas A&M on Sunday, ending a pledge that had been in place since May 15. Matthews had originally chosen the Aggies after a recruitment that drew heavy attention from some of the nation’s biggest programs.
Texas A&M beat out Miami, Georgia and LSU for the Sunshine State standout when he first announced his decision, giving Mike Elko and company a major win and another key piece for what had been shaping up as one of the country’s top recruiting classes.
Now, though, Matthews is open again, and Miami looks like the school best positioned to make a move. The Hurricanes finished as the runner-up the first time around and have stayed in the mix throughout his recruitment, helped by their proximity to St.
Thomas Aquinas. Their pursuit has only intensified this fall.
The 6-foot-5.5, 300-pound lineman is one of the premier names in the 2027 class, and 247Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins offered a detailed look at what makes him such a coveted prospect:
- Athletic offensive tackle with the quickness and mobility to eventually man the hot corner at the game’s highest levels.
- Still far from a complete product after starting prep career off as a defensive lineman, but has put extremely encouraging stretches on tape while facing stiff competition.
- Fires out of his stance and initiates contact.
- Moves with excellent balance and posture.
- Extends the arc in pass sets with an elite kick slide.
- Will unlock the hips on angle/move blocks and get his head around.
- Darts into space when asked to climb and looks to finish.
- Must continue to improve technique and work on the hand placement, but is a natural knee-bender with rare big-man twitch that’s very young for the grade.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Just Turned One Ugly Loss Into A Bigger Problem
The frustration from Texas A&Ms 17-9 loss to South Carolina goes beyond a bad result on the road. The Aggies piled up more than 450 yards without turning it over, yet still failed to reach the end zone, a stunning outcome that left them with nothing to show for a day when the offense moved the ball but never finished drives.
Now sitting at 4-5, Texas A&M has little margin for error with Tennessee, Oklahoma and Texas still ahead. What looked like a manageable path to bowl eligibility has become a much tougher climb, and the Aggies are suddenly staring at a stretch that will say a lot about whether this season can still be salvaged. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Just Took A Recruiting Hit Fans Never Saw Coming
Less than 24 hours after the loss to South Carolina, Texas A&M took a jolt on the recruiting trail when Mark Matthews, a five-star offensive tackle and one of the highest-rated prospects ever linked to the program, decommitted and reopened his recruitment. Matthews had been viewed as a cornerstone addition for the Aggies, and his place as the No. 3-ranked recruit in Texas A&M program history made him one of the most important pledges in the class.
The timing only adds to the sting, especially after Matthews said two months ago that he was fully committed to Texas A&M. For a program trying to steady itself after a tough weekend, losing a player of that caliber is the kind of development that can ripple beyond one recruiting class and force the staff back into damage-control mode. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Just Had One Of College Footballs Weirdest Losses
Texas A&M spent the afternoon piling up offense in every way that usually points to a comfortable win, only to walk away with one of the strangest box scores in college football history. Against No. 21 South Carolina, the Aggies moved the ball for 457 yards, picked up 26 first downs and split their production almost evenly between the run and the pass, with 206 rushing yards and 251 through the air.
The odd part was what never showed up on the scoreboard: despite all that yardage and no turnovers, Texas A&M did not score a touchdown. It made the loss stand out even more because the program had been in a similar statistical neighborhood before, but never in a game where so much offense produced so little payoff. [Read more 🡒]