Months after Miami bounced Texas A&M from the College Football Playoff, Aggies coach Mike Elko scored a substantial recruiting win over the Hurricanes on Friday with a commitment from five-star offensive tackle Mark Matthews, ESPN's No. 11 overall prospect in the 2027 class.
The coveted 6-foot-6 lineman from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is the third-ranked offensive tackle in the SC Next 300. Matthews, who included LSU, Miami and Georgia among his finalists, announced his pledge in a live ceremony streamed by 247Sports.com Friday evening.
Matthews caps a fierce recruiting battle between the Aggies and Hurricanes this spring. The coaching staffs from each program invested heavily in Matthews' recruitment over the past two years.
According to sources, both schools remained in the mix to the very end this week, with significant financial packages on the table. Matthews visited with all four of his finalists this spring, including a pair of trips to both Miami and Texas A&M.
A multiyear starter at Florida's St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Matthews brings the Aggies to a remarkable tally of four five-star pledges in the 2027 class.
Between him and fellow five-star offensive tackle Kennedy Brown (No. 2 overall), the program now holds pledges from two of the nation's top five offensive tackle prospects.
The Aggies' incoming offensive class also includes four-star offensive tackles Kaeden Scott (No. 137) and DeMarrion Johnson, both from the state of Texas. Five-star defenders Zyron Forstall (No. 17) and Kamarui Dorsey (No. 21) headline a 14-man Texas A&M 2027 class that now includes an FBS-best 12 SC Next 300 pledges.
Upon Matthews' pledge, five-star offensive tackle Caden Moss (No. 14 overall) remains the top uncommitted offensive tackle in the 2027 class. Four-star lineman Layton Von Brandt (No. 40) holds heavy interest from Auburn, Notre Dame, Florida and Penn State and is nearing a decision in the coming weeks.
