Mark Matthews commitment: Latest intel as new contender emerges to land No. 1 OT in 2027

Matthews was supposed to play junior varsity as a ninth grader. That didn't last long. He got the call-up to varsity the day before St. Thomas' season opener.

That football journey actually began on defense. It's what he played as a freshman. One year later, he began his sophomore season with a sack in St. Thomas' season opener against Las Vegas' Bishop Gorman High School in a nationally televised game on ESPN.

Once Matthews began playing offense, he emerged as close to ideal as an offensive tackle prospect gets.

When Ivins watches Matthews, he sees Tristian Wirfs, or at least the traits that made Wirfs such an intriguing four-star prospect coming out of high school.

Back then, Wirfs stood 6-foot-5 and weighed 290 pounds. An Iowa signee at the Navy All-American Bowl, Ivins said Matthews and Wirfs' measurements are very similar. Height, weight, hand size and length -- Matthews compares very favorably.

But what Ivins will always remember about Wirfs is watching him do a handstand walk at the All-American Bowl check-in. It's a freakish athleticism at his size that's made Wirfs one of the NFL's best tackles. It's also a trait that makes Matthews so fascinating, even if he's reasonably new to the position.

"You see all this upside, all this loads of potential, and just like with all these other, you know, high-profile athletic big men, there are going to be lumps and growing pains," Ivins said. "But he flashes an elite kick step. He's got all the tools to be a guy that's going to go Day 1 three or four years from now."

A new leader?

When CBS Sports wrote about Matthews in April, there was one clear favorite for the Florida native -- Miami.

Matthews goes to school some 30 miles away from Miami's campus. He's had Miami at the top of his list or in his top group of schools since the beginning of his recruitment. The Hurricanes have both the history of developing offensive linemen and the funds to attract someone of Matthews' caliber.

But as it can go in the NIL era, Matthews' recruitment has swerved in recent weeks.

He's taken visits to all of his finalists this spring, including a pair of trips to Miami and Texas A&M, which has surged down the stretch to the point 247Sports insider Zach Blostein put in a prediction in favor of the Aggies earlier this week.

Miami is still making an aggressive push. But the Aggies seem to be well-positioned heading into Matthews' announcement.

"This looks like a tight battle between Texas A&M and Miami," 247Sports national analyst Tom Loy wrote earlier this week. "The most buzz as of late has been on the Aggies, but betting against the Hurricanes for an in-state prospect is never smart. Regardless, even if he picks Texas A&M on Friday, Miami won't stop recruiting him until he enrolls in College Station."