Texas A&M lands No. 1 OT Mark Matthews: Inside the recruitment that stunned rivals

Five-Star Plus+ OL Mark Matthews.

Texas A&M’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class got another five-stars better with Rivals No. 1 rated offensive tackle Mark Matthews announcing his commitment to the Aggies.

The 6-foot-5, 301-pound Matthews chose to play for head coach Mike Elko and Texas A&M over his other finalists in Miami, Georgia and LSU.

Rated by the Rivals300 as the No. 3 prospect in America, and by the industry-generated Rivals Industry as the No. 6 player in the land, Matthews becomes commit No. 14 for the Aggies in the 2027 class.

“I visited and I got that feeling, Matthews said in the past. Coach (Deveonte) Mackey, Coach (Adam) Cush(ing) the whole line staff, Coach Elko, there is something about them and I like the Aggies.”

Over the course of two spring visits including a three-day trip that was capped by the Aggies spring game, Matthews affection towards Texas A&M continued to grow.

Now’s he the jewel of this terrific class.

Rivals Director of Scouting Charles Power is obviously very high on Matthews.

“High-upside offensive tackle prospect with top-notch physical and athletic tools for the position. Measured in at 6-foot-6 and around 280 pounds with plus length before his junior season. Added nearly 15 pounds to his frame early on in the offseason before his junior year. Has an ideal build for an offensive lineman with little bad weight and considerable mass in his lower body, helping to create a strong base. Tests as a strong athlete in the combine setting. New to football, first playing the sport as a freshman in high school. Took over the left tackle spot at South Florida powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas as a sophomore. A twitchy mover with outstanding movement skills. Already flashes an effortless kick slide despite playing offensive line for less than one year. Projects as a high-end pass protector. Played defensive line as a freshman before becoming an offensive lineman. Shows impressive competitiveness in the camp setting. Has a basketball background.”