College football has been unusually chaotic this season, and it’s easy to forget that another competition is going on at the same time: recruiting.
For the most dedicated fans, recruiting never really stops. Programs work year-round to land talent, and the current cycle is nearing a key moment, with early signing day less than a month away.
Many of the country’s top prospects have already committed, but there have still been plenty of surprises. Florida made a major move by flipping Easton Royal, a five-star offensive lineman from Louisiana who had been committed to Texas. The Gators also kept him from joining LSU, their in-state rival.
Georgia has now pulled off a surprise of its own, landing another five-star prospect who had been committed to a Texas school.
Mark Matthews, an offensive tackle at St. Thomas Aquinas in South Florida, had originally pledged to Texas A&M. As the Aggies’ season faltered, several recruits reconsidered their commitments, and Matthews became the latest to move on.
Given his South Florida roots, Miami looked like the likely destination. Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal and offensive line coach Alex Mirabal have had considerable success recruiting and developing linemen from the area. Recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong even predicted Matthews would choose Miami.
Instead, Kirby Smart and Georgia came away with the commitment. The move was especially unexpected because Miami appeared to be in a strong position to land Matthews, a player at a position Cristobal knows well.
It’s not yet clear exactly how Georgia pulled it off. But the result is a reminder that Smart is rarely out of the running, even when another program seems to have the advantage. He has been relentless on the recruiting trail since his time working alongside Nick Saban at Alabama, and this latest win only reinforces that reputation.
