Mike Elko and Texas A&M landed a commitment from five-star offensive lineman Mark Matthews for the 2027 recruiting class. He announced his commitment on Friday, and his addition gives the Aggies the best offensive line recruiting class in the country.
Mike Elko Secures Five-Star OT Mark Matthews over Miami
Matthews is the second five-star prospect that Texas A&M has landed in the 2027 cycle, joining EDGE Zyron Forstall alongside a loaded group of four-stars including offensive tackle Kennedy Brown, safeties Kamarui Dorsey and JayQuan Snell, and cornerback Raylaun Henry. He is also the 14th commitment for the Aggies in the 2027 recruiting cycle, which now ranks No. 1 in the country, according to 247Sports.
Reactions started pouring in after Matthews’ commitment news.
“I’m thinking Coach Mike Elko and the Aggies should start charging admission to watch one-on-one pass rush drills at practice. They are adding absolute monsters at DE and OT,” TexAgs’ executive editor Billy Liucci wrote.
Texas A&M’s elite recruiting class continues to build momentum as the top-ranked group in the country. Offensive line coach Adam Cushing played a major role in landing Matthews, giving him the highest-rated commitment of his coaching career. The achievement comes shortly after Cushing helped send four starting offensive linemen to the NFL Draft, all of whom were selected.
“Texas A&M OL coach Adam Cushing is on quite the recruiting heater. In the 2027 class, A&M now has commitments from five-star OL Mark Matthews and Kennedy Brown, and four-star OL Kaeden Scott and DeMarrion Johnson. Not bad after getting four OL selected in the NFL Draft,” On3 analyst Carter Karels tweeted.
“Texas A&M with another enormous win on the recruiting trail as Mike Elko and Adam Cushing land the top offensive tackle prospect in the country. The quest for the #1 class in this recruiting cycle takes a huge step forward,” TexAgs analyst Ryan Brauninger wrote.
Matthews has been heavily recruited by some big programs such as Miami and Georgia. His decision represented a huge recruiting win over Mario Cristobal and Miami, especially since Matthews is a South Florida native who attends St. Thomas Aquinas High School.
Following his commitment, Matthews told Rivals that picking Texas A&M over Miami was “really tough,” as when he would go to a 7-on-7 or a 5-on-5 event in the area, everyone would tell him to go to the Hurricanes. However, he was determined to find the right college for himself.
“Maybe I’m letting down some hometown people, but I’ve got to do what’s best for me and my family,” Matthews said.
Matthews is the No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2027 class, the No. 1 recruit in Florida, and the No. 6 prospect in the nation, according to the Rivals’ Industry Rankings. If he sticks to his commitment, he will be a great addition to Texas A&M’s offense, which finished last season with an 82.7 score in the PFSN College Football Offense Impact Metric.
