LSU target Jacoby Mathews named five-star prospect in final On3 2022 On300 rankings
2022 Ponchatoula (La.) safety Jacoby Mathews checked in at No. 19 for the final On3 2022 On300 rankings revealed on Monday, cementing his status as a five-star recruit. The LSU target is fresh off an official visit to Florida last weekend.
The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine gives the Tigers the edge after a prediction for the in-state program came in to land Mathews.
Mathews is the No. 19 overall prospect in the country, No. 1 safety nationally and No. 1 prospect in Louisiana, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
With National Signing Day roughly a week and a half away, the told Gators Online his full attention is on Florida, LSU and Texas A&M.
“It’s really a fine line between all three,” Mathews said. “It’s super tough on me right now, but it’s part of the process. At the end of the day, where I feel more at home, where I feel more comfortable at (is where I’m going to sign).”
Mathews shines at Under Armour Week
On3Sports director of recruiting Charles Power saw Mathews first hand in Orlando for the Under Armour All-American Game. Like many in attendance, the Louisiana native stuck out.
“We thought Jacoby Mathews looked like the top safety prospect at either national all-star game,” Power said. “He was a late arrival to Under Armour, but was our On3 MVP in his first practice. We’ve always been high on Mathews’ football instincts at safety.
“He sees things very quickly and plays at a faster speed than many of his peers. Mathews also looked a little leaner at Under Armour and we thought he covered as well as any safety in attendance.
“It’s a tough debate between him and Malaki Starks for the top safety spot in the cycle, but we went with Mathews due to his experience on defense and what we saw from him in Orlando.”
Jacoby Mathews Scouting Summary
“High-end natural athlete with size and a thick build as a safety prospect. Explosive vertical athlete with high-end change of direction. Plays faster than he tests due to instincts and eye discipline. Covers ground, and closes angles with instinct. Plays with a physical mentality.
Has maintained a safety build with the frame to carry over 220 pounds. Has been a jack-of-all-trades at times for Ponchatoula High playing multiple spots including quarterback, but settling in at safety as a senior. Started on both sides of the ball as a freshman. Was also an All-District level basketball player that played well above the rim.” — Charles Power, On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings
The player evaluations not only include their full senior seasons, but their performances in the practices and games of the Under Armour All-American Game and the All-American Bowl in San Antonio.
The final batch of five-stars has some significant movement from the previous rankings, including 15 newly minted members of the club. It also is headlined by a new No. 1 overall player.
