Miami Hurricanes leading the way for 5-star plus+ OT Mark Matthews
The Miami Hurricanes nabbed the top-ranked offensive lineman in the 2026 cycle and are in prime position to do so again in 2027. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) offensive tackle Mark Matthews, ranked by Rivals as the No. 2 overall player in the nation, thinks extremely highly of Miami at this stage of his process.
It’s fair to call the Hurricanes the current leader for Matthews, with Texas A&M and Ohio State as their main competitors. Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Notre Dame are also among the schools still involved in his recruitment.
The 6-foot-5, 301-pound tackle has spent a ton of time around UM over the past year, attending three games at Hard Rock Stadium this fall. Matthews is enticed by offensive line coach Alex Mirabal’s track record of development, which is one of his deciding factors.
“On my visit, [Mirabal] preached that he was a teacher,” Matthews said. “He teaches o-line, and that means a lot to me. I need to learn the position. I need to develop. I just started freshman year, so I got a lot left to learn. And that means a lot to me that he could teach me, teach me how to read a linebacker, read a safety, teach me how to pull on this play, just simple stuff that I can get better at.”
Matthews has been impressed with the Hurricanes’ elite level of play this season. The offensive line has been pivotal in the team’s postseason success, creating holes in the run game and keeping quarterback Carson Beck clean.
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“Just everything’s looking like it’s clicking,” Matthews said. “They have a good team, a good defense, one of the best defenses in the country, really good offense, really good o-line, really good o-line coach.”
Fresh off a state title at St. Thomas Aquinas, Matthews is still in the process of planning out his offseason visits. He wants to get up to Georgia and Alabama in January.
CaneSport’s Take
Matthews is elite as they come at offensive tackle. After landing Jackson Cantwell in 2026, the Hurricanes have a chance to further establish themselves as the premier location for quality offensive line play in college football for years to come with the addition of Matthews.
