Ranking the Contenders: Jacoby Mathews
Jacoby Mathews is the top-ranked safety and the No. 11 overall prospect in the 2022 class so every move in his recruitment is going to create serious interest and intrigue until he reaches a decision.
The feeling around the five-star’s recruitment was whether any school could pull him out of Louisiana as over the last decade it’s been that top players from there wind up at LSU.
That could be the case for the Ponchatoula, La., standout as well since the Tigers made his top six but Florida, Clemson, Texas, Arizona State and USC are also gunning for him as well.
In today’s Ranking The Contenders, we look at Mathews’ front-runners as his top six schools have come into even bigger focus.
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1. LSU
It has been written so many times but every No. 1 prospect in the state of Louisiana dating back to Landon Collins in 2012 has ended up picking LSU. This time might be different because Mathews has been open about considering leaving and wanting a change of scenery. That’s why others are still pursuing so heavily but the Tigers have such an excellent track record with in-state players and Mathews is so talented on the back end that LSU could be the spot.
2. FLORIDA
If LSU is 1A then Florida is 1B and the Gators have a very real shot in Mathews’ recruitment. That’s not just lip service. The coaching staff has talked legitimately about building the class around Mathews which could be very intriguing and then his relationship with Wesley McGriff and Keiwan Ratliff are two of the best the five-star has in recruiting.
3. CLEMSON
There is a feeling out there that the offer from Clemson that Mathews received in mid-March could be a game-changer and that the five-star is very interested in the Tigers. Things could pick up even more if he visits once the June window opens up and if that happens then Clemson could really start to surge in his recruitment. The only question becomes: Do LSU and Florida have too big of a lead?
4. TEXAS
Two schools of thought have emerged for Texas in the recruitment of Mathews: The offer from the Longhorns is great, he’s interested in coach Steve Sarkisian and Texas has a lot of pull ... but it’s highly unlikely Mathews ends up in Austin. The other camp has Texas much higher than some people realize and assistant coach Terry Joseph being a native of New Orleans could be an important connection to watch.
5. ARIZONA STATE
Assistant coach Chris Hawkins and the entire staff get after it in recruiting and go after some big fish, but this looks like a long shot. Arizona State is winning some impressive out-of-state recruiting battles and if Mathews visits and loves it, perhaps the Sun Devils can pull the stunner. But this one looks tough.
6. USC
The feeling here is that USC is a long shot at the moment for Mathews. Could that change if the five-star loves his experience in Los Angeles? It would not be the first time the Trojans have won a recruiting battle with a trip to the West Coast. Assistant coach Donte Williams is one of the best recruiters nationally but it would be a major surprise if Mathews ends up with the Trojans, at least right now.