Texas A&M just took a major blow on the recruiting trail. Five-star offensive lineman Mark Matthews, out of the state of Florida, has decommitted from the Aggies, and it stings for a program that entered the season with its sights set on the No. 1 overall recruiting class.

This was supposed to be one of the biggest commitments of the Mike Elko era. Matthews was a signal that Texas A&M could compete for the top class, and losing him is a gut punch to the entire 2027 haul.

Miami is lurking to scoop up Mark Matthews

Matthews didn’t flip outright. He just decommitted, which leaves the door technically open. But multiple Crystal Ball predictions point to Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes as his expected landing spot.

He had been linked to other programs for a while, including visits to Miami. So anyone following recruiting closely shouldn’t be shocked. That doesn’t make it hurt any less.

And I’ll be honest, as someone who has watched this Texas A&M program get my hopes up just to rip my heart out more times than I can count, this one hits a little closer to home. The Aggies finally looked like a program building something sustainable, and now one of the future cornerstone pieces is walking out the door.

Why Mark Matthews mattered so much

I can’t overstate how good of a talent Matthews is. He is your prototypical offensive lineman, a freak of nature with the size and athleticism that every program in the country covets.

He also fits the theme of this entire Texas A&M class. Elko and his staff have targeted highly athletic, physically gifted players with the plan of developing them into the stars they can become. Matthews was the poster child for that approach. Losing him takes a bite out of the identity of the class, not just its ranking.

The staff questions are fair

And you may say, Tegan, recruits decommit all the time, so why are you so worried? Here’s the thing. I don’t blame recruits for looking at the Elko era and questioning whether this staff is built right.

The loss of offensive coordinator Collin Klein and defensive coordinator Jay Bateman has clearly impacted this team. Those are two massive pieces of the operation, and when high-profile recruits see that kind of turnover, they are going to ask questions. They should.

It is completely fair to wonder whether Elko and his current staff are the right fit for players at the top of every recruiting board. That’s not me piling on Texas A&M. It’s the same question any 5-star prospect and his family would ask before signing.

What comes next for A&M

The next step is seeing whether Matthews makes it official with Miami. If he does, Cristobal lands a franchise-type lineman, and the Hurricanes take a blue-chip talent straight out of a class that was supposed to define where Texas A&M is headed.

My concern doesn’t stop with Matthews. This class still has key pieces, and those players are watching the same staff turnover he watched. One decommitment is a blow. A second or third would turn this into a trend.

I’m not ready to call the Texas A&M class a disaster. But I am worried, and Elko needs to prove quickly that his staff can hold this group together before another domino falls.