Mark Matthews is a name that Georgia fans are going to want to learn fast. He is the No. 1 ranked offensive tackle and the No. 2 overall player in the country and is someone that Georgia has been pursuing for quite some time. But this past weekend he finally reciprocated that interest.
In fact, he sent a clear message that Georgia can’t ignore.
“Got to talk to Coach Kirby, you just get that feeling at Georgia, it’s a winning program, you get that winning feeling when you step on campus,” Matthews said via athlonsports.com. “And I like it. … Not to be weird, but the aura they have, Georgia’s a good place.”
5-star OT gives Georgia news they've been waiting for
Those are some kind words to say about Kirby Smart and Georgia, but it gets even better than that. Matthews also announced the top three schools in his recruitment and Georgia made the cut. Texas A&M and Miami were also included in his top three alongside Georgia as well.
Matthews also said that he only plans to take official visits later this year to these three schools, so Georgia no longer needs to worry about any other program getting involved in this battle.
This will be a tough recruitment for Georgia to win. Texas A&M and Miami are known for being two of the biggest spenders in all of college football while Georgia prefers to save their money with high school recruits. That fact alone puts Georgia at a serious disadvantage with this five-star recruit.
But anything is possible, and it's clear that Matthews is very interested in Georgia right now. It remains to be seen if that interest results in a commitment, but for now the Bulldogs have a chance to land the nation's best offensive tackle.