Miami just dealt Nebraska a painful hit in the battle for elite offensive tackle

Mark Matthews wasn't the only Nebraska football target originally planned to visit during the spring game who didn't make the trip to Lincoln. Unfortunately, the nation's No. 1-ranked offensive tackle in the 2027 class, who skipped his unofficial visit, had a lasting impact on Matt Rhule's recruiting. Just a week later, Matthews has ruled out the Huskers ... for now ... as he named his Top 4 teams.

With Miami, LSU, Georgia, and Texas A&M making the cut, rumblings have the Hurricanes surging into the lead. That Matthews is from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, seems to be the 'Canes' ace in the hole as his recruiting really ramps up.

Miami insider Gaby Urrutia shared quite the photo of Matthews on campus. The analyst also put in a Crystal Ball pick for Miami to land the big-bodied lineman earlier this month. If Nebraska has any chance to get back in the fight, they'll need to figure out a way to make it clear to the No. 3 player in the entire class that Miami isn't a fit for him.

Mark Matthews leaves Nebraska football out of his top four in tough 2027 recruiting blow

A consensus five-star recruit, Matthews is listed at 6-foot-5.5 and 300 pounds. He anchored a St. Thomas Aquinas front that paved the way to another Florida 5A state championship in 2024. In 2025, he participated in both the Under Armour All-America Game and the Polynesian Bowl as an underclassman, earning recognition as a 2025 Sporting News High School All-American.

If Nebraska fans want to take solace in losing the battle for Mark Matthews, they can take heart that Notre Dame was also hoping to elbow its way in and also seems to have been left out in the cold. There's also a belief that even without this top-ranked offensive tackle, Matt Rhule and his staff are putting together an impressive 2027 recruiting class.