4-Star Safety Jacoby Mathews Commits to Texas A&M Over Florida, LSU

Photo Credit: Shea Dixon, 247Sports

The Texas A&M Aggies will have a hard-hitting safety in their future secondary after Jacoby Mathews committed to their 2022 recruiting class Wednesday, per ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren.

The 6’2″ and 193-pound Mathews is a 4-star prospect and the No. 38 overall player, No. 2 safety and No. 3 player from the state of Louisiana in the class of 2022, per 247Sports’ composite rankings.

It is no surprise a number of SEC schools recruited the Louisiana native given his location and skill set, and Alabama, Georgia, Florida, LSU and Texas A&M were all on his list of interested teams at one point during the recruiting process.

Mathews initially chose the Tigers but decommitted from LSU in July 2021 even though Brody Miller of The Athletic noted at the time he was “a major recruiter” for the team in an effort to get other top players to join him at his home state’s flagship program.

That he was so highly sought-after is no surprise, and Mathews’ athleticism immediately stands out considering he played both safety and quarterback in high school. He also played basketball and figures to use the athleticism and speed necessary to do that to chase down ball-carriers and make plays against the pass at the collegiate level.

Andrew Ivins of 247Sports projected Mathews as a future second- or third-round pick in the NFL draft and highlighted his ability to change directions, cover even the deepest parts of the field and make plays on the ball when it is in the air.

His physicality should also help him play in the box as a versatile defender who can help stop the run or perhaps even rush the quarterback in certain situations.

His ability to play various roles as a defender could help him see the field right away and develop into one of the most important defensive players for Texas A&M during his career.

That the Aggies were able to convince him to join their program is a major win on the recruiting trail, especially since they were competing against other teams in the SEC West such as LSU and Alabama.

It will be an even more important victory on the recruiting trail if Mathews can help lead them to wins against those schools down the line.