The five-star Texas A&M commit is under fire on social media for bad hat culture

The excitement of college football recruiting is starting to reach a fever pitch as the temperatures continue to rise and we get closer to summer.

Part of that is because we’re still a long way from any meaningful college football being played, but it’s also because a lot of the big dominoes on the recruiting board are starting to fall.

Many casual fans may not think of late spring and early summer as prime months for five-stars to make their verbal pledges, but if you look at the recent commitment activity from the class of 2027, you’ll see a ton of blue-chip talent already off the market.

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A perfect example of this would be Friday afternoon, when it’s not, but two five-star talents around the trenches have announced where they will be playing college football for the next three or four years (or until someone comes along with a better offer, but I digress).

Five-star defensive lineman David Folorunsho chose the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, while five-star forward Mark Matthews chose Texas A&M as his destination, and it’s the latter that we’ll discuss today.

Matthews has done a hat trick for years that has angered many fans across college football.

Try to get through this without getting discouraged.

If you’re familiar with me, you know my thoughts on the “hat games” played by high school recruits.

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I called the old man shouting cloud, but would it kill these kids to just announce where they are going, put on a hat, and post pictures?

Obviously I’m not a huge Miami fan, given my Gators fandom, but I hate to see anyone get a hat on purpose alone.

Mohamed Toure of the Miami Hurricanes reacts after stopping in the second quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the 90th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on December 31, 2025. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Matthews was once considered a lock to go to Miami, as he is just down the road from Coral Gables at Fort Lauderdale high school powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas.

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But the Aggies have been steamrolling over the past few months and stepped up to get his commitment, which could explain the salt from Canes fans about his announcement antics.

In their defense, it seems they aren’t the only ones who think Matthews’ commitment ceremony was too small.

On the other hand, it seems like dealing with Canes fans.

There’s no way to lose a five-star offensive lineman who lives less than an hour from campus. Homegrown talents like Mark Matthews don’t grow on trees.

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Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal watches before a game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, NY, on Nov. 30, 2024. (Rich Barnes-Imagn Images)

But on the other hand, I think Miami fans can take solace in the fact that this guy might not be “culture fit,” either.

I don’t lay down the rules when it comes to dealing with employment loss; I just hang out with them.