Other notable offers: Alabama, LSU, Georgia, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Florida State, Miami, Texas, Michigan State, Arkansas
Rundown: Top-20 junior Jacoby Mathews is one of the top recruits in the 2022 class and now he has an offer from Arizona. The Wildcats extended an offer to the four-star prospect from Ponchatoula, Louisiana on Tuesday, the first day college coaches could reach out to high school juniors. The Wildcats have had plenty of success this year in Louisiana, particularly in New Orleans, behind strong recruiting from inside receivers coach and Baton Rouge native Theron Aych. So, the fact that Arizona would offer the top prospect from the state is not a surprise. Although he is a year younger than UA's current 2021 commits from Louisiana, Mathews has connections with at least a few of the prospects – in particular Kolbe Cage.
As you can see from the offers listed above, Arizona absolutely has its work cut out for it as the process moves ahead but the Wildcats would have no chance at landing Mathews if they didn't offer. Now there is an offer on the table and the staff can begin to go to work. LSU is going to be difficult for any program to beat for a Louisiana-based prospect, but Arizona's staff believes it has a shot because of the connections it has built in the area. Mississippi State is another program that has emerged as a big player in his recruitment up to this point.
Mathews is a safety but he has played several other positions throughout his career already including cornerback, receiver and he will play quarterback as a junior. Arizona would likely take him as an athlete and then figure out his exact position later although he would likely end up as a defensive back. There is also some talk among programs about letting him play on both sides of the ball in college.
"It's crazy because I knew I can do it in high school, but for a college – a top-notch school to tell me I can do both ways in their program – I feel blessed and it's really exciting. I never thought it would come this year," he recently told Sam Spiegelman of Rivals.com.
Obviously, landing the top-rated recruit from Louisiana would send a message about Sumlin and his staff as recruiters. It is a long way from that point for the Wildcats, but the staff is hoping to lay the groundwork early on in the process.
