In-state linebacker high on UM after offer, first visit. ‘That might be the top one’
It might have been coincidence that Alvin Mathis was just talking about the Miami Hurricanes the day before they finally offered him, but then again the three-star outside linebacker tends to talk about Miami a lot.
Mathis’ father and uncle have always been his two football sounding boards, and they always made sure to teach him about the Hurricanes.
They showed him documentaries and YouTube videos. They taught him to model his game off Ray Lewis. The day before Miami finally offered Mathis on April 9, the linebacker happened to be on the phone with his uncle, who told him how much he wished the Hurricanes would offer.
“Miami, I think that might be the top one right now,” Mathis said, unprompted after running through why the Florida Gators and Auburn Tigers joined Miami in a top three he announced Monday. “It’s the opportunity that I have to go there and I feel like that’s probably something I should take advantage of.”
Linebacker is one of the most important needs for the Hurricanes in the Class of 2020 and Mathis could be part of a critical package deal of in-state prospects.
A rising senior at Largo Pinellas Park, Mathis has expressed his desire to play with four-star Largo inside linebacker Jayion McCluster at the next level, and McCluster said Miami has given the two the green light to commit whenever they’re ready.
They made their way down to Coral Gables together April 18 for one of the Hurricanes’ final spring practices inside the Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility.
Linebackers coach Jonathan Patke and the entire defensive staff made it clear to Mathis: Miami desperately needs linebackers in the 2020 recruiting cycle. It will be open competition once linebackers Shaquille Quarterman and Michael Pinckney, and striker Zach McCloud exhaust their eligibility at the end of the 2019 season.
“There’s a lot of opportunity for me going there to get on the field as early as possible,” said Mathis, who mostly played outside linebacker and strong safety for Pinellas Park before shifting to middle linebacker as a junior. “That’s the real main thing that kind of stood out to me that if I go there I know I have a good shot at getting in and getting my playing time.”
Just four days after he wrapped up his quick trip to South Florida, Mathis decided he was ready to put out a top three and Miami was an obvious choice to make the cut, along with Florida and Auburn.
Mathis’ top three comes 20 days after McCluster put out his own, which also included the Hurricanes and Tigers, but replaced the Gators with the Florida State Seminoles.
The two linebackers also went to visit Auburn together April 5 and heard a similar message to Miami’s. Like the Hurricanes, the Tigers also could use help at linebacker long-term, and Mathis and McCluster see a path toward early playing time.
Florida, however, made the cut because of familiarity. The Gators are one of the longest standing factors in Mathis’ recruitment. Florida offered the 6-1, 210-pound prospect last summer and has kept in contact with him since.
“That was the most consistent conversation I’ve got from schools,” Mathis said Tuesday in Largo.
Most of his other suitors have popped up in recent months since Mathis put together a strong junior season for the Patriots. The defensive athlete led Pinellas Park with 86 total tackles, and added nine tackles for loss and two sacks. He also broke up one pass, blocked a punt and recovered five fumbles to help the Patriots win 10 games for the first time since 2013.
Those five fumble recoveries, oddly, might be the most telling number to illustrate his development. Mathis moved to middle linebacker last spring and spent the lead up to the 2018 season focusing on the cerebral part of the game.
Mathis’ father, also named Alvin Mathis, played linebacker for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, so he always has been able to help his son study the position.
“People have been telling me my junior year was great. They said it was a big upgrade from my sophomore to my junior year,” Mathis said. “I was like watching my film, talking about it with my dad and he was telling me stuff I needed to work on.
“I got used to seeing stuff, learning how to read linemen and stuff, so that played a big key in it because I started learning more stuff about the game.”
A commitment shouldn’t be far off for Mathis. The linebacker would like to have a final decision made around August, so he can focus on his senior season and then enroll early at the school of his choice.
Mathis will have a chance to knock out a few more visits throughout the spring and summer. For now, though, the Hurricanes have the inside track.
“It’s known for having some dogs at linebacker, for sure, and my dad and my uncle put it on me all the time,” Mathis said. “They showed me highlights from people who went to Miami and how they hit, swarmed to the ball and they think that’s somewhere I can fit.”
This story was originally published April 26, 2019 at 7:00 AM.