5-Star Safety Prospect Jacoby Mathews Commits to LSU over Florida, Alabama

Jacoby Mathews, a 5-star safety in the Class of 2022, is headed to LSU:

The Ponchatoula, Louisiana, native is the No. 32 overall player in his class and the No. 2 safety in the 247Sports composite rankings. He received offers from 31 programs, including Georgia, Michigan, Penn State and Texas A&M, but those programs didn't make the cut when he narrowed down his finalists at the end of February.

In the end, LSU beat out Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas and Ole Miss for the services of the 6'1", 204-pound, two-way star. 

In 2020, Mathews highlighted his athleticism. In addition to his defensive prowess, he was the starting quarterback on a 7-2 team that advanced to the second round of the state tournament.

He ended the season with 898 passing yards and 10 touchdowns with three interceptions, adding 679 rushing yards and 12 more scores. 

With the Tigers, Mathews has the potential to be an immediate contributor thanks to his speed, versatility and knowledge of the game. 

Mathews said early on that he was interested in his hometown team, telling Glen West of Sports Illustrated that the Tigers would "definitely" be a top-three program in his recruitment.

Their relationship dates back to March 2019, when he earned his first scholarship offer from any program after he attended a spring practice with LSU.

But the connection has reportedly continued. Special teams coordinator Greg McMahon connected with him over the phone in May 2020 to check in amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"They always tell me I'm an LSU guy, I'm an LSU DB, and that I was meant to be in DBU," he said, per West.