Auburn Lands Surprise Commitment From Former 5-Star DB Jacoby Mathews
Most of the buzz around the college football transfer portal has quieted, but a few high-profile names remained uncommitted—until now.
One of the most notable was Jacoby Mathews, a former five-star defensive back who began his college career at Texas A&M in 2022. After two seasons in College Station, Mathews spent the 2024 season at the junior college level due to academic issues, according to On3’s Jeffrey Lee.
Now, Mathews is ready to return to the FBS stage—and he’s doing so in a surprising spot.
On Tuesday, it was reported that Mathews will transfer to the Auburn Tigers for the 2025 season. The move comes with little prior buzz linking the two sides, but it adds serious depth and talent to an already strong Auburn transfer class.
A Surprise Splash for Auburn
The addition of Mathews boosts a Tigers portal class that already ranks No. 3 in the SEC and No. 6 nationally. It’s a major win for head coach Hugh Freeze, especially given the relatively quiet chatter leading up to the announcement.
Mathews was one of the most coveted recruits in the 2022 class, ranked by the On3 Industry Rankings as a five-star prospect, the No. 2 safety, and the No. 32 overall player in the country.
During his time at Texas A&M, he appeared in 21 games, tallying:
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66 tackles
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1 tackle for loss
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1 interception
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7 pass breakups
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1 fumble recovery
Auburn Strengthens the Secondary
Mathews isn’t the only portal pickup Auburn has made to bolster its secondary. He joins:
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Taye Seymore – 3-star safety (from Georgia Tech)
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Rayshawn Pleasant – 3-star cornerback (from Tulane)
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Raion Strader – 4-star cornerback (from Miami of Ohio)
With Mathews now in the fold, Auburn continues to build a defense capable of making waves in the SEC. If he can return to his five-star form, the Tigers may have found one of the biggest late-offseason steals in the portal.