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4-star OL Bryce Mathews commits to Ole Miss

The Rebels score yet another big-time Tennessee prospect, this time in the trenches.

By Zach Berry
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Well, this is technically the slow season. But apparently no one has told Ole Miss that as Matt Luke gets him another humongous offensive line croot in four-star Bryce Mathews. The 6'6, 280-pound left tackle from Brentwood, Tenn. made the call Friday morning, choosing the Rebels over Tennessee, Clemson and Texas A&M, among others. The job that Matt Luke has done this summer cannot be called anything short of a damn fine job. The former Reb and offensive line coach has been recruiting at a blistering pace and with the help of Tennessee native and tight ends coach Maurice Harris, they form quite the formidable duo.

And when I say "among others," the line was very long. Mathews was coveted by plenty of Power 5 programs as he owns one of the more impressive offer sheets in the country. Some of those that were vying for Mathews commitment were Alabama, Louisville, Michigan, Northwestern, Ohio State, Vanderbilt and Virginia. Two things that jump out to me when seeing those universities listed: football and academics. Mathews takes care of business in the trenches and the classroom.

How does he fit in?

When taking a look at Mathews' game, one of the first things you notice is that he is very large. The young man, who mans the blind side (lol) for the Brentwood Academy offense, shows great quickness out of his three-point stance and the ability to get to the second level with ease and chip linebackers. When pulling, he flashes impressive lateral movement for someone who is the size of damn vending machine. Another encouraging thing to see when taking a look at his film is his willingness to mix-it-up 10-15 yards downfield on run plays. This will be a key cog for Mathews as he transitions from high school to college and will need to maintain that attitude and continue to work on finishing. Mathews commitment continues the trend of Matt Luke getting him a guy that is in the 6'4-6'6 height range and possesses a sturdy 260-280-pound frame that is ideal for the up-tempo zone read offense that Ole Miss runs.

But, hey, y'all get excited, HE'S AN OFFENSIVE LINEMAN!!!!