The college football programs are running the last lap of the offseason. Before the 2025 season pulls up the curtains, the hot recruits of the 2026 class have robbed the programs of their sleep. Turns out that Kirby Smart’s Georgia has just snatched away the No.1 spot from Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans. And now, the other programs are also eyeing the pedestal seat. And what’s the best way to make that possible?

Bring the uncommitted recruits home. One such primed target is the 4-star WR Jase Mathews. The elite player will announce his decision on August 8. While initially he had the eyes of multiple programs on him, he had to skim through his suitors. And here comes his final list. Time for Coach Kelly’s LSU to buckle up, as the fight will be against three SEC rivals.

On July 14, Recruits.LSU posted, “#UPDATE: Elite 4⭐️ Leakesville (Miss.) WR Jase Mathews is down to 4 schools and will announce his college decision on August 8th.” The lucky ones who made it to the top 4 are the LSU Tigers, the Ole Miss Rebels, Texas A&M, and the Auburn Tigers. The craze for the 6’2” and 180-pound wideout has been real. He is ranked as the No. 2 wideout and No. 17 overall player in the 2026 class. More than the others, Kelly and the LSU Tigers might go to great lengths to lock Mathews in. As the post revealed, “Mathews is the No. 2 WR in the country per Rivals and has quickly become a top priority for the Tigers who are looking for a 4th elite WR to cap off their receiver haul for the ‘26 class.”

Kelly and Co. are still holding onto the commitment of their WR recruit Tristen Keys. However, turns out that there looms a high possibility of Keys switching the wagons. Then comes the 4-star March commit Jabari Mack and 4-star Kenny Darby, who had committed to Kelly’s squad back in November last year. But what makes LSU still chase Mathews?

After dominating on the prep scene in the Magnolia State, Mathews has quickly become one of the top pass catchers in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle. The young chap’s stats are too irresistible. During his junior season with Greene County, the wide receiver logged 68 receptions for 1,138 yards and 15 touchdowns and soon became a household name. Now, where does Kelly and Co. stand in the Mathews race?

The IG post revealed, “Jase took an official visit to Baton Rouge at the end of June and absolutely raved about his visit.” Well, that’s true. Last month in June, Kelly’s Tigers hosted Mathews and multiple family members. Kelly’s staffer, and the Tigers’ wide receivers coach, Cortez Hankton, focused on strengthening the bond. And the 4-star wide out was truly impressed. “The visit went very well, I had a great time with my uncle, mom, brother, and cousin. My mom loved it, she had the time of her life,” shared Mathews about the trip. Already, Kelly is worried about slipping out on Keys, now the pressure is mounting for the Mathews race as well. 

Brian Kelly’s LSU faces the heat in the Jase Mathews chase

The No.1 WR of the class, Keys, has been committed to Kelly’s program since March. But things started to shift after On3 NIL posted an update. “The race for LSU 5-star WR commit Tristen Keys continues to heat up🔥 Keys is expected to ink an NIL package that will pay him between $500K to $1 million as a freshman, per @PeteNakos_💰.” Yes, that’s the same recruit who assured Kelly with a promise, “Once a Tiger, always a Tiger.” However, things started to change when the young chap was spotted having a gala time in Tennessee.

Right now, it’s double trouble in Baton Rouge. Even though Mathews talked highly about Kelly’s program, things are also inching heavily towards Texas A&M. The Aggies right now are running strong with three wide receiver commits – Aaron Gregory, Madden Williams, and Mike Brown, a trio with a lot of potential. However, they recently had a heartbreak. The Aggies lost out on 4-star wideout Ethan “Boobie” Feaster. Coming back to Kelly’s top target, Mathews, he reportedly connected strongly with Texas A&M’s wide receivers coach, Holmon Wiggins, and offensive coordinator Collin Klein.

What are the factors that might give them an edge over Brian Kelly’s LSU?  They laid out a lucrative plan for early playing time and consistent development. As Jase Mathews took a trip with the family, he described the visit as “better than expected.” Time for some more panic for Kelly. An insider dropped intel about the Mathews race, “A&M’s sitting in a great spot right now. If the decision came today, they’d have a real shot.” Now, should Kelly be worried about Mike Elko? Well, the Tigers have already proved who they are by landing 5-star defensive tackle Lamar Brown, beating Texas A&M. Can they prove it again?