Auburn Receives Prediction to Land Elite 2026 Wide Receiver to Kickstart Recruiting

With fall camp kicking off in just a couple of days, the Auburn Tigers are continuing to generate momentum on the recruiting trail for one of their top targets in the 2026 cycle.

Auburn has picked up steam for four-star wide receiver Jase Mathews, leading On3 recruiting expert Jeffrey Lee to log a prediction on Saturday for the Tigers to land the blue-chipper with 55% confidence.

Mathews is set to announce his commitment on Aug. 8, per Rivals’ Chad Simmons and will choose one of his top four: Auburn, LSU, Texas A&M or Ole Miss.

Mathews is ranked as the No. 2 wideout and No. 17 overall player in the 2026 class, according to the Rivals300 ranking. The same metric lists him as the No. 2 prospect from the state of Mississippi, only trailing the nation’s top-ranked wide receiver Tristan Keys.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder from Leakesville, Miss., hauled in 68 passes for 1,138 yards and 15 touchdowns during his junior season, per 247Sports’ player profile. Mathews also plays basketball and is on the track and field team for Green County High School (MS), where he ran a 23.70 in the 200m and long jumped 20-6 as a sophomore, according MileSplit.

The Tigers have made up ground in the race to secure Mathews’s commitment over the last few weeks, and Lee reports Auburn and LSU are currently the two leading frontrunners over Texas A&M and Ole Miss.

Mathews took his official visit to Auburn on June 6 before heading to Texas A&M on June 13 and LSU on June 20. Ole Miss hosted him on May 30, but the Rebels look to be falling behind in his recruitment.

On3’s recruiting forecast boasts the Tigers as a heavy favorite, giving them a 78.9% chance to earn his pledge, which could be credited to Mathews’s multiple personal connections to Auburn and the staff.

Following his official visit to Auburn, Mathews expressed his strong relationship with wide receivers coach Marcus Davis and the impact Davis has made on his decision.

“He’s my guy,” Mathews told On3. “Me and Coach Davis stay in touch. We talk at least twice a week. He’s a young coach and we have built a good connection. It just gets stronger day by day.”

“He showed me things I can do to get better,” Matthews added. “He also gave me some life tips outside of football and is telling me I’m a priority.”

Mathews also holds great bonds with head coach Hugh Freeze and director of recruiting research and strategy, which could potentially play an important factor in his decision.

His friendship with Auburn true freshman quarterback Deuce Knight, a fellow Mississippi native, is also something to account for.

Knight seems to be doing his part in recruiting the four-star, posting a photo of him and Mathews yesterday on X with a caption that reads “Let’s do it.”

Let’s do it @mathews_jase https://t.co/1z9a9HaoYy
— Deuce Knight (@DeuceKnight) July 27, 2025

If he were to commit, Mathews could be the most important and influential player in Auburn’s class, and would stand as the Tigers’ highest-rated 2026 pledge, per On3.

Considering Auburn’s retention of the roster this offseason, especially at the wide receiver position, Freeze and company will most likely bring in a smaller class than the 2024 and 2025 cycles. Thus, they have the financial commitment in order to truly compete for Mathews.

The Tigers hold zero wideouts in the class after four-star Devin Carter and three-star Denairius Gray flipped away from Auburn this summer, meaning Mathews would be the sole focus at the position.

Auburn may take one or two 2026 wide receivers, but Mathews is undoubtedly the No. 1 target, and is a main priority for this staff to continue taking steps in the right direction on the recruiting trail.