The Grove Report

Ole Miss Makes a Move for OL Recruit Matthew McCoy After Official Visit

Red-hot Floridian kicks off official visit slate in Oxford

John Garcia, Jr.

Matthew McCoy is a red-hot offensive line recruit out of the state of Florida. The St. John's (Fla.) Creekside standout was a big tight end in 2020, but has made the move to offensive tackle this year. 

At 6'6", 275 pounds, the senior's recruitment has taken a big step forward. Droves of new scholarship offers are in, including from the semi-local Florida Gators, the program he admitted led for his services at this stretch. 

That was before a weekend official visit to Ole Miss, his first of the process. 

"They're tied with Florida right now, they're standing next to each other," McCoy said. "Before, I didn't know what was in Mississippi, in Oxford, and all that. I had no idea. They surprised me a lot. 

"The coaches showed me a lot of love, especially when I first saw them. They talked about me going there, no going anywhere else. They wanted that to be my last visit."

While Lane Kiffin's staff ambition is high, McCoy has plenty left in his recruitment. A late riser in terms of Power 5 programs prioritizing him, the senior is expecting to take his recruitment to the month of February and the traditional National Signing Day. 

In between now and then, he will take official visits to Miami (December 3), Florida (December 10) and Maryland (date to be determined). It is clear Ole Miss set the bar and made a move up his list, however.

"Just coming to my hotel room, there was a cake with my number on it," McCoy said. "The staff had letters all over the place and they gave me all my favorite candies, stuff like that. It's a lot different than an unofficial. 

"They tour you around everywhere and treat you like you're the best player they've ever seen." 

Spending time with the players pre and post game, as well as during the down time and through meetings and meals, McCoy singled out the people around the program as a plus in the Ole Miss angle. 

Oxford, itself, also made a strong impression. McCoy says the experience locally was his favorite part of the trip. 

"Oxford is an amazing place, everything is close," he said. "Seeing the Grove, I thought that was very special, I had never seen anything like that before. It's beautiful. The whole tailgate is pretty cool, it feels like hundreds of people everywhere you go. But without all that, it's just a peaceful place, a great place to study."

The game experience thereafter, with the LSU Tigers in town, didn't disappoint either.  

"I sat right next to the sidelines and I saw everything that was going on," he said. "It was a sold out game, and they hadn't had that, so it was a great atmosphere. Then they shut them out later in the game, and the offense dominated."

McCoy also spent one-on-one time with Kiffin before his time in town was up.

"After the game on Saturday, we were in his office," he said. "He's a straight forward guy. He was checking how my time was and all of that. He's not the type to scream and shout or yell, he's pretty straight-forward."

The hottest offensive line recruit in the Sunshine State, unofficial visits are already in the books to Florida, Florida State and North Carolina. While there is no official list of top programs, that group, along with Ole Miss, is where the conversation begins. 

Auburn, Missouri, Pitt and Minnesota, where his older brother Luther McCoy plays defensive line, are among those with new offers and/or interest in over the last month or so. With room for one additional official visit, the destination remains up in the air and to be determined.

McCoy says academics, the relationship with coaches and nice environment to be in off the field are the focal points of finding the right college choice for him. 

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John Garcia, Jr.
JOHN GARCIA, JR.

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