Zahir Mathis’ recruiting saga has been far from a straight line. As he decided to turn back on Ohio State, it appeared to be as clumsy as you think, with a lot of options, including FSU, UCLA, Michigan, and Maryland, all vying to secure words from Zahir. Mathis had been an integral part of the Ohio State defense as he had a strong bond with head coach Ryan Day and associate head coach/defensive line coach Larry Johnson since January. He de-committed from Columbus, but it didn’t end on a bitter note for the Philadelphia native and Coach Day. Mathis still considers OSU to be one of the top schools in his league, but he keeps wondering and juggling between other offers on the table.

As we near the traditional signing day of Feb. 5, chances are high that the prized defensive end will come to a serious verdict on his next destination. Will Ryan Day or the projected front-runner in the list, Mike Norvell, have a chance?

Zahir Mathis’ recruitment dynamic took a U-turn

After de-committing from Ohio State in November, he did not hint strongly at any school during the early signing period last month. However, Mike Norvell kept on testing the water relentlessly with the talented OS transfer. Finally, Mathis visited Florida State earlier this month and had visits lined up to Michigan and Maryland in a row. Well, Sherrone Morre received a blow later as the  6-foot-6, 225-pound edge rusher pulled the rug on his Ann Arbor trip at the last minute. However, another rival in the list, the Terrapins, is pulling some serious momentum in the recruiting race of the Imhotep Charter High School alumna at just one visit. There has been a huge paradigm shift, but it was not unpredictable at all.

“We kind of forecasted this momentum shift, didn’t we? On a recent episode of Wiltfong Whip Around, we said we liked where Florida State stood, but Maryland getting that last visit loomed a large, and right now, it’s looking like some Mike Locksley Terrapins magic was there. I have on three RPM in favor of Maryland Monday morning,” ON3 analyst Steve Wiltfong said, busting the major myth around Florida State. Maryland gained some confidence after landing five-star Zion Elee, just as they expected. They beat Alabama, Oregon, and Penn State in the process. It seems they are ready to kick-start the 2025 with a banger. Having Mathis for the wrap will only add value to what they already have.

But he’s gonna talk to Florida State on Monday night. The seal is going to make another pitch here, so we’ll see if FSU can flip it back for Zahir Mattis, but right now, Maryland is looking strong coming out of a weekend official visit, ON3’s Steve Wiltfong added. Sure, they are still on the run, but come on the Terrapin already got into the top two bubbles. Both Michigan and UCLA are written off from the chart following the decisive weekend, so it’s purely up to the Seminoles and the Terrapins now. Maryland gained some confidence.

It seems a blocked road for Mike Norvell and Ryan Day. For Ryan Day, it still looks like a predictive blow since regaining commitment after hitting the portal would be absurd on many levels, except a heavy motivating factor rolling the dice. But for Norvell, it’s a wasted effort and hope.

Mike Norvell has gone halfway in swooping in the four-star Edge Rusher 

Florida State initially offered Mathis in March 2023 and was active in recruiting him before his commitment to Ohio State. However, as the standout DB chose OSU, they put a halt to the effort. But the urge has always been there. They didn’t even waste a moment reigniting their moves after Mathis de-committed. The FSU linebackers coach John Papuchis, who was previously the Seminoles’ defensive ends coach, has been instrumental in the pursuit of the four-star athlete to join the force.

They secured a visit. Technically, half success on the crazy recruiting race! But the hope started to brew intense as Mathis gave a strong response coming back from Tallahassee.

”It’s amazing what they’ve got built up in the system,” Mathis said (via Warchant’s Matt LaSerre). “I like everything that they’ve got planned, and I see that it might be a good environment for myself,” said Mathis, breaking down his first-hand experience with the Terrapins. he also had a good rapport with DL coach Terrance Knighton. He had known him since their stint together at Nebraska and had been a fan of his four-man scheme.

But would that be enough to ignore the recent lure of Maryland? A question better to be surrendered to time!