Transfer Jacoby Mathews finds a "fresh start" at Auburn
Jacoby Matthews details why he chose Auburn and the winding road that led him back to SEC football
When the opportunity arose for Jacoby Mathews to make Auburn his new home, the former Texas A&M Aggie jumped at the opportunity to reunite with coaches DJ Durkin and TJ Rushing. Having the opportunity to play under some familiar faces while getting a second chance in the SEC made the decision to head to Auburn that much easier.
“It feels amazing. It makes the transition, you know, get acclimated and get going very much smoother and easier due to the fact that in a room with a lot of familiar faces and a familiar defense. So it's kind of like a no-brainer when it came to making the decision of where I would want to be once everything was done,” Mathews said in an interview. “I think with all of that being said, I just made it way easier to, you know, agree with myself that this is where I'm going to be and this is where I'm going to be able to play ball and take in the game to the next level.”
The relationships built in College Station played a pivotal role in his decision to attend Auburn. When Mathews knew he was able to make the jump back into SEC football, one of his first calls was to Durkin. Both Durkin and Rushing were able to bend the ear of head coach Hugh Freeze on behalf of Matthews. By the time Matthews spoke with Freeze, the Tigers’ head coach was already familiar with his situation.
“I talked with Coach Freeze. When I visited, everything went well. They have a plan set for me to come in, get me acclimated to the program, and then from there be able to come in and help change the game for the team,” Mathews said.
The time between decisions was a long one, as Mathews battled not just the physical aspect of not being able to get onto the field, but also the mental one. The versatile defender had to put himself through two different community colleges in order to earn back his academic eligibility. The mental strain put a toll on Mathews, but with the right support system, he was able to see it through
“Yeah, it came a lot of times during the beginning of the process. And most of it came from, you know, not knowing exactly what was needed to get back eligible. So I spent time taking classes at a community college. They didn't have enough equivalents to even transfer over. So I had to switch to another school and had to add classes after classes. It was a long, drawn-out process, one thing after another. So it was beating down on me for a while at first,” Mathews said in an interview. “I mean, as it got to getting to the bottom of everything, things started to lighten up. I was able to see the light at the other end of the tunnel, still on me. My girlfriend did a good job of being on me about my school, everything, working, working out, and my attitude. So, I mean, it was hard, but I had the support around me to get through it.
Other than the connection to some of the staff members and several players, what made Auburn feel like the right place? Mathews says during the conversations and the official visit he took, the culture and vibes were all near the top. The direction of the program seems to be in good hands.
“I feel like they have the guys, the pieces that they were missing. They have two savvy quarterbacks now. It'll be harder to game plan against an offense, and when you have an offense that can complement a good defense,” Mathews told The Crowded Booth. “They have wonderful defensive backs, it's just you know pieces that have to be plugged in, and I think that I'm one of those pieces that can help bring the team to where they are looking to go. I think I chose the right place because they're moving in the right direction, both in terms of recruiting, program development, identity, and team DNA. So I feel like this year is going to be a big step up for Auburn.”
He is set to arrive at Auburn with two years of eligibility remaining and is immediately eligible this fall.