It's unknown how this will impact the start of his collegiate career Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Auburn Sees Top Commit, Five-Star WR Suffer Season-Ending Injury

Originally posted on Auburn Tigers on SI | By Brooks Crew | Last updated Sep 18, 2025 4:11 PM ET

Jase Mathews has dominated the news feeds lately, especially for those tuned into Auburn Tigers recruiting. He recently picked up his fifth star and was rated the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2026 class by Rivals, but his latest news isn’t quite as exciting.

On Thursday, Mathews has reportedly suffered a season-ending ACL injury, which will end his final high school season prematurely. Mathews had a stellar junior season, as well as a strong start to his senior season, which earned him his recent top classification.

The Greene County native posted 68 receptions for over 1,100 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also dominating on the ground for around 400 rushing yards and two additional touchdowns in his junior season.

247Sports’ Cooper Petagna described Mathews as a “dynamic slot receiver who wins with outstanding short area quickness and route creativity that also possesses a flair for the occasional acrobatic catch or two every Friday night… does an exceptional job of creating consistent separation at every level of the defense, exhibiting a unique blend of slipperiness and dynamic change of direction ability.”

The Mississippi native committed to Auburn on Aug 8, 2025, over LSU, Ole Miss and Texas A&M, bolstering a recruiting class that certainly needed his help. Even with the help of the No. 1 receiver in the nation, Auburn’s 2026 class still stands at just 31st in the nation, and 11th in the SEC.

If Mathews can make a full recovery, he’ll be an invaluable asset to whichever team can sway him. As Petagna mentions later in his scouting report, Mathews is expected to make an early impact for his future college, whichever that may be.

Based on his injury and timeline of recovery, it is likely that he won’t see game action until later into next season. It can take up to a year to recover from an ACL injury.

As mentioned, this all hinges on his ability to make a full recovery, as ACL injuries have a nasty habit of resurfacing later down the line, especially in such a high-impact position like wide receiver.

Despite his current commitment to Auburn and Hugh Freeze, other schools will be continuing to make pushes for his talent, and they’ll now have more time to do so since Mathews will not see another high school snap.