By JC Nevils
About a week or so ago, there was chatter about former blue-chip
wide receiver prospect Mike Matthews entering the transfer portal,
which confused and honestly upset a lot of fans. A little after that he
would officially send his papers and enter his name into the portal.
BREAKING: Tennessee True Freshman WR Mike Matthews plans to enter the Transfer Portal, he tells @on3sports
The 6’1 197 WR was ranked as a Five-Star Recruit in the ‘24 Class (per On3 Industry)
Appeared in 10 games this season for the Volshttps://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/ejldlaB89c
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 29, 2024
That decision stung for just about the whole fan base in Knoxville.
Why you may ask? Well for starters, it was a long, drawn-out
recruiting battle that came down to the very last minute with him
choosing the Vols over Clemson, USC, and the hometown Georgia
Bulldogs. He was a top three to five wide receiver prospect, who
was wanted by everyone. Secondly, he came in during the spring and
showed exactly why he was that highly recruited up until he got injured, which set
him back for fall camp.
Lastly, the wide receiver room along with the production simply
was not up to par. Only Senior Dont’e Thornton had over 500 yards and five touchdowns last season. Bru McCoy, the second-leading receiver is also out of eligibility, and third-leading receiver Squirrel White also entered the portal. Tennessee’s pass game has been somewhat down since Josh Heupel
took over in 2021, but especially since 2022 when Hendon Hooker
led them to an Orange Bowl Victory. To take the Big Orange Rebuild a step further, Tennessee needs more of a passing attack.
With Matthews back in the fold along with numerous others
transferring, he is by far the best wideout in the room, and should
get as many targets as he wants. Yes, the Vols have been one of the
best-rushing teams since 2021, but the balance needs to come back, especially without Dylan Sampson in 2025.
With Nico Iamaleava still at the helm, I expect to see the explosive
offense from 2021-2022 back with Matthews leading the charge.
More Sports News
BREAKING: Tennessee starting WR Mike Matthews will RETURN to Tennessee and NOT enter the Transfer Portal, per Austin Price at VolQuest! 🍊
Matthews appeared in 10 games for the Vols last season and will be the Vols presumed WR1 next season
MIKE MATTHEWS IS ALL VOL 📝 pic.twitter.com/kInk5ZiHCv
— Vol Scoops (@VolScoops) January 3, 2025
In 10 games, Matthews finished with seven receptions, 90 yards, and a pair of touchdowns. Those numbers are sure to be higher next year.
