Tennessee wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope remains high on Mike Matthews during his freshman season on Rocky Top.
While Matthews hasn’t seen all that much time on the field for Tennessee this season with the Vols’ crop of experienced receivers, Tennessee’s coaching staff is still extremely high on the five-star prospect from the 2024 recruiting cycle.
Injuries could expedite Matthews’ journey to more playing time on the game field, but the freshman wide receiver is handling business on the practice field as he awaits his number to be called.
“Mike, he has flashed at times,” Pope said on Tuesday. “He’s got a really bright future here. I think a lot of stuff comes with experience, right? Like (being a) freshman in this league is hard. There’s growing pains in this league. I think as long as he continues to do what he’s doing, he’s staying positive, he’s working his butt off.
“I think as long as he continues to do those things, it’s only a matter of time before he starts to see the plays being made that he wants. And that’s the thing, he wants to make plays, he wants to be on the field in critical situations and he wants to get better. And his attitude as of late has been awesome and that’s what he’s working towards.”
Pope also imparted some wise words when talking about Matthews on Saturday, a message that can be used in a world more expansive than just football, too.
As Pope said on Tuesday, everything about the college football world is visible these days with how quickly information and highlights can be distributed. And while Matthews might not be getting much time on the field right now, there are a few other freshman receivers across the college landscape who are making a name for themselves in their first season. Take Alabama’s Ryan Williams and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, for example, totaling 702 yards and 623 yards, respectively.
“Like this age we live in now, everything is visible. Like you can see everything all across the country right at the blink of an eye. That absolutely has an effect on (young players),” Pope said on players making comparisons to other programs. “But what these guys got to learn at a young age is, man, I got to run my own race, right? Like my race is different from this guy playing here or this guy playing here. You ultimately don’t know where you or them will end up. But what happens is if I’m looking at someone else’s plate, and I’m not looking at my own food, then my food gets cold and I’m not able to take advantage of my own opportunities.”
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Pope says that having older players is key to shaping the mindset of younger players, especially ones as talented as Matthews is. The Vols’ receivers coach also complimented Matthews’ steadiness through the season.
“And what that kid has done, he’s done an incredible job of not paying attention to outside factors,” Pope said of Matthews. “He could be, but around me, around this building, he’s dialed in, he’s got a great attitude, he’s hungry. That don’t mean he’s not frustrated, he’s hungry and that’s all I can ask for. Like I said, he’s got a really bright future here because he’s got the attitude and it’s only a matter of time before he starts to make those plays.”
Matthews has two receptions for 35 yards and one touchdown so far this season with both catches coming in the Vols’ 71-0 win over Kent State in Week 3.
Tennessee wide receiver Squirrel White has been banged up this season and could see limited action against Kentucky on Saturday if the bye week wasn’t enough time to get his shoulder injury recovered to a spot that Tennessee feels good about. While head coach Josh Heupel did sound optimistic about White’s availability during the bye week last Wednesday, the opportunity Matthews has been waiting for could very well come this Saturday night under the lights against Kentucky.
No. 7 Tennessee will host Kentucky at 7:45 p.m. ET on Saturday night in Neyland Stadium. Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for live, on-site coverage of the game from Knoxville.
See Pope’s back-to-back answers on Mike Matthews in his press conference from Tuesday below:
