As the Tennessee football program revamps for another season in the SEC, one player appears to be a trendy selection for the Vols’ next breakout player.
Rising sophomore wide receiver Mike Matthews is poised for an elevated role with the Tennessee offense in 2025.
Matthews, a five-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, only saw a limited role during his freshman season last year. However, with significant turnover at the wide receiver position and a need for a playmaker to step up on the outside, Matthews serves as a strong candidate to take that spot and run with it.
“He briefly flirted with transferring after the season but decided to return and is somebody the Vols desperately need to blossom and give them some firepower in the passing game,” ESPN’s Chris Low wrote on Thursday, tagging Matthews as his pick for the Vols’ breakout candidate this spring. “Matthews caught seven passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns last season. He has big-play ability written all over him, and with Tennessee losing seven receivers from last season’s team, there’s a chance for Matthews to live up to his billing.”
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Former wide receivers Dont’e Thornton and Bru McCoy are off to the next level while a handful of backups and Squirrel White entered the transfer portal over the offseason. That leaves wideout Chris Brazzell as a returning target for quarterback Nico Iamaleava, but it also means that Tennessee will need playmakers to step up. The Vols’ offense is fortified by explosive plays through the passing game, which is something that offensive coordinator Joey Halzle has prioritized this offseason.
Rising sophomore Braylon Staley and Alabama transfer Amari Jefferson are expected to be part of the rotation, and we could potentially see some offensive work from defensive back Boo Carter this season. But there’s no doubt that second-year wide receiver Mike Matthews has high expectations to be a difference-maker in his next go-around with the Vols.
“In year two for him, growth of control in his mind, how he approaches everything every day, he has really matured in a really good way,” head coach Josh Heupel said of Matthews in early March. “And so I’m excited about what he’s done up until this point in the offseason, but really like what he did today on the practice field. We have high hopes and expectations for him.”
The sky is the limit for a player as talented as Matthews, and he benefits from having Iamaleava as his quarterback at Tennessee. If both players continue to grow on their current trajectories, the two could become a household tandem by December 2025.
Tennessee began spring camp in mid-March but have the week off currently for spring break. Spring camp will resume on the other side of the weekend in Knoxville as the Vols work towards the Orange & White Spring Game on Apr. 12.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for continued Tennessee Football spring camp coverage.
