Tennessee has welcomed 18 early enrollees from the 2024 early signing day class to campus this month as the Vols prepare for the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day.
Tennessee’s class included 27 total signees with high-ranking recruits such as OL Max Anderson, ATH Boo Carter, and DB Kaleb Beasley on campus this month.
Two of the players that are most exciting in the class are a pair of offensive players in five-star wide receiver Mike Matthews and four-star running back Peyton Lewis, both of whom are on campus as early enrollees.
Matthews, an offensive jewel in Tennessee’s class for head coach Josh Heupel and offensive coordinator Joey Halzle, is the Vols’ top-ranked prospect in the class of 2024 according to On3 Sports. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound receiver from Lilburn, GA, is a terrific prospect who boasts the speed and athleticism to succeed in the Tennessee offense after getting acclimated to things.
“Mike Matthews has been really good,” Heupel said about his new receiver during his early signing day press conference on Wednesday. “First three, four days already out on the grass, got great length, just talking about his wingspan. Extremely explosive, the ability to go up and high-point a ball over the middle of the football field or out on the edge as he’s going vertically.”
Heupel also went on to talk about some of the aspects to the position that the freshman receivers are tasked with learning early on.
“As a wide receiver, you’re gonna have to develop the ability to play versus man press at the line of scrimmage,” Heupel continued on to say. “Those are things that you typically don’t see (in high school). But a really bright guy that has got a great future.”
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In his third year on Rocky Top, Heupel helped Jaylen Wright become Tennessee’s first 1,000-yard rusher as he prepares for the NFL Draft in 2024. Wright’s departure helps open up space for Tennessee’s lone running back commit in the class, 6-foot-1 Peyton Lewis from Salem, Virginia.
Lewis is a terrific runner who has been locked into Heupel’s Tennessee class since May 2023. Lewis has unmistakable downhill speed and can get through contact with his frame and finesse. Tennessee will have fun scheming up ways to get Lewis the ball as he grows in his journey on Rocky Top.
“Peyton Lewis, a track kid that’s electric with the ball in his hands,” Heupel said on Wednesday. “This year, you look at his development between the tackles great vision, great ability, short-area quickness, constantly chewing up ground as he’s working through the line of scrimmage. Develop the ability to play with great pad level, smart, tough, competitive. Really excited about him.”
Check out Josh Heupel’s full early signing day press conference from Wednesday in Knoxville below.
