With the turnover that Tennessee Football saw at the wide receiver position this offseason, including Dont’e Thornton off to the NFL and Bru McCoy medically retiring from the sport after graduation, the Vols will look to a new group of playmakers for production with the passing game this season.
Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell returns to the team after his 333-yard, two-touchdown season in 2024, but the Vols also have two up-and-comers who are ready to step up and produce for the UT offense this season: Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley.
During his true freshman season, Matthews played in 11 games for the Vols. He caught seven passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns, showing a glimpse of his talent at the position. While Matthews may have had some competitive frustration with the desire to play more for his team last year, his position coach believes he’s ready to step up to the challenge in 2025.
“I think for him as a freshman, he was frustrated a lot last year,” Tennessee WR Coach Kelsey Pope said on Thursday. “We’ve talked. He wanted more snaps, but he also understands that he’s got to be able to handle that capacity. And what he’s shown this offseason is not only the conditioning to handle it, but the maturity. When success happens, he’s still got the same Day 1 mentality and motivation to prove it. And when reps don’t go as well, he’s not down on himself, he’s not losing confidence. So I think that maturity paired with his physical conditioning, I think he’s proven to us as coaches that he can be able to handle all those spots, and that’s why he’ll be there.”
Staley, on the other hand, is preparing for his first impactful season in college football. As a backup player during his true freshman season, Staley racked up just 21 yards on three receptions. But as Pope says, he’s a student of the game. Pope referred to him as a “curious” player on Thursday, someone who is eager to be mentally prepared when his number is called on the field.
“The first thing that stands out is I see young guys stepping up,” Pope said. “Mike and Braylon Staley, for instance. Both of those guys came into the room last year, we had a bunch of vets. They’re typically more quiet, trying to feel their way through. From the time they get to the meeting room this morning, those guys are setting the tone. They’re already reminding guys about coaching points and installs. So I see those guys taking jumps.”
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Fortunately for Tennessee’s receiving room this season, those guys have been in sync throughout the preseason. Pope believes that the competitive and collaborative nature between the two class of 2024 recruits will help both succeed during their first true season on the field this year.
“Mike and Braylon are, like, tied at the hip,” Pope said. “They’re best friends, they’re always together. And both of those guys have had a ton of growth from last December until now. And I think it’s directly correlated to the time they spend in my office together and the time they spend with one another together. Extra catches, extra meetings. Those guys are doing things on their own in the summer. I think anytime you got one teammate that’s, you know, in your hip and they’re pushing you and they’re motivated. I think that’s going to make you better. And I think both of those guys have benefited from their friendship and the bond that they have.”
There are still questions around Tennessee’s passing game this year, such as the ongoing quarterback competition. But even when former quarterback Nico Iamaleava was projected to be on the roster this season, Matthews and Staley were looked at as two players who were going to have to step up for the room this year. Their development and impact this season will be that much more important with Tennessee using a fresh signal caller when the Vols open up against Syracuse later this month. Matthews and Staley appear to be plenty ready, though.
“Oh yeah,” Matthews said with a grin about getting to the point where he’s ready for the regular season to begin. “It’s coming close. Fall camp is a long thing, but you know, time has gone by fast. We’ve got two more weeks until the game, so it’s right around the corner.”
Check out Kelsey Pope’s full interview from Thursday below:
