At this point last year, just about everyone in Knoxville was getting ready for Year 1 of the Mike Matthews era with the Tennessee football team. To say his first campaign at the college level was a bit of a disappointment would be an understatement.
While Matthews had some positive moments with the Vols catching the ball from fellow former 5-star signee Nico Iamaleava, Matthews didn’t have the kind of breakout campaign that a lot of people envisioned for him. This of course led to so many UT haters claiming he was overrated.
With that said, what happened in 2024 is now in the past for Matthews and the Vols as a whole. Looking ahead to 2025, things are going to be quite different on offense for Tennessee. With so many players not back on campus, the pressure indeed is going to be there for Matthews to step up and be the kind of standout that everyone knows he can be.
Tennessee WR Mike Matthews must take a giant step forward this season for Josh Heupel
Last season, Matthews finished with seven receptions for 90 yards and two touchdowns. Again, those weren’t the kind of numbers that people envisioned for him playing in Josh Heupel’s offense. Looking ahead to this fall, though, the stars could be aligning for Matthews to have an enormous sophomore campaign.
With Nico gone, the assumption is that Joey Aguilar is going to be the starter this year, though Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre are ready to make the open competition pretty darn intriguing. Should it be Aguilar, Matthews and Vols fans will have plenty of confidence in him, especially after he tossed for more than 3,000 yards each of the past two seasons for App State.
Aguilar is known as a bit of a gunslinger and he’s not afraid to take some chances down the field. That’s where he and Matthews can develop some chemistry and really make opposing defenses pay. Matthews, who checks in at 6-1, 200 pounds, is a big play waiting to happen.
Earlier this offseason, there was some speculation that he might enter the transfer portal, as it’s easy to understand he was disappointed with how his first year with the Vols went. However, he stayed put and he’s now motivated to prove to himself that it was the right decision. Playing with a chip on his shoulder will be key for Matthews, but it will also be important for Tennessee’s offense as a whole too.