Tennessee football had to retool and revamp its roster in the transfer portal again this year. The Vols' season came to an early end, as they lost to the eventual national champions, Ohio State, in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
The Vols lost some veteran receivers to graduation, including Bru McCoy and Dont'e Thornton, two of the Vols' premier receivers during the 2024 season. To make matters worse, Squirrel White transferred to Florida State in the December transfer portal.
Tennessee will have to rely on a young receiving corps in 2025, and they are not shying away from that possibility.
Tennessee wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope spoke to the media on Wednesday and talked about the impact they will expect sophomore receiver Mike Matthews to make on the field this year, saying he's "the one we're going to expect a lot from" this year.
"He's took a jump in just his day-to-day process," Pope said about Matthews. "He comes to work with a mentality every day to want to get better. I think there's still a ways to go in the consistency area. I think that happens naturally as a young player, with him being in the second year in this offense.
"But what I have seen and what I have enjoyed is the way he competes every single snap — which is a jump from what he was as a true freshman.
"He's the one we're going to count on. He's the one we're going to expect a lot from. And he's one that's going to meet the standard every single day. He's done that for the most part this spring."
Matthews showed sparks throughout the 2024 season, showing he can be the guy for the Vols in the future. Despite some sparks, he finished the year with seven receptions for 90 yards and two touchdowns.
This comes after Matthews considered entering the transfer portal in December after an exodus of players and a rumor that Nico Iamaleava could also be hopping into it.
Nico stayed, and so did Matthews. Now, they are looking to be the quarterback-wide receiver duo that leads the Vols' offense throughout the 2025 season.