Tennessee Football Coach Kelsey Pope Details Braylon Staley and Mike Matthews' Checklist

Braylon Staley and Mike Matthews have a to-do list that they have to get after ahead of the 2026 season, along with during the season.

Sep 20, 2025; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Braylon Staley (14) and wide receiver Mike Matthews (4) celebrate after MatthewÕs touchdown against the UAB Blazers during the first quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tennessee Volunteers' 2026 season is quickly approaching, as the Vols look to do a great job when it comes to moving the chains this season. A lot of that will come thanks to the wide receiver group that the staff has built, including the main coach, Kelsey Pope, who is the wide receiver coach for the Vols.

He recently explained what the to-do list looks like for the Tennessee Vols' biggest stars at the wide receiver position, Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley.

Kelsey Pope on Braylon Staley and Mike Matthews' To-Do List Ahead of the 2026 Season

Tennessee wide receiver Braylon Staley (14) smiles after Tennessee scores a touchdown in the first quarter of the Music City Bowl against Illinois in the NCAA football game on Dec. 30, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"Yeah, they got different skill sets, so I think, for one, it’s important for those guys to identify what their superpower is. Once you go to the next level, you’ve got to be able to translate into an NFL system right away. So understanding what my superpower is, no matter what day, what the weather looks like, how I’m feeling, that has to be concrete. And then it’s time to check off things that I need to get better."

"For Mike, it was about him playing on the lower pad, whether that’s releases, topping routes, any of that stuff. And also just finishing catches, contesting catches. The hardest ones are when I’m by myself, but I think he struggled a lot with catches, not because he had a hand-eye coordination issue. It was just a focus issue. Like, it could be things in my eyesight that distract me, and I lose focus, so trying to put him in those situations."

"For Braylon, his superpower was he’s got to be able to separate at every level. He’s got to be the best separator in the conference, in the country. That’s got to be constant, no matter who you play. And then you add on to that things that he had to get better at, which is playing with more physicality in the run game. When guys are pressing him, I’m able to play with physicality in the pass game. And also start making those 50/50 catches, deep balls, jump ball situations, getting used to those. And so what you do is, you talk to them, you compile a detailed plan, and you have checkpoints that you can see and tell them periodically. Are we on the path? Are we making momentum? Are we making leeway to where we want to get to? And I think those guys, those are training you in the right direction.”