Tennessee Official Visitor Capsule: Mike Matthews
Five-star wide receiver Mike Matthews is one of the most explosive playmakers in the class of 2024. As a guy who has consistently been in the spotlight as a 7A Georgia athlete, it is no surprise that he has garnered attention from the nation's premier football programs at Parkview High School. He's made noise on the gridiron and basketball court since his freshman season, and now that he's in the final stages of his recruitment, Tennessee sits in comfortable standing with him.
In two varsity seasons for Parkview High School, Matthews has accumulated 96 grabs for nearly 1,800 yards, reaching paydirt 16 times. This weekend, the rising senior will visit Knoxville, where the coaching staff will have their chance to pitch the program on the rise to the stud wideout. This is the final one of the listed official visits for Matthews, recently having visited his hometown Georgia Bulldogs, Clemson, and Southern Cal. Tennessee gets its chance to make a closing pitch before Matthews commits, which could happen at some point this summer.
Mike Matthews, 2024 WR with Kelsey Pope, Tennessee WRs coach
Prospect: Mike Matthews
Projected Position: WR
Vitals: 6-1 and 180 pounds
School: Parkview High School (Lilburn, Georgia)
Frame: Not the biggest guy on the field, but has good height at 6-1. At 180 pounds, Matthews is not a small guy, but not big by any stretch. He makes up for any lack of size with explosiveness, speed, and ball skills. While he won't physically overwhelm defenders, this is one of the rare cases where we shouldn't concern about weight. Defenders must touch Matthews before they think about driving him backward, and they have a hard enough time doing that.
Athleticism: Elite speed, recently confirmed by posting one of the fastest 40-yard-dash times at an Atlanta camp. Excellent coordination and a fluid mover. Matthews is also a high-level basketball player with a ton of above-the-rim ability when he goes downfield. The hand-to-eye coordination is also impressive; Matthews can quickly find the ability and convert that he needs to begin the catch process, giving him an early advantage over defenders who haven't even recognized where the ball is.
Polish: In many other collegiate systems, Matthews would need to add around 15 pounds of muscle before competing against Power-5 competition. However, his size would align with the offensive vision if he chose Tennessee. Head coach Josh Heupel thrives on getting shifty players into space - just ask Squirrel White. Matthews would see action as a true freshman for Tennessee. They expect several departures after the season, and his ball skills and athletic profile are too much to keep off the field.
Bottom Line: Tennessee identified that they wanted Matthews to play offense early in the recruiting cycle, and that decision may have landed them America's No. 2 wide receiver when the dust settles. Matthews would be a walking 800-1,000 yards from the moment he touched campus in Knoxville, and the Vols must close out this recruitment and win a high-profile battle.
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