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Mike Matthews, 5-star freshman WR, reportedly staying at Tennessee after entering transfer portal
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Mike Matthews will reportedly continue his college football career at Tennessee after all.
Matthews, a 5-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, crushed Volunteers fans when he opted for the NCAA transfer portal late Saturday. Less than a week later, Matthews has changed his mind about transferring out. Tennessee insider Austin Price of On3 reports that Matthews plans to stay on Rocky Top.
The initial decision to transfer came as a surprise. While a 7-catch freshman season for 90 yards did not make a splash, Tennessee’s wide receiver room is undergoing significant changes. The Volunteers are set to replace 3 starting wide receivers, as Bru McCoy and Dont’e Thornton move on to play professionally and Squirrel White finds a new home via the transfer portal.
Friday’s Matthews development will be welcomed news on Rocky Top. Out of Lilburn (Georgia) Parkview High School, Matthews was one of the top recruits in the country. On the 247Sports Composite, he was rated 5-stars, the No. 4 player in the state of Georgia, No. 6 wide receiver and No. 24 prospect overall in the Class of 2024. He signed with Tennessee over offers from 32 other programs, including Georgia, Clemson and USC.
Matthews finished the regular season with a 3-catch, 30-yard outing with 1 touchdown in the rivalry win over Vanderbilt. He did not record a reception in the College Football Playoff game against Ohio State.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
