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At wide receiver, the Volunteers had a rough year. After the 2022 season, they produced two NFL Draft picks at the position, which was a key selling point for these coaches on the recruiting path. However, the space became sparse, especially after Bru McCoy and Dont’e Thornton suffered long-term injuries. Tennessee has its share of difficulties at the position, even on the recruiting road. They missed out on a few top pass catchers, but wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope scored two huge wins in the 2024 class: Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley. Matthews is the class’s No. 20 prospect.
According to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, Staley is ranked 156th. After long-time tight end commit Jonathan Echols flipped to USF this week, they are Tennessee’s only two pass catchers in the class.
These two receivers are among the best in the draft and will have an immediate influence on the room. Matthews has been in the spotlight for several years, having become a national recruit during his sophomore year. For the first time in his career, he is playing receiver full-time, and the early results are promising. Matthews runs fluid routes, attacks leverage at an elite pace, and competes aggressively.
Staley was largely unknown for a long period, but has recently emerged on the national stage. He put up monster numbers for Storm Thurmond High School in South Carolina his final year and is one of the most explosive catchers in this class. Staley attacks at all times, exploding into the open field with the ball in his hands and locating it at the downfield reception point. Matthews and Staley add more bodies to a young room that want to compete and get repetitions right away.
Adding more premium names to a stable of highly-recruited guys will bring out the best in many of them, and Pope has managed to improve his group despite a challenging year.
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