The Tennessee Volunteers and Kelsey Pope have gone through a lot at the wide receiver position, but they got two big recruiting wins in the 2024 cycle.
Wide receiver for the Volunteers had a turbulent year. After the 2022 season, they generated two picks in the NFL Draft at the position, which was a major selling point for these coaches when it came to recruiting. But things thinned out, particularly after Dont’e Thornton and Bru McCoy suffered permanent injuries.
Tennessee has its fair share of difficulties at the job, including throughout the hiring process. Although they were unable to acquire several of their desired top pass catchers, wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope was victorious in the 2024 class with Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley. According to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, Matthews is ranked as the No. 20 prospect in the class and Staley is ranked No. 156. They are Tennessee’s only two pass catchers in the class after USF signed long-term tight end commit Jonathan Echols this week.
These two, who rank among the cycle’s best receivers, will instantly improve the atmosphere in the space. Since his sophomore season, when he emerged as a national recruit, Matthews has been in the spotlight. For the first time in his career, he is playing receiver full-time, and the early returns are promising. Matthews competes fiercely, runs fluid routes, and attacks leverage at an elite rate.
For a long while, Staley was unknown, but in recent months, she has gained widespread attention. One of the most dynamic players in this class at the catch point, he put up ridiculous numbers in his senior year at South Carolina’s Storm Thurmond High School. With the ball in his hands, Staley attacks at every opportunity, sprinting into the open field and placing it at the downfield catch point.
A youthful room is given extra bodies by Matthews and Staley who want to compete and demand repetitions right away. A stable of highly-recruited guys will shine more when more premium names are added, and Pope has improved his group while facing numerous hurdles in the past year.