By Nate DeVille
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On Saturday, a 252-day drought of gridiron action for the Volunteers finally ends. Since last season, the Tennessee program has been a scramble, posing several questions:
Who will be the quarterback?
Will the defense be healthy?
Who will catch the football?
While some remain to be seen, many of these fears were soothed in the summer months with a now veteran coaching staff picking up various pieces in the portal and developing young talent.
Tennessee will travel to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., for a Week 1 showdown with the Syracuse Orange.
One particular Volunteer will have some added motivation at the Aflac Kickoff Game.
Returning wide receiver, Mike Matthews of Lilburn, Ga., played high school football at nearby Parkview High School. There, he was a finalist for the Touchdown Club of Atlanta’s Mr. Georgia award and was named Offensive Player of the Year in his region. All while touting a five-star recruit ranking from ESPN.
The sophomore recorded just seven receptions, totaling 90 yards and two touchdowns last fall, but is poised for a breakout season as the Volunteers’ second-most experienced wideout on the roster, behind Chris Brazzell II.
“It feels like night and day,” Matthews said when asked how emotionally prepared he is for this season, in contrast to his freshman campaign. “Last year…it was a lot of mixed emotions, but now I just know I just got to be ready for the moment.”
Matthews will get his chance on Saturday, playing in front of a crowd of familiar faces.
“I got a lot of friends and family coming, and it’s real exciting you know, being able to play back at home,” said Matthews.
A key figure in Matthews’ Lilburn past is former Parkview High School head football coach Eric Godfree.
Godfree coached the Parkview Panthers for nine seasons, including Matthews’ freshman, sophomore, and junior years, before leaving to become the head coach at North Gwinnett High School prior to Matthews’ senior year.
“I knew he was gonna be a special player when he was a freshman,” said Godfree, who then recalled a few defining moments of Matthews’ early development.
During a practice his freshman year while playing cornerback, Matthews made a leaping one-handed catch for an interception. Godfree and his staff were blown away, and later used film footage of the interception to show college coaches on the recruiting trail.
Matthews’ high school coach has high hopes for the sophomore receiver, stating, “He has the ability to play on Sundays… I have all the faith in the world.”
Godfree stressed the significance of Matthews’ mental strength in addition to his athletic abilities. “He has a very high ceiling… beyond all of his physical attributes, he really does have the right mindset.”
“Support is a huge part of success,” Godfree said, before addressing the role he’s seen Matthews’ family play over his athletic career. Godfree, who is still in contact with his former player, believes that the familial support system Matthews has helps make him great.
Matthews has great confidence in himself and fellow Tennessee receivers, despite what any doubters may think. “We motivated, but we not worried about the outside noise… we know what we got in the receiver room.”
Tennessee fans will find out soon enough if Matthews is ready for the bright lights of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and if the young wideout is ready to lead a personnel room full of question marks.
GREAT ARTICAL! I can hardly wait and see how it goes.