HoweJosh Heupel’s Vols made it to the playoffs but couldn’t get past Ryan Day’s high-flying Buckeyes. A first-round exit, and the season was over. Well, that means one thing. You prepare for the next season. Those preparations didn’t start well for Tennessee. They lost gems like Chas Nimrod, WR Jalen Smith, LB Kaleb Webb and more. The most losses were felt in the WR room. That means a weak offense. Who does it worry the most? Well, your quarterback.

Naturally, it didn’t help the situation that the media reported Nico Iamaleava’s plans to leave the program. Just one year in, all the NCAA drama, and Nico could have been on his way. “Could have been?” You ask? Yes, One change of heart, and we may see Josh Heupel’s QB1 lining up under center in 2025. And that wasn’t Nico’s change of heart.

To hit or not to hit the Portal? Vols WR is home again

After seeing his fellow WRs leaving for the portal, Mike Matthews was in a dilemma. Should he? Should he not? For days, it seemed like Josh Heupel was going to lose his five-star prospect. There was a reason to worry. Matthews isn’t an ordinary player. In Vols’ 2024 class, he was the second highest-rated player after EDGE Jordan Ross. Among the WRs in the class, he was ranked 6, and of all the players in the country, he was ranked No. 26 in the class. You don’t get these ranks if you’re not talented. After much dilly-dallying, On Friday morning, reports broke out suggesting Tennessee’s true freshman wide receiver, Mike Matthews, will not be going anywhere. Yes, you heard it right. Matthews will don the Vols jersey for the next year as well.

This news re-elevated the energy of the entire Tennessee camp and promised a fulfilling 2025. Matthews previously let the world know of his intention to hit the transfer portal in the eleventh hour of the winter portal window. Fans deeply purged their feeling when all of a sudden, the standout WR chose to re-explore his potential with other schools.

The Georgia native attended Parkview High School and hit the portal as one of the crown jewels of Tennessee’s 2023 recruiting class. In restricted action during his freshman campaign, he managed to amass seven catches for 90 yards and two touchdowns. The production is low considering it was his freshman season, but the future is bright.

As the season progressed, Matthews started to become an unstoppable, untamable wild beast, hinting at his potential to become a key target for quarterback Nico Iamaleava in the future. Fans on the internet vehemently vouched for Mike Matthews to take on a starting role in 2025. But even if he doesn’t get that, the next year in Knoxville will be nothing short of a pipe dream.

What’s at stake? First and foremost, the offensive production. The Vols averaged 35.7 points per game and 447 total yards per game. You don’t maintain that with a weak WR room.

The initial announcement of Mike Matthews’ transfer stunned fans and analysts alike, making us wonder what exactly made him prone to the outside portal mess, leaving a prized 2024 under coach Heupel behind. The answer can be multiple. It could be the same as Bryce Underwood. He fell for a better NIL trap and ditched the school he once claimed as his own. But thankfully, Matthews had no cheap intention of that.

Why did Mike Mathews hit the portal in the first place?

Mike Matthews felt that the receiver room would be a little more crowded in 2025. Looking at the existing talent and the cut roster, the prodigy felt pulling himself out of the equation would help. However, it was not because he got a bigger paycheck on the table. Rather, it was because he found himself a little too much extra for the team.

Mike made a hasty decision; he withdrew it. No more confusion! He has three years of eligibility left. Therefore, he will get plenty of opportunities to make Josh Heupel proud. Seven passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns will convert into some bigger, heavier stat and solidify the kid’s collegiate resume before the NFL waives.

Additionally, having Mike Matthews consistently by his side won’t serve the purpose of Heupel and the team alone. The veteran coach knows he can do anything but not sleep on the portal inflows. In a projected WR room that is scarce, after five players have left their jobs, Heupel is actively trying to eradicate the gap with some help from the portals. He has his eyes on Alabama transfer Amari Jefferson. The list is longer, but right now, we, in no way, will shift our attention span on Nike Matthews’ retreat decision.

Hopefully, it will pay the greatest way off.