5-star WR Mike Matthews Announces Commitment Date, Finalists

2024 five-star wide receiver Mike Matthews (Lilburn, Ga.) has announced a commitment date for later this week, and the Tennessee Volunteers are a major contender.

Tennessee's No. 1 target on their board over the past few months has been wide receiver Mike Matthews. The Georgia native has dominated the prep scene since his freshman year of high school and has been a national name since then. The Vols have been major players from start to finish, but so have other competitive suitors hoping to lure Matthews away from his home state.

He's kept the cards to his recruitment close to the vest, but it's now officially decision time. Matthews will commit on Wednesday, July 19, on the On3 Youtube Channel live at 7:00 PM EST. The finalists are, as expected, Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee, and USC. He officially visited all those four programs this summer, and Tennessee felt comfortable heading into those trips. The Vols came away with that same confidence level and are the favorite ahead of his decision. Wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope has been a key player in Matthews's recruitment, involving himself from the beginning.

He totaled 1,030 receiving yards and nine touchdowns during his junior season for Parkview High School, facing the best that the state of Georgia offers. Matthews began his high school career as a touted defensive back that had four interceptions in his freshman season of high school. However, he began to break out and make a name for himself on the 7-on-7 circuit as a wide receiver, flashing top-tier athleticism and reliable hands. Tennessee envisions him as a do-it-all weapon, someone who can play the X, Z, and slot efficiently. The tape projects him as an immediate 800 yards the moment he gets snaps on a college campus, especially in an offense like Tennessee's.

2024 WR Mike Matthews during his official visit to Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee, on June 23. (Photo courtesy of Mike Matthews)

Clemson is the presumed No. 2 in the race for his services. Head coach Dabo Swinney executes a recruiting scheme similar to what Tennessee wants to emulate: the family nature where former plays come back on the coaching staff and teach the next generation. That environment has been appealing for Matthews and is part of the reason why he also likes Tennessee. USC has head coach Lincoln Riley and his historic offensive track record as a pitch, plus the allure of Los Angeles, California. The in-state Georgia Bulldogs have also been in the top group, but there isn't as much smoke around Matthews and Athens in the past few weeks.

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