Vols add to touted class with 5th-ranked Matthews

Blake Baumgartner, ESPN Staff WriterJul 19, 2023, 07:53 PM ET

Five-star athlete Mike Matthews committed to Tennessee on Wednesday.

Matthews, a three-sport (football, basketball, track) and two-way star on the football field for Parkview High School (Georgia), adds to a burgeoning class for Josh Heupel and the Volunteers that ESPN has ranked 14th.

The Volunteers now have nine ESPN 300 commits, and Matthews, ranked No. 5 overall by ESPN, would be the highest-ranked prospect the program has signed since offensive tackle Darnell Wright (No. 5 overall) in 2019. Matthews is the program’s first five-star commit since Wright and offensive tackle Wanya Morris (No. 9 overall) in 2019.

Tennessee secured Matthews’ commitment over Georgia, Alabama, Clemson and USC. He took his official visit to Knoxville from June 23 to June 25 — the last one he took after previously going to see Clemson, Georgia and USC.

Matthews visited Tennessee for its memorable 52-49 victory over the Crimson Tide last October, returned for a junior day in January and then took in spring practice in April.

He told ESPN in February that getting the chance to sit down with Volunteers wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope was “the best part” of his January visit.

Matthews’ presence will add to an offensive attack at Tennessee that ranked No. 1 in the FBS in total offense (525.5 YPG) and fifth nationally in passing (326.1 YPG) last season. Five players, paced by Jalin Hyatt‘s 67 receptions, hauled in at least 30 passes as Heupel’s dynamic offense spread the wealth.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Matthews caught 48 passes for 1,031 yards and 10 touchdowns as a receiver while recording 23 tackles and intercepting two passes at safety last season for a Parkview team that went 8-4.