There’s been plenty of talk this offseason about how the Tennessee Vols’ wide receivers will perform in 2026.

Former Florida Gators wide receiver Chris Doering, who is an analyst for the SEC Network, suggested at SEC Media Days last month that Tennessee’s wide receivers are “underwhelming.”

“I feel like I know nothing more about Tennessee than I did when I walked in the door here (at SEC Media Days),” said Doering. “Tennessee, maybe they’re playing coy or something, but we don’t know who their quarterback is going to be. The receivers have been underwhelming the last few years.”

Tennessee’s top two returning wide receivers are redshirt sophomore Braylon Staley (68 receptions, 837 yards, and six touchdowns in 2025) and junior Mike Matthews (53 receptions, 813 yards, and four touchdowns).

Staley and Matthews both put up great numbers last season while playing behind Chris Brazzell, but that hasn’t stopped the questions about Tennessee’s wide receiver room.

Matthews, a former five-star recruit, has specifically heard the noise this offseason due to some tough drops he had last season.

Longtime Georgia insider Rusty Mansell, who covered Matthews in high school, recently said that he doesn’t know “what’s going on” with Matthews.

Mansell, who is a big believer in Matthews’ talent, thinks the Tennessee wide receiver has much more to offer than what we saw last season.

“I don’t know what’s going on with him, but I know as a player, that dude’s a baller,” said Mansell. “If I’m Josh Heupel this offseason, we’re figuring out what we can do to make sure we use this kid — because he’s wired different. [He has] unbelievable speed and he’s a tough ass kid. I think Mike Matthews could’ve played corner. You’ve got to figure that out. Quarterback play is obviously going to tell the tale there with Tennessee. It’s such a quarterback-driven offense. When they’ve been good, when Heupel’s been good, he’s had a guy. Do they have a guy? I don’t know yet. We’re all going to find out.

“But I am extremely confident in Mike Matthews. I will beat on the table for him. This is a big year. You’ve got to make sure you use this kid. … I know what this kid is, and I know this kid can fly. I know he’s tough. [He has] great change of direction and great hands. … It’s so good to watch Mike run routes. When he makes a cut and you don’t have to change speeds? He can go now. He can go.”

I think hearing those comments from Mansell should have Vols fans extremely excited. I mean, he seems perplexed that Matthews only had 813 receiving yards last season (which is a damn good season in the SEC for any receiver). That suggests that Matthews has a extremely high ceiling.

And Vols fans should be even more excited after hearing what former Tennessee wide receiver Jayson Swain, who will be in Vol Network booth alongside play-by-play announcer Mike Keith this fall, had to say about Matthews during an appearance on 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will.

Specifically, Swain noted that Matthews has been working on tracking deep passes this offseason (which was probably Matthews’ biggest issue in 2025).

“I saw a lot of things that he can build on,” said Swain. “He’s tough as nails. He blocks in the running game. He runs through tackles. He searches out contact. There were some games where he failed to track the ball on deep passes, and that’s what he needs to come back from. And I think he will because he’s been working on that all offseason long.

“I think he’s the most explosive receiver on this team. I think he’s scary as all get out because he has the confidence now, knowing that he can do it. Last year, he knew he could do it. But now, he really knows he can do it. … I’m looking for a breakout year for Mike Matthews. I get some of the questions because of some of the balls that hit the ground last year, but my man is ready for a breakthrough this year.”

Matthews isn’t getting much hype from the national media as one of the top receivers in the nation, but this is a player that Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs badly wanted as a high school recruit. And he was rated as the No. 24 overall player in the nation. Matthews has the pedigree to be a first-round draft pick, and he could be on the verge of a true breakout season this fall on Rocky Top.