A Year Full of Surprising Turns, Two Crucial Recruits Are Won by Kelsey Pope
Wide receiver for the Volunteers had a turbulent year. After the 2022 season, they generated two picks in the NFL Draft at the position, which was a major selling point for these coaches when it came to recruiting. But things thinned out, particularly after Dont’e Thornton and Bru McCoy suffered permanent injuries. Tennessee has its fair share of difficulties at the job, including throughout the hiring process. Although they were unable to acquire several of their desired top pass catchers, wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope was victorious in the 2024 class with Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley. According to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, Matthews is ranked as the No. 20 prospect in the class and Staley is ranked No. 156. Only the two of them are pass catchers.
For a long while, Staley was unknown, but in recent months, she has gained widespread attention. One of the most dynamic players in this class at the catch point, he put up ridiculous numbers in his senior year at South Carolina’s Storm Thurmond High School. With the ball in his hands, Staley attacks at every opportunity, sprinting into the open field and placing it at the downfield catch point. A youthful room is given extra bodies by Matthews and Staley who want to compete and demand repetitions right away. Many highly-recruited people will perform at their best when more premium names are added to their stable, and Pope has improved his team even in
Barely over a week has passed since Maraad Watson declared his intention to attend Kent State. He received his first two Power Five scholarship offers from Nebraska and Rutgers just a few hours later.
With Early Signing Day just over a week away, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel and defensive line coach Rodney Garner traveled to New Jersey on Tuesday for an in-home visit with the rapidly developing Class of 2024 defensive lineman from Irvington (N.J.) High School. Tennessee extended Watson his first SEC offer on Thursday. After receiving an offer on Wednesday from the staff of incoming Orange coach Fran Brown, he paid a formal visit to Syracuse over the weekend.
