Mike Matthews to portal? [He’s staying]

#1,076
#1,076
RockyTopTommy said:
Take the gun out of your mouth. Yall were saying the same thing last year about the secondary
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You can gloss over it all you want. This situation right now is not good. Hopefully it improves. The problem lies with coach Pope. If he is regained then I see yet another crappy year by the WRs. Also, how many WRs do we now have on scholarship?
 
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#1,078
#1,078
BigOrangeTrain said:
Complete failure by this staff in losing Matthews. Our WR room is completely decimated. I laughed at someone for saying we could have an FSU type of tumble. I don’t know if that’s not possible. Can’t get a visit from the Branch brothers. This sucks.
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If the posts I've read are true, we met his demands and he still remained in the portal. Tells me he doesn't want to be at UT and is using us as leverage. To be honest, none of us knows what he does in practice, but if he couldn't crack this beat up, injured and very pedestrian WR lineup, I'm not gonna sweat him moving on.
 
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#1,079
#1,079
LegionnaireOfTheMiserable said:
You sound delusional. First of all, if that’s even true, there’s no way Nico noticed that, just like he didn’t notice it multiple other times during the season. Secondly, he himself never said that was the reason. He claimed he couldn’t get a handle on the ball, so for some reason running past the line and out of bounds was the thing to do in his mind, rather than drifting back so he could get a hold of the ball and throw it.

It was tied for the dumbest thing we have ever seen a QB do at Tennessee, there’s no defending it. Making up fantasy scenarios to do so is weird.
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The second to the last play where he threw the ball over the middle, he had Sampson wide open in the flat, didn’t see him, freshman mistake
 
#1,080
#1,080
CAVPUT said:
If the posts I've read are true, we met his demands and he still remained in the portal. Tells me he doesn't want to be at UT and is using us as leverage. To be honest, none of us knows what he does in practice, but if he couldn't crack this beat up, injured and very pedestrian WR lineup, I'm not gonna sweat him moving on.
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He should have been played more
 
#1,081
#1,081
JMSqb11 said:
I'm not going to bash Nico too hard as this was like his 2nd true road start, but the fact that Heupel didn't coach him up in the moment off a timeout to make sure the ball ends up going to the endzone is a travesty....

Even if he was to scramble (he did), he should have been coached in the moment (by Heupel) to throw the ball and not try to run.... It really is that simple.

There was no scenario or reality where Nico could scramble out of bounds for a gain and keep time on the clock on the road....
View attachment 711217
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What is the advantage of being sacked in the pocket after a jail break? On the edge a receiver could read the situation, change his route and give a QB a lane.

But yes, the first road game in the first year of starting is what it is. FORTUNATELY it beats having a redshirt SO having firsts this coming year.

The only good news is he was accurately identified as stepping OOB on this play unlike the hundreds of accounts of Milton doing the same even in the face of replay showing him being knocked out at the 11 a while back. I could post those screenshots for the 50th time, but will pass.
 
#1,082
#1,082
CAVPUT said:
If the posts I've read are true, we met his demands and he still remained in the portal. Tells me he doesn't want to be at UT and is using us as leverage. To be honest, none of us knows what he does in practice, but if he couldn't crack this beat up, injured and very pedestrian WR lineup, I'm not gonna sweat him moving on.
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I know the dark side is your safe place, but it can be a little less black and white. He did crack the lineup, he did run some of the best routes, make some of the best catches, and laid out some db’s with downfield blocks. He’s very talented, to the point that Georgia and OSU are among his suitors. It’s also true that the receiver room is leaving en masse. I don’t think it can all be put on Pope, but it also probably isn’t correct to say every kid who leaves is “the wrong kind”.
 
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#1,083
#1,083
BigOrangeTrain said:
He should have been played more
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Only if he earns it in practice. As I said, I don't know what he does or doesn't do during practice, but you start giving reps to guys who don't earn it in practice and you risk your locker room. Kids know who can play and who's earned the playing time.
 
#1,084
#1,084
JMSqb11 said:
See I'm of the position that if we land Branch, having Matthews be the third to fill out Brazzell, we would have a solid trio. With how much these young receivers are hitting everywhere, I think Matthews is the one guy you sorta take a risk on and give him all the action next year.... Because if he hits, Nico and him will have the 2026 season to really elevate... I assume Nico is here thru 2026 just because he would have to take a massive jump next year to come close to even thinking he could go first or second round
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Yeah but Matthews is clearly not interested in being a Vol right now.
 
#1,086
#1,086
This program has only had so many 5 stars. If there were concerns about him being me-first type of player, we should not have been willing to recruit him, or should have given him far more playing time if we were willing to take him on. This is a massive failure regardless how anyone tries to spin it. Heupel has to do a better job of playing freshman in front of mediocre upperclassman.
 
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#1,087
#1,087
Stoerner Fumbles said:
I know the dark side is your safe place, but it can be a little less black and white. He did crack the lineup, he did run some of the best routes, make some of the best catches, and laid out some db’s with downfield blocks. He’s very talented, to the point that Georgia and OSU are among his suitors. It’s also true that the receiver room is leaving en masse. I don’t think it can all be put on Pope, but it also probably isn’t correct to say every kid who leaves is “the wrong kind”.
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Didn't say he was the wrong kind(it's possible he's not a fit here I guess), but if we kept trotting the same injured trio out there and Matthews was showing out in practice, why didn't he play? He and Pope butt heads? So do you change your staff is a kid or kids don't like the position coach? That's a road no head coach wants to go down IMO.

And if the posts indicating that we'd met his price/terms, why didn't he pull out of the portal if this is where he wants to be? Your're right that it likely isn't just one thing that has this relationship where it is. Probably several issues. Up to Heupel to identify problems across the board and address them. If he doesn't, he becomes the problem. Then it's in White's hands.
 
#1,088
#1,088
LegionnaireOfTheMiserable said:
Branch has been a JAG at USC, and based on how the past couple years have gone, it would be hard to expect him to be anything more than that here.
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MM was the same thing at Tennessee. Think everyone assume we’re talking about elite players based on the recruiting rankings when reality is they are low 4-star type guys
 
#1,090
#1,090
CAVPUT said:
Didn't say he was the wrong kind(it's possible he's not a fit here I guess), but if we kept trotting the same injured trio out there and Matthews was showing out in practice, why didn't he play? He and Pope butt heads? So do you change your staff is a kid or kids don't like the position coach? That's a road no head coach wants to go down IMO.

And if the posts indicating that we'd met his price/terms, why didn't he pull out of the portal if this is where he wants to be? Your're right that it likely isn't just one thing that has this relationship where it is. Probably several issues. Up to Heupel to identify problems across the board and address them. If he doesn't, he becomes the problem. Then it's in White's hands.
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Despite all the talk about money, players transfer for other reasons as well (mostly due to not getting play time/stats they want or lacking confidence in coaching staff).

This crap has me worried because you make great points and others have about something fishy going on here. Why wasn't he playing more and is Pope really up to the task after seeing the attrition and issues with this unit?
 
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#1,091
#1,091
RockyTopTommy said:
Plenty of people have been saying it all year. If you don't like it, that's fine. But don't cry to me about it boy
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This is simple. Name those people and we can judge if it means anything. If there are “plenty”, you should be able to name one or two that know what’s going on. If you can’t, that tells us all you got is your own feelz and nothing reliable.
 
#1,093
#1,093
bpalmer28 said:
MM was the same thing at Tennessee. Think everyone assume we’re talking about elite players based on the recruiting rankings when reality is they are low 4-star type guys
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Yep. Brian Darden was the starter and heistman front runner the minute he stepped on campus.... according to some of our fans.
 
#1,095
#1,095
bpalmer28 said:
MM was the same thing at Tennessee. Think everyone assume we’re talking about elite players based on the recruiting rankings when reality is they are low 4-star type guys
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MM at least had the excuse of being a true freshman who hadn’t been given the chance to see the field. Branch has played quite a bit and outside of the return game has been just okay.
 
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#1,096
#1,096
volbound1700 said:
I had same question. I was thinking Judge Advocate General. Is the guy going into the Military and plans to attend law school?
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Still learning these new position names. Star? Leo? What was wrong with outside LB, weak side LB, free safety and strong safety, etc? Or did we create new positions?
 
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#1,097
#1,097
LegionnaireOfTheMiserable said:
MM at least had the excuse of being a true freshman who hadn’t been given the chance to see the field. Branch has played quite a bit and outside of the return game has been just okay.
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We NEED receivers. All the time in College and NFL, a player will move to a different team and become a very different player. Ever played Fantasy Football? Have you seen those players that have been in the league 3-4 years all of a sudden explode with a new team?
 
#1,099
#1,099
CAVPUT said:
Still learning these new position names. Star? Leo? What was wrong with outside LB, weak side LB, free safety and strong safety, etc? Or did we create new positions?
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I still get confused by EDGE. Frankly, they should stick with the old school EA Sports NCAA Football terminology. It is Defensive End.
 
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