Utah WR Matthews is Making a Name for Himself
The University of Utah landed some highly recruited talent on national signing day, recording one of the best signing classes in school history. Rivals250 and four-star recruit wide receiver Mikey Matthews was one of those players. An early enrollee, he’s taking in all the reps he can with the upperclassmen getting acclimated to the college playbook.
The 6-foot and 175 pound receiver out of Mission Viejo high school feels he’s catching on pretty well and trying to stay focused on getting better every day — like the team mantra “22 percent better”. He knows if he puts in the work, he can be a great asset to the team.
“My goal for spring ball is to continue to work and learn the playbook,” he said. “Get with the guys and build that chemistry with the quarterbacks, keep building with the team and get the three-peat.”
While Matthews has been acclimating to the environment, the wide receiver group as a whole is really helping him step up to the challenges. They’re guiding him and making sure he’s not getting caught up on the mistakes along the way.
“The whole receiving core is very welcoming even if I make mistakes. They say to keep my head up, forget that and go onto the next,” said Matthews. “In college you can’t linger on the bad you had, you just have to have that short term memory and go onto the next play.”
Newly hired receiver’s coach Alvis Whitted has also been great to work with — even though it’s only been a couple months of a new relationship. Matthews says Whitted is very passionate, and knows what he’s talking about.
“(Coach Whitted) loves the game, he’s very sincere and genuine, he knows what he’s talking about,” said Matthews. “He coached Devante Adams of the Packers. I’m definitely trying to pick his brain and learn everything I can from him.”
Leading up to spring ball Matthews felt he wasn’t garnering attention like he had hoped, until the Under Armor All-America game in January. By then, he was locked in as a Ute, as they had one of the biggest steals of the 2023 recruiting season.
This spring, focusing on one day at a time, staying out of his head and taking in all the film he can is key for Matthews. He says his faith in God is helping guide him through this process.
“I definitely try to get out of my head to make sure I watch film, so I don’t make those mental errors,” he said. “ Looking at the playbook, making sure to get to my right depth, limit those errors so I don’t get into my head because college is very mentally challenging.”
The once under the radar receiver is practicing with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder, working hard to learn the Utah receiver positions. Matthews is ready to make a name for himself and prove those wrong who overlooked his playmaking abilities.
If the first two weeks of spring ball are any indication, Matthews just might have a significant impact, immediately.