Tennessee WR Mike Matthews expected to miss rest of the season with knee injury

After suffering a knee injury against Texas A&M, Tennessee wide receiver Mike Matthews is expected to miss the rest of the season, On3’s Pete Nakos and Chris Low reported. He went down in the first half against the Aggies and was back on the sideline on crutches. Matthews got hurt in the second quarter of the Week 11 matchup after recording two catches for 42 yards. He was later ruled out and was helped back to the locker room before being ruled out for the rest of the contest. $39.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage Matthews entered Sunday’s game as Tennessee’s top receiver through the first nine games of the season. Postgame, Vols head coach Josh Heupel didn’t have any initial updates on his status going forward. “I don’t have an update on Mike,” Heupel said during his press conference. “Mike has played really well throughout the year. He played really well today, too. Hate it. But we will find out when we get back.” Watch on Fubo (Try for Free) Through 10 games this year, Matthews has 39 receptions for 608 yards and four touchdowns to lead Tennessee in receiving. Those numbers came after he had 53 receptions for 813 yards and four touchdowns as a sophomore in 2025. With 42 yards against Texas A&M, Mike Matthews ended up Tennessee’s leading receiver in the 22-7 victory. DeSean Bishop anchored the rushing attack with 34 carries for 97 yards in the effort while Javin Gordon had 78 rushing yards. Tennessee also made a change at quarterback in the second half as Faizon Brandon replaced George MacIntyre, who was receiving treatment for an injury. Brandon threw a touchdown to help seal the victory, and Heupel said MacIntyre’s injury was a factor in the decision to make the switch. “Just with where the game was and what we felt like we needed, didn’t feel like it was the right place for George just dealing with that injury,” Heupel said. “That is why Faizon was in there at that time.” With the victory, Tennessee improved to 8-2 overall on the year, including 5-2 in SEC play. The Volunteers have two games remaining on the schedule, starting with this week’s matchup against LSU as Lane Kiffin returns to Neyland Stadium for the second time – and the first time as Tigers head coach.