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Newcomer Notebook: Mikey Matthews
8/18/2023 9:00 AM | Football
Second of a three-part Q&A series heads over to the offensive side of the ball
The Newcomer Notebook is a three-part Q&A series featuring some of the latest additions to the Utah Football team across offense, defense and special teams. After kicking off last week with defensive end Logan Fano, we head over to the wide receivers room and visit with freshman Mikey Matthews. Matthews arrived on campus this past January out of Irvine, California, and starred at Mission Viejo High School both as a receiver and return man. He even dabbled in rugby for a while growing up!
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You're a few weeks into camp, how's it going?
"Things are going good. I'm just trying to get the playbook down, figuring out the little details. Whatever Coach Ludwig wants me to do in the offense, I'm making sure I get that down so I can hopefully play a little bit."
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How did being here in the Spring help you and what did you learn?
"The Spring helped me a lot. I made some mental errors in the Spring; but now that I'm back for Fall camp, it's the same playbook, same plays. I can try to perfect the little details now and make sure I get to the right depth, get the right alignment, and also finding good chemistry with the quarterbacks."
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Not only did you get here for Spring ball, it was right around the time Coach Alvis Whitted arrived on campus. What's it been like learning from him in the wide receivers room?
"It's real nice. When you get to college (from high school), everything's more upbeat. More tempo. He's helped me out—he's a day one. Real good coach. I love learning from him and picking his brain. He knows what he's talking about and everything he tells us works."
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A lot of people talk about "The Utah Way." What does The Utah Way mean to you?
"The Utah Way is amazing. We have a really good culture here. The team is very family-oriented. Even when I got here in January, I felt part of the team right away. You could tell; guys brought me in and helped me out. Devaughn Vele and Money Parks helped me out especially. They're like my big mentors that I go to for questions. They keep leading me the right way, help me out and give great advice."
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How would you describe yourself as a player and where you'd like to grow as a player?
"I feel like I'm very versatile. I can play outside in the slot and even go return kicks and punts. But wherever the team needs me, I'll go produce and help the team win games."
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You have a little bit of a rugby background, too. Take me through that.
"I have two older brothers. My oldest brother started playing rugby when he was about 13. I started when I was five and played until my junior year of high school. I was a high school All-American in rugby. Played for a while, but stopped my junior year."
FOLLOW US!
To get an inside look at the Utah Football program during its journey through the 2023 season, follow the Utes on social media along with visiting www.UtahUtes.com.
Twitter:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â @Utah_Football
Instagram:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â @UtahFootball
Threads:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â @UtahFootball
Facebook:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Utah Football
TikTok:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â @Utah_Football
COMING SOON
The Utes will open 2023 at home, hosting the Florida Gators on Thursday, Aug. 31 in Rice-Eccles Stadium at 6 p.m. MT on ESPN. The game against the Gators will be a Red Out with fans encouraged to wear red.
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You're a few weeks into camp, how's it going?
"Things are going good. I'm just trying to get the playbook down, figuring out the little details. Whatever Coach Ludwig wants me to do in the offense, I'm making sure I get that down so I can hopefully play a little bit."
Â
How did being here in the Spring help you and what did you learn?
"The Spring helped me a lot. I made some mental errors in the Spring; but now that I'm back for Fall camp, it's the same playbook, same plays. I can try to perfect the little details now and make sure I get to the right depth, get the right alignment, and also finding good chemistry with the quarterbacks."
Â
Not only did you get here for Spring ball, it was right around the time Coach Alvis Whitted arrived on campus. What's it been like learning from him in the wide receivers room?
"It's real nice. When you get to college (from high school), everything's more upbeat. More tempo. He's helped me out—he's a day one. Real good coach. I love learning from him and picking his brain. He knows what he's talking about and everything he tells us works."
Â
A lot of people talk about "The Utah Way." What does The Utah Way mean to you?
"The Utah Way is amazing. We have a really good culture here. The team is very family-oriented. Even when I got here in January, I felt part of the team right away. You could tell; guys brought me in and helped me out. Devaughn Vele and Money Parks helped me out especially. They're like my big mentors that I go to for questions. They keep leading me the right way, help me out and give great advice."
Â
How would you describe yourself as a player and where you'd like to grow as a player?
"I feel like I'm very versatile. I can play outside in the slot and even go return kicks and punts. But wherever the team needs me, I'll go produce and help the team win games."
Â
You have a little bit of a rugby background, too. Take me through that.
"I have two older brothers. My oldest brother started playing rugby when he was about 13. I started when I was five and played until my junior year of high school. I was a high school All-American in rugby. Played for a while, but stopped my junior year."
FOLLOW US!
To get an inside look at the Utah Football program during its journey through the 2023 season, follow the Utes on social media along with visiting www.UtahUtes.com.
Twitter:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â @Utah_Football
Instagram:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â @UtahFootball
Threads:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â @UtahFootball
Facebook:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Utah Football
TikTok:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â @Utah_Football
COMING SOON
The Utes will open 2023 at home, hosting the Florida Gators on Thursday, Aug. 31 in Rice-Eccles Stadium at 6 p.m. MT on ESPN. The game against the Gators will be a Red Out with fans encouraged to wear red.
Players Mentioned
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