Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
"He's had a workman mentality since he got here” - Reliable Metcalf breaks out in Year Three
10/7/2023 5:37:00 PM | Football
The Blue Raider slot receiver leads the MTSU receiving threats at the halfway mark of the season
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — When you bring up Elijah Metcalf's high school program, Mallard Creek in Charlotte, N.C., the Middle Tennessee wide receiver has to stop himself from rambling when naming guys from the Mavericks that are playing in college.
There's tight end Casey Kelly, who's an Oregon Duck this season after starting his career at Ole Miss. Or offensive lineman Uriah Greene, an NC A&T Aggie that started college at South Florida. Offensive lineman Joshua Ilaoa is at Syracuse and linebacker Trenton Simpson is with the Baltimore Ravens after a standout career at Clemson.
And those are just the players that Metcalf played with personally. When you play for a program that's won three state titles since the school opened in 2007, the list of notable alumni can grow long, including the likes of the Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis, 2019 National Champion Thaddeus Moss and the Arizona Cardinals DJ Humphries.
"It just makes it so much easier transitioning to college, when you've been at a program like that that sets you at a high standard and makes sure that you come to work every day," Metcalf said.
More important for Metcalf than the rarified company was the standard that was set during his time at Mallard Creek of the work needed to establish championship habits.
For example, Metcalf said the Mavericks would spend their August camp ahead of the season going through practice in hoodies and sweats, a challenge at any time, but particularly during balmy North Carolina summers. But when the first game came around in late August, the Mavericks didn't have to worry about nearly as many cramps as their other opponents.
That work ethic is the first thing that comes to mind for his head coach, Rick Stockstill, when reflecting on the redshirt sophomore's path to the starting lineup in his third year in Murfreesboro.
"Elijah works," Stockstill said. "He's had a workman mentality since he got here. He comes to work every day, whether it's spring practice, whether it's summer, whether it's during the season, he works."
Overlooked by many of the schools that recruited his peers, Metcalf credits his recruitment to MTSU primarily to Stockstill, with a lot of the groundwork laid by former wide receivers coach Austin Silvoy, who would reach out to Metcalf every day during his recruiting process. When Silvoy moved on from the Blue Raiders' program, Stockstill was there to seal the deal.
"Half the reason why these guys are here is because of that man," Metcalf said of his teammates and his head coach.
Coming to the Blue Raiders, Metcalf flashed his skill early on the practice field, but had to navigate both a crowded depth chart in the wide receiver room and having to learn how to play as an inside receiver, after playing exclusively as an outside receiver during his high school career. The result was a redshirt season in 2021, followed by a rotational role in 2022, where Metcalf did get a chance to show his ability in all 13 of MTSU's games, hauling in 26 catches for 309 yards and two touchdowns, none bigger than the 69-yard strike over the top of Miami's defense in MTSU's win on the road against the Hurricanes.
Metcalf knew he had the ability to make plays during that time but took the mostly practice reps during his first two seasons to hone his craft, learning the art, the savviness, Metcalf says, one needs being a slot receiver from captains Jarrin Pierce and Yusuf Ali.
"When you're playing outside, you've got a lot more one-on-one coverage," Metcalf said. "You pretty much just get the corner. When you're in slot, you've got linebackers and safeties. You've got to make sure you know where you're going, because it can be Cover 2 and you run smack dead into a safety and a linebacker."
It also gave him time to form a connection with a fellow member of his recruiting class, Nicholas Vattiato.
"From the jump, we clicked with each other," Vattiato said. "We kind of have that connection on the field. It's not something that you necessarily practice. It's something where our brains are just kind of connected sometimes. It really helps when you're on the field."
Through six games in 2023, Metcalf leads the Blue Raiders with 31 catches, 350 yards receiving and three touchdowns. His four catch, 115-yard, two touchdown game against Jacksonville State was the redshirt sophomore's first 100-yard receiving game of his career. His success in 2023 is a product, Vattiato said, of his reliability, an innate sense of finding ways to get open.
"Not only can he run routes with the best of 'em, just creating space, he's so good at creating space," Vattiato said. "But he's so smart too as a player. Understanding how to attack leverage, understanding different zones.
"There's sometimes where he might get out there and not necessarily do exactly what he's supposed to," Vattiato said with a smile. "Sometimes, Coach Stew might get a little upset on that. More often than not, he's so smart and understanding of what the defense is doing that it just creates so much opportunity for him, because he's constantly getting open."
Metcalf, for his part, credits the Man Above for his success, as well as the trust he's formed with Vattiato during their time together. It also helps, Metcalf said, that he has friends from back home in the Charlotte area, from Mallard Creek, from his original high school, Hickory Ridge, and just among guys he played against in the area in high school, he can reach out to.
Two of his best friends growing up are Jalen Brooks, who plays wide receiver for the Cowboys, and Garrett Williams, a cornerback for the Cardinals. When things are getting tough, Metcalf knows he can reach out to his guys back home and get the feedback he needs.
But his reliability, his growth since coming to Murfreesboro? Stockstill, Vattiato and Metcalf himself all know it comes back to that work ethic on the practice field.
"My freshman year, I said I was going to stay down and work my butt off every single day," Metcalf said. "And then last year, it was 'Hey man, whenever your number gets called, make sure you're out there and you're making your play.' So, when this year came, it was like 'Hey, I've been doing this since my freshman year.'"
There's tight end Casey Kelly, who's an Oregon Duck this season after starting his career at Ole Miss. Or offensive lineman Uriah Greene, an NC A&T Aggie that started college at South Florida. Offensive lineman Joshua Ilaoa is at Syracuse and linebacker Trenton Simpson is with the Baltimore Ravens after a standout career at Clemson.
And those are just the players that Metcalf played with personally. When you play for a program that's won three state titles since the school opened in 2007, the list of notable alumni can grow long, including the likes of the Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis, 2019 National Champion Thaddeus Moss and the Arizona Cardinals DJ Humphries.
"It just makes it so much easier transitioning to college, when you've been at a program like that that sets you at a high standard and makes sure that you come to work every day," Metcalf said.
More important for Metcalf than the rarified company was the standard that was set during his time at Mallard Creek of the work needed to establish championship habits.
For example, Metcalf said the Mavericks would spend their August camp ahead of the season going through practice in hoodies and sweats, a challenge at any time, but particularly during balmy North Carolina summers. But when the first game came around in late August, the Mavericks didn't have to worry about nearly as many cramps as their other opponents.
That work ethic is the first thing that comes to mind for his head coach, Rick Stockstill, when reflecting on the redshirt sophomore's path to the starting lineup in his third year in Murfreesboro.
"Elijah works," Stockstill said. "He's had a workman mentality since he got here. He comes to work every day, whether it's spring practice, whether it's summer, whether it's during the season, he works."
Overlooked by many of the schools that recruited his peers, Metcalf credits his recruitment to MTSU primarily to Stockstill, with a lot of the groundwork laid by former wide receivers coach Austin Silvoy, who would reach out to Metcalf every day during his recruiting process. When Silvoy moved on from the Blue Raiders' program, Stockstill was there to seal the deal.
"Half the reason why these guys are here is because of that man," Metcalf said of his teammates and his head coach.
Coming to the Blue Raiders, Metcalf flashed his skill early on the practice field, but had to navigate both a crowded depth chart in the wide receiver room and having to learn how to play as an inside receiver, after playing exclusively as an outside receiver during his high school career. The result was a redshirt season in 2021, followed by a rotational role in 2022, where Metcalf did get a chance to show his ability in all 13 of MTSU's games, hauling in 26 catches for 309 yards and two touchdowns, none bigger than the 69-yard strike over the top of Miami's defense in MTSU's win on the road against the Hurricanes.
Metcalf knew he had the ability to make plays during that time but took the mostly practice reps during his first two seasons to hone his craft, learning the art, the savviness, Metcalf says, one needs being a slot receiver from captains Jarrin Pierce and Yusuf Ali.
"When you're playing outside, you've got a lot more one-on-one coverage," Metcalf said. "You pretty much just get the corner. When you're in slot, you've got linebackers and safeties. You've got to make sure you know where you're going, because it can be Cover 2 and you run smack dead into a safety and a linebacker."
It also gave him time to form a connection with a fellow member of his recruiting class, Nicholas Vattiato.
"From the jump, we clicked with each other," Vattiato said. "We kind of have that connection on the field. It's not something that you necessarily practice. It's something where our brains are just kind of connected sometimes. It really helps when you're on the field."
Through six games in 2023, Metcalf leads the Blue Raiders with 31 catches, 350 yards receiving and three touchdowns. His four catch, 115-yard, two touchdown game against Jacksonville State was the redshirt sophomore's first 100-yard receiving game of his career. His success in 2023 is a product, Vattiato said, of his reliability, an innate sense of finding ways to get open.
"Not only can he run routes with the best of 'em, just creating space, he's so good at creating space," Vattiato said. "But he's so smart too as a player. Understanding how to attack leverage, understanding different zones.
"There's sometimes where he might get out there and not necessarily do exactly what he's supposed to," Vattiato said with a smile. "Sometimes, Coach Stew might get a little upset on that. More often than not, he's so smart and understanding of what the defense is doing that it just creates so much opportunity for him, because he's constantly getting open."
Metcalf, for his part, credits the Man Above for his success, as well as the trust he's formed with Vattiato during their time together. It also helps, Metcalf said, that he has friends from back home in the Charlotte area, from Mallard Creek, from his original high school, Hickory Ridge, and just among guys he played against in the area in high school, he can reach out to.
Two of his best friends growing up are Jalen Brooks, who plays wide receiver for the Cowboys, and Garrett Williams, a cornerback for the Cardinals. When things are getting tough, Metcalf knows he can reach out to his guys back home and get the feedback he needs.
But his reliability, his growth since coming to Murfreesboro? Stockstill, Vattiato and Metcalf himself all know it comes back to that work ethic on the practice field.
"My freshman year, I said I was going to stay down and work my butt off every single day," Metcalf said. "And then last year, it was 'Hey man, whenever your number gets called, make sure you're out there and you're making your play.' So, when this year came, it was like 'Hey, I've been doing this since my freshman year.'"
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