Off The Hook Sports continues its 2022 Tennessee football preseason preview on the top 25 impact players for the Vols this upcoming season.
Coming in at No. 17 is junior wide receiver Jalin Hyatt.
Past Performance
The talent is certainly there for Jalin Hyatt.
Tennessee fans saw it his freshman year against Alabama. The former four-star recruit lined up in the slot and left Crimson Tide safety Jordan Battle in the dust, scoring on a 38-yard touchdown ball from Jarrett Guarantano. The Vols were 2-3 en route to a 3-7 finish to the season and the deficit against the Tide was still double digits. But the fans inside Neyland Stadium were cheering.
And it isn’t hard to see why. Hyatt, once ranked the 33rd wide receiver in the nation hailing from Dutch Fork High School in South Carolina, had a simply stellar freshman campaign for an otherwise dreary offense. He was one of few solaces Tennessee could take from what would turn out to be a 48-17 bludgeoning.
He finished his impressive freshman year in style. Hyatt caught five balls for 81 yards and a touchdown against Vanderbilt, catapulting him to his first start of the season in the finale against Texas A&M.
Many felt Hyatt was on track to become a dangerous SEC receiver for years to come. There was every reason to imagine Hyatt would be the main option to either be a top target or at least a major role heading into Josh Heupel’s high-octane offense in his sophomore season.
Cedric Tillman fulfilled that role instead. Hyatt by no means had a bad season – a better word would be anticlimactic. He set a season high in the opener with four catches for 64 yards and disappeared for the next few games, recording only a 10-yard swing pass against Florida in week four.
But Hyatt started to gain momentum as the season progressed. In the final six games, he hauled in 13 receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown.
Opportunities
That run to end the season was promising for Tennessee fans. A mild early-season injury could be to blame for his lack of production, but the question remains – Is Jalin Hyatt prepared to truly take that next step?
One thing is for sure – Tennessee is in desperate need of a second wide receiver heading into 2022.
After all, slot receiver Velus Jones Jr and speedy Mississippi State transfer JaVonta Payton are not walking through the Vols’ door. Jones was drafted by the Chicago Bears and Payton signed a free agent deal with the Arizona Cardinals.
There are a few candidates that can fill the void and Hyatt seems one of the most likely.
This whittles down to two reasons – experience and, as mentioned, pure talent. Apart from Cedric Tillman, no receiver on the team has seen as much action on the field paired with their ability to actually contribute. Ramel Keyton has a big chance to become the next Cedric Tillman and breakout, but Hyatt seems the more likely case.
Tennessee really can’t afford another ‘just okay’ season from Hyatt. Tillman will likely shine, but nowhere else lies a guarantee. USC transfer Bru McCoy certainly has the talent, but hasn’t seen the field in nearly two years. Jimmy Calloway and Jimmy Holiday will have their shots, but lack the versatility a player like Hyatt can present with such a deep-threat quarterback such as Hendon Hooker.
Hear it from…
Hyatt’s underwhelming sophomore season was just fuel to the fire. The rising junior receiver has garnered high praise from the coaching staff concerning his offseason progression.
“You felt that way because of the offseason that he had, the gains that he made in strength and conditioning program, like it showed in his confidence and it showed up right away with just a physical presence about him on the field,” Heupel said. “As he has gone through spring ball, you’ve seen him continue to gain confidence, and I like the momentum that he’s created here.”
Hyatt’s struggles weighed on himself more than anybody. Hyatt mentioned in spring practice that he, “had to look back at what I did wrong” to determine if any adjustments needed to be made.
That self inspection is already paying dividends for Hyatt. Receivers coach Kelsey Pope has been impressed with Hyatt’s conditioning and how he has improven his body in the offseason.
Pope also spoke on his versatility. Hyatt thrived as an outside receiver in high school, but took a lot of snaps in the slot for Tennessee alongside the lightning quick Jones. Hyatt being flexible for Tennessee in a corps searching for a second option behind Tillman will certainly be something to watch come fall. The talent that shined his freshman season is there, as is the perfect offense to showcase it. When it’s all laid out, it’s hard not to expect great things in year three.
