NEW HAVEN, Conn. – After engraving his name in the Tennessee record books and gaining national attention for his five-touchdown contest against No. 3/1 Alabama, junior wide receiver Jalin Hyatt was named the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week, Sunday afternoon by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
Hyatt has stepped up to be a critical component of UT’s potent offensive attack, that was on full display in front of a national audience in the marquee game slot against the Crimson Tide defense on Saturday afternoon inside of a sold-out Neyland Stadium.
Hyatt had set a Tennessee program record with five receiving touchdowns, while tying the Southeastern Conference record as part of his six-catch, 207-yard performance. He became the first Vol since Cordarrelle Patterson to have over 200 yards receiving in a single game. Patterson, currently on the Atlanta Falcons, tallied 219 yards against Troy back in 2012. He is the second Vol receiver in the Heupel-Era to reach 200 yards as teammate Cedric Tillman posted exactly 200 yards a season ago against Georgia.
Hyatt’s performance also netted him 30 points scored, matching the program record of 30 set by Gene McEver vs. South Carolina n Dec. 7, 1929. Hyatt’s point total stands alone as the modern-era record, surpassing six VFLs who had all gone for 24 points. Hyatt’s 207 receiving yards also ranks as the sixth-most single game receiving yards in program history.
Most remarkably, Hyatt averaged 34.5 yards per reception. As a receiver known for big-play potential, that certainly shined through against the Tide as his touchdown receptions went for 36-, 11-, 60-, 78- and 13-yards, in that order. His longest-career reception, the 78-yard catch-and-run, came on the Vols’ first drive of the fourth quarter and marked a shift in momentum the Big Orange would carry throughout the period to emerge victorious against Alabama for the first time in 15 years, 52-49.
Hyatt and the Volunteers will be back at Neyland Stadium next weekend when they host UT Martin for Homecoming at noon ET on SEC Network. Tickets for the matchup with the Skyhawks are available in limited quantities at AllVols.com. In addition, season tickets for the 2023 campaign are on sale now at AllVols.com.
