Jalin Hyatt has admitted several times that his own mindset was his biggest hurdle. Consider that cleared.
The junior receiver has not only established himself as one of the most productive receivers in the SEC; he’s also remained incredibly humble.
“It was a great game for our team as far as offense wise but we haven’t even gotten into SEC play,” Hyatt said after a 63-6 thrashing of Akron. “I just want to continue, just keeping my head down and continue working. There’s always something we can improve on. So, it was a great game, but onto the next one. That’s our mindset.”
If Hyatt improves much more, he could easily be considered one of the top receivers in the nation. Hyatt caught five passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns against the Zips.
Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt and DB Jaylen McCullough
When asked about Hyatt, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said, ““No shortcuts. A guy that wanted to be great a year ago and then worked to be great this entire offseason. Confident. Understands. I trust him. Our coaching staff trusts him.”
Heupel wasn’t just referring to trusting Hyatt to do the right thing. He was referring to Hyatt’s mental understanding of the game.
“If he’s telling you something he sees on the field, you can take it to the bank,” Heupel said. “He understands what we’re doing and has made a bunch of big time plays. His best football is still out there and he’s going to keep chasing it.”
If Saturday is any indication, Florida’s defensive backs will be facing Hyatt when the Gators travel to Knoxville to play the Vols. Tennessee is now 3-0 and should be ranked near the Top 10 when rankings are announced on Monday.
“We haven’t even started,” Hyatt said. “I’m grateful for the guys that we have in that room. We have great guys and this is going to be a big year for us.”
With Florida coming up, it’s time to get started.
