It was likely one of the best nights of Jalin Hyatt’s life. The junior receiver caught scored five touchdowns including a fourth quarter game tying score as Tennessee knocked off No. 3 Alabama for the first time since 2006.
Hyatt was the biggest star on a night full of stars in Knoxville. One could easily view it as the culmination of an offseason of hard work for the junior receiver. After a disappointing sophomore season, Hyatt looked in the mirror and placed the blame at his own feet before devoting the offseason to bettering himself and his game.
So how did Hyatt celebrate the best performance of his career coming on the biggest of stages? He went back to work.
Tennessee receiver’s coach Kelsey Pope shared a picture of Hyatt he snapped from his office the night the Vols beat the Crimson Tide.
This photo was the night after scoring 5 tds. Stay greedy, build habits, and reap the rewards ✊🏾 @jalinhyatt pic.twitter.com/wH2JyzEQwK
— Kelsey Pope (@CoachKelseyPope) July 31, 2023
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Hyatt built off his Alabama performance and continued a great month. The junior speedster totaled 63 yards and two touchdowns the week before against LSU and caught 12 passes for 312 yards and four touchdowns the next two weeks against UT-Martin and Kentucky.
The slot receiver became Tennessee’s first Biletnikoff Award winner in program history, beating out Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. for the honor rewarded to the nation’s top receiver. Hyatt caught 67 passes for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns in his junior season before declaring for the NFL Draft.
Hyatt is off to a strong start in his first NFL training camp, prompting Pope’s tweet. The New York Giants third round pick has showed off his insane speed, clocking in at 24 mph in the opening days of camp.
The Giants are coming off a resurgent 2022 season where they returned to the playoffs and upset the Minnesota Vikings in the wild card round. Hyatt is looking to slide in naturally with an offense that returns quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley.
If Hyatt brings the big play ability he displayed as a junior in Knoxville to New York, the Giants could take another step forward. Pope knows Hyatt is putting the work in to make it possible.
