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Jalin Hyatt made Tennessee a destination for elite WRs again, but an important lesson needs to be learned from Hyatt

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Zach Ragan | Last updated 4/9/24

It wasn't that long ago, a couple of decades for those keeping count, that the Tennessee Vols were known as "wide receiver U".

Thanks to names like Willie Gault, Carl Pickens, Alvin Harper, Peerless Price, Joey Kent, and Donté Stallworth, among others, Tennessee was viewed as the destination for elite wide receivers.

That reputation, however, has faded a bit over the last 15 years due to some lean years from the UT football program.

But now that Tennessee is on the upswing, Knoxville is once again becoming a premier destination for some of the top wide receiver talent in the nation. That's thanks in large part to Jalin Hyatt and the incredible season he had at Tennessee in 2022.

Hyatt, a third round selection by the New York Giants in the 2023 NFL Draft, won the Biletnikoff Award in 2022 after catching 67 passes for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns in his final season at Tennessee.

The impressive season from Hyatt was highlighted by an insane performance against Alabama -- six receptions for 207 yards and five touchdowns.

Recruits and transfer players saw what Hyatt accomplished in Josh Heupel's unique up-tempo offense and instantly started viewing Tennessee as a program that can fast-track talented young wide receivers' dreams of getting to the NFL.

“I like Tennessee’s offense and how they get their receivers in space to make plays," said 2025 four-star wide receiver Marcus Harris to On3 this week. "They got things started with Jalin Hyatt and they really know how to get their receivers open and give them a chance to make plays."

All 15 of Jalin Hyatt’s touchdowns this season pic.twitter.com/e8pMUSwYVh
— zach ragan (@zachtnt) December 15, 2022

While it's true that Tennessee's offense puts wide receivers in a position to enjoy great success, it's not a plug-n-play situation where wide receivers arrive in Knoxville and become instant stars.

Hyatt didn't win the Biletnikoff Award just because he played in Heupel's offense. Sure, the scheme helped (it's not like Iowa is going to have Biletnikoff winner anytime soon), but the reason Hyatt had such a huge season in 2022 was because of his relentless work ethic.

The South Carolina native dedicated himself to becoming the best wide receiver he could possibly be in 2022. That meant diving deeper into Tennessee's playbook, putting in extra work with quarterback Hendon Hooker, and catching an endless amount of passes after practice.

That big game against Alabama? It just made Hyatt want to work harder.

"You see him (Hyatt) at practice today and it's like nothing ever happened," said then Vols offensive coordinator Alex Golesh three days after the win against Alabama in 2022. "All he's working on is perfecting his craft and coaching Squirrel (White) and coaching Jimmy Calloway. It's just who Jalin has become. If you can have that every day from an entire program, special things can happen."

Wide receivers will be put in a position to succeed if they go to Tennessee. But success isn't going to happen just because they step onto the field in an orange and white uniform in Heupel's offense. It's only going to happen if players are willing to put in the work. And if a wide receiver wants to win a Biletnikoff Award like Hyatt, then he's going to have to work like Hyatt. It's the only way.

This idea that just any wide receiver can put up ridiculous numbers in Heupel's offense isn't accurate. It's still the SEC. It's still the best defenses in college football.

Talent, hard work, and being surrounded by great teammates has always been the recipe for a special season. Nothing about that recipe changes just because Heupel has a great scheme that works.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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