Multiple Tennessee Vols players included in ESPN's top 100 players of the 2022 season
ESPN revealed its list of the top 100 players of the 2022 college football season and multiple Tennessee Vols were included. Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, who declared for the 2023 NFL Draft last month, was the highest-ranked Vol on the list at No. 6. From ESPN: The junior from Irmo, South Carolina, wasn't on a […]
ESPN revealed its list of the top 100 players of the 2022 college football season and multiple Tennessee Vols were included.
Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, who declared for the 2023 NFL Draft last month, was the highest-ranked Vol on the list at No. 6.
The junior from Irmo, South Carolina, wasn't on a lot of peoples' radars at the start of the season. A year ago, he started only one game and caught 21 passes. But he wasted no time making his presence felt this year, taking Tennessee's first offensive play of the season 23 yards for a touchdown. He ended up leading the SEC in receiving yards (1,267) and broke the school record for single-season touchdown receptions (15).
Quarterback Hendon Hooker came in at No. 12 on ESPN's list (I felt he should've been ranked a bit higher).
From ESPN:
Before a late-season injury sidelined him, Hooker was the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy after a magical season in which he completed 70% of his throws, tossed 27 touchdowns and threw just two picks, knocking off LSU and Alabama in the process. Hooker's Total QBR of 89.4 was second nationally during the regular season.
Vols edge rusher Byron Young, one of the more underrated players in college football this season, came in at No. 82.
From ESPN:
Young's story is incredible. After finishing high school, he was working at a Dollar General store in Columbus, Georgia when he saw a flyer for a tryout at Georgia Military College, where he developed into a top-flight pass-rushing prospect. At Tennessee, the 6-3, 245-pound Young was the Vols' finisher off the edge and led the team in tackles for loss (10), sacks (7) and quarterback hurries (14). Young was tied for sixth in the SEC with 36 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
The final Tennessee player on ESPN's list is offensive tackle Darnell Wright, another extremely underrated player this season. Wright could sneak into the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
From ESPN:
One of the most underrated parts of Tennessee's record-setting offense was its offensive line, as the Vols led the country in scoring (47.3 points per game). Wright, a 6-6, 335-pound senior, anchored that line from his right tackle position. He was one of just 14 Power Five offensive linemen with more than 825 snaps played this season and no sacks allowed. Going back to his junior season, when he played left tackle, Wright has not allowed a sack in 18 straight games.
Another player that should've received some consideration for ESPN's top 100 is Vols linebacker Aaron Beasley.
Beasley didn't put up gaudy numbers this season — 76 total tackles (which led the team), 13 tackles for loss, and three sacks — but he proved to be a menace on the field as it seemed he was always in the right place at the right time. He could've easily been the MVP of the Orange Bowl after totaling 12 tackles (four tackles for loss) and two sacks.
The unfortunate news for Tennessee is that none of the players listed among ESPN's top 100 players will be back next season (Beasley, however, will return in 2023).
But that just means more opportunities for other players to step up. And if the Vols are going to win at least 10 games again next season, they'll certainly need those players to step up.
Featured image via Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
