Former Vols OC Alex Golesh reveals what Jalin Hyatt told UT's coaches right after his first TD in 2022
Jalin Hyatt's first two seasons with the Tennessee Vols didn't go as expected for the speedy wide receiver from Irmo, SC. Hyatt showed flashes of the elite skills that made him a four-star recruit coming out of high school, but he wasn't able to find much consistency. During Hyatt's first two seasons at Tennessee (one […]
Jalin Hyatt's first two seasons with the Tennessee Vols didn't go as expected for the speedy wide receiver from Irmo, SC.
Hyatt showed flashes of the elite skills that made him a four-star recruit coming out of high school, but he wasn't able to find much consistency.
During Hyatt's first two seasons at Tennessee (one season under Jeremy Pruitt and one season under Josh Heupel), the former Vol put up modest numbers, catching 41 passes for 502 yards and four touchdowns.
Hyatt, who was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the New York Giants, famously rededicated himself to the game of football following his sophomore season and he ended up winning the Biletnikoff Award (given annually to the nation's best pass-catcher) as a junior after catching 67 passes for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Heupel and his staff, including former offensive coordinator Alex Golesh (now the head coach at South Florida), never stopped believing in Hyatt despite his lackluster first two seasons at Tennessee. And when the 2022 season started, Hyatt was instantly one of the Vols' go-to players.
Hyatt scored on the Vols' first offensive play of the year in 2022 — a 23-yard touchdown pass from Hendon Hooker (after Tamarion McDonald came down with an interception on the first play of the game).
The touchdown represented an immediate payoff for all of the hard work that Hyatt put in prior to the start of the 2022 season.
According to Golesh, after Hyatt scored that touchdown against Ball State in the season-opener, he jumped on the headset and thanked Tennessee's coaches for believing in him.
"I remember like it was yesterday," said Golesh during a recent conversation with Giants.com. "He got on that headset right after that and said, Hey — and he really was talking to all the coaches — but 'hey, thanks for believing in me'…..and from there it was just a magical run for him."
That kind of payoff is ultimately why guys like Heupel, Golesh and the rest of the Vols' staff get into coaching — to help a kid reach his ultimate potential.
Hyatt's journey is really just getting started. He still has a ton of untapped potential and he obviously has the work ethic to maximize that potential at the next level. The Giants are getting a hard-working player who isn't afraid to admit his mistakes and do whatever it takes to improve one day at a time.
Georgia Bulldogs starter makes strong statement about Neyland Stadium
A Georgia Bulldogs starter made a strong statement about Neyland Stadium, the home of the Tennessee Vols
Featured image via Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
