After winning the Biletnikoff Award on Thursday night, Tennessee Vols wide receiver Jalin Hyatt said he's 50/50 on returning to UT for another season.

Hyatt is currently being projected as a day one or day two pick after a breakout season that saw him lead the SEC in receiving yards (1,267 receiving yards) and tie for the national lead in receiving touchdowns (15).

The Irmo, SC native said he needs to talk to his family and coaches before making a decision next week.

I don't really know what Hyatt needs to discuss. The decision is simple — he should declare for the 2023 NFL Draft.

And a former UT player is a perfect example of why Hyatt should declare.

After the 2007 season, Vols running back Arian Foster was viewed as a potential early-round draft pick. But instead of going to the NFL, Foster stuck around for another season. The 2008 season with offensive coordinator Dave Clawson was disastrous on Rocky Top.

As a result, Foster went undrafted in 2009 and had to sign as an undrafted free agent. Foster had a nice career, but he lost out on a nice rookie contract because of returning to Tennessee for one more season.

With an uncertain quarterback situation next year at UT, plus the threat of injury, there's no reason for Hyatt to return in 2023.

Should Jalin Hyatt play in the Orange Bowl?

If I were in Hyatt's shoes, I probably wouldn't play in the Orange Bowl.

Hyatt has nothing to gain by playing in the bowl game. He's not going to raise his draft stock any. The only real reason to play would be to break the single-season receiving yards record at Tennessee (Hyatt needs 32 yards to break Robert Meachem's record).

I'm sure that record would be nice to have, but let's be honest — that record will probably be broken several times in the coming years with Josh Heupel leading the charge in Knoxville.

The risk of playing in the game simply isn't worth it.

Hyatt is already going to be scrutinized during the draft process because he plays in Heupel's up-tempo spread offense. I have no questions about Hyatt's pro abilities. The only thing he needs to do to prepare for the next level is to add some weight to his frame so he can hold up over the course of a 17-game season. Otherwise, I believe in his abilities.

Draft analysts and front office personnel, however, will likely have some questions because of pre-conceived notions about Heupel's offense.

For that reason, pre-draft workouts will be important for Hyatt. The last thing he needs to do is suffer a sprained ankle or another injury in the bowl game that prevents him from going through those workouts.

It would be great to see Hyatt play one more time in a Vols jersey. And if he does, then that's terrific.

But if he was my son and I was the one advising him, I'd tell him to sit out and get ready for the NFL.

I know that won't be popular, but this is a business. And he has the chance to acquire generational type wealth for himself and his family. If this were something other than sports, nearly everyone would tell him to avoid the risk. Just because this is a sport involving someone's favorite team doesn't change the situation.

Hyatt was the ultimate team player all season. He worked as hard as anyone in Knoxville. And now it's time for him to get rewarded for that work. It's time for him to get paid. And he shouldn't jeopardize that.

And if fans get mad about that, they should think about what they'd tell their own children if a seven-figure payday was at stake.

Featured image via Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports