Josh Heupel reveals how Jalin Hyatt has put himself in position to produce at a high level

Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt has made a splash to for the Volunteers to start off the season. Hyatt has impressed in Tennessee’s first two games of the year, already showing a huge leap of improvement compared to last season, which head coach Josh Heupel attributed to his evolved preparation and maturity.

“Huge symbol of the things that we talk about paying off, and you guys heard me talk about Theo Jackson a lot last year and how mature he was, and how he competed, and it resulted in the way that he played,” Huepel said.

Hyatt recorded 21 catches for 226 yards and two touchdowns last season and is on pace to shatter those numbers this season. In his first two games this season, Hyatt already has 13 receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown, which includes an 11-catch game versus No. 17 ranked Pitt and a 23-yard touchdown reception capped off with an end zone dive on the very first offensive play of the season against Ball State.

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Hyatt’s play hasn’t only been great for the Vols on game day, but a great example to the team on the results of hard word and consistency according to Heupel.

“Jalin on the back third of last year and certainly this entire offseason, just a different individual in the way that he approaches every day and his process to getting himself to be ready to play during the course of the game week and all offseason” Heupel explained. “Those examples go a lot further than just me talking about something inside of the team meeting room and everybody inside of our program, talking about our players, can see the difference in that guy. And you guys, when you see him walking down the hallway can see a difference in him too.”

Hyatt was a 4-star recruit out of Dutch Fork high school in South Carolina, where he ended his career as the school’s all-time leader in receiving yards with 3,624 and receiving touchdowns with 57. The junior made an early impact upon his arrival in Knoxville, ranking in the top three on the team in receptions in his two previous seasons, and it’s looking like he’ll do so again this year.

Hyatt will get another opportunity to make some big plays for the Vols this weekend as they take on Akron at home at 7 p.m.