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Jalin Hyatt is just the 13th unanimous All-American for Tennessee football

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•12/16/22•

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Jalin Hyatt became a unanimous All-American on Thursday, when he was named an All-American by the America Football Coaches Association. He had already been named All-American by the Associated Press, Walter Camp, Football Writers Association of America and Sporting News

He’s only the 13th Tennessee player in program history to be an unanimous selection and the first since two-time unanimous All-American Eric Berry — Eric Berry, DB (2009); Eric Berry, DB (2008); Antone Davis, OL (1990); Eric Still, OL (1989); Reggie White, DL (1983); Bobby Majors, DB (1971); Chip Kell, G (1970); Steve Kiner, LB (1969); Charles Rosenfelder, G (1968); Bob Johnson, C (1967); Johnny Majors, B (1956); Hank Lauricella, B (1951); Bob Suffridge, G (1940).

Tennessee has had 41 consensus All-Americans in program history: Derek Barnett, DL (2016); Evan Berr, KR/AP (2015); Eric Berry, DB (2009); Eric Berry, DB (2008); Michael Munoz, OL (2004); Dustin Colquitt, P (2003); John Henderson, DL (2001); John Henderson, DL (2000); Casey Coleman, OL (1999); Deon Grant, DB (1999); Al Wilson, LB (1998); Peyton Manning, QB (1997); Dale Carter, DB (1991); Antone Davis, OL (1990); Eric Still, OL (1989); Tim McGee, WR (1985); Bill Mayo, OG (1984); Reggie White, DL (1983); Roland James, DB (1979); Larry Seivers, SE (1976); Larry Seivers, E (1975); Bobby Majors, DB (1971); Chip Kell, G (1970); Chip Kell, G (1969); Steve Kiner, LB (1968); Charles Rosenfelder, G (1968); Bob Johnson, C (1967); Paul Naumoff, LB (1966); Frank Emanuel, LB (1965); Johnny Majors, B (1956); John Michels, G (1952); Hank Lauricella, B (1951); Dick Huffman, T (1946); Bob Suffridge, G (1940); George Cafego, B (1939); Ed Molinski, G (1939); Bowden Wyatt, E (1938); Beattie Feathers, B (1933); Gene McEver, B (1929).

Hyatt on Wednesday declared for the 2023 NFL Draft and announced he would be opting out of the Orange Bowl against Clemson. Last Thursday he became Tennessee’s first Biletnikoff Award winner, winning over Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. and Iowa State’s Xavier Hutchinson.

Jalin Hyatt named All-American by five different outlets

During his breakout junior season for the Vols, Hyatt finished the regular season leading the country in touchdowns, with his 15 setting a new Tennessee program record. He had1,267 receiving yards, only 31 yards short of matching the Tennessee record held by Robert Meachem, who had 1,298 yards in 2006.

Hooker passed for 2,945 yards, 31 touchdowns and three interceptions during a breakout redshirt junior season with the Vols last year, adding 616 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. This season he passed for 3,135 yards and 27 touchdowns, with just two interceptions, and ran for 430 yards and five more rushing touchdowns. 

Hooker’s redshirt senior season was cut short after he tore his ACL in the fourth quarter of Tennessee’s loss at South Carolina last month. He led the Vols to an 8-0 start this season as the team climbed all the way to No. 1 in the College Football Playoff Top 25 on November 1. 

Up Next: No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 7 Clemson, Orange Bowl, Dec. 30, 8 p.m. ET

Hyatt’s 1,267 yards came on just 67 receptions, giving him an average of 18.9 yards per catch. As the biggest deep threat the country, Hyatt finished No. 1 in the country in plays of 30 or more yards (15), 40 or more yards (11), 50 or more yards (7) and 60 or more yards (5).

During a four-game stretch, from LSU on October 8 through Kentucky on October 29, Hyatt caught 22 passes for 582 yards and 11 touchdowns.

He had four catches for 63 yards and two touchdowns at LSU, six catches for 207 yards and a school-record five touchdowns against Alabama on October 15, seven catches for 174 yards and two touchdowns against UT Martin and five catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns. He finished the Missouri game with seven catches for 146 yards and a touchdown.

He had five catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns and started the season with a touchdown on Tennessee’s first offensive snap against Ball State on September 1.

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