UT’s Hyatt earns unanimous All-America distinction

Published 4:10 pm Tuesday, December 20, 2022

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NEWS RELEASE

After garnering first-team recognition from all five of the NCAA recognized football All-America teams, Tennessee junior wide receiver Jalin Hyatt became just the 13th player in program history to achieve unanimous All-America status.

The 2022 Biletnikoff Award winner was named a first-team selection by the fifth and final All-America team when the American Football Coaches Association announced its 2023 All-America teams last week.

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Hyatt is one of 14 players to earn unanimous All-America status (four from SEC) this season and one of 25 players to be named a consensus All-American (six from SEC).

The Irmo, South Carolina, native, is the first Vol to be a unanimous first-team All-American since defensive back Eric Berry earned the distinction in back-to-back seasons in 2008 and 2009, and the first Tennessee wide receiver to ever accomplish the feat.

Hyatt also became the 36th player in UT history – and first since defensive end Derek Barnett in 2016 – to earn the label of consensus All-American (first-team selection on at least three– of the five NCAA recognized teams). Prior to Hyatt, the last wide out in program history to earn NCAA Consensus All-America honors was Tim McGee in 1985. Including two-time honorees, Tennessee players have now accounted for 14 unanimous All-America selections and 41 consensus All-America selections.

Tennessee’s first Biletnikoff winner, Hyatt posted a record-breaking season for Tennessee in 2022, claiming the SEC receiving triple crown as he led the nation’s best conference in receptions (67), receiving yards (1,267) and receiving touchdowns (15). His 15 touchdown receptions this fall shattered the single-season school record and are tied for the FBS lead, while his 1,267 yards rank fourth nationally and are 31 shy of Robert Meachem’s school record (1,298) set in 2006.

Widely regarded as the most explosive playmaker in college football this season, Hyatt led the country in plays of 30-plus (15), 40-plus (11), 50-plus (7) and 60-plus (5) yards from scrimmage. He logged five games with more than 100 yards receiving and five games with multiple touchdown scores, highlighted by an unforgettable five-touchdown, 207-yard performance against then-No. 3 Alabama to lead the Vols to a 52-49 win. His five receiving touchdowns tied an SEC single-game record, and his 207 yards were sixth-most in UT single-game annals.

In three seasons at Tennessee, Hyatt compiled 108 receptions for 1,769 yards and 19 receiving touchdowns, which is tied for fourth most in program history.