Slot receiver
1. Jalin Hyatt
Replacing Velus Jones Jr. is probably the toughest task for Tennessee football’s offense this year, but it’s time for Jalin Hyatt to shine. In each of the past two years, Hyatt had between 200 and 300 yards receiving and two touchdowns. At 6’0″ 175 pounds, he reportedly once got his 40-time below 4.3, so that speed should serve him well here.
Hyatt was supposed to burst onto the scene last year, but Jones held his spot in the slot, and JaVonta Payton took the No. 2 wideout spot. However, he admitted he was in the right headspace. Josh Heupel touted his development this past spring more than anybody else, so he’s almost guaranteed to take Jones’ spot.
2. Jimmy Calloway
Although Jalin Hyatt is the star here, don’t sleep on Jimmy Calloway. He showed in the open scrimmage and last year against Pitt that he can be deadly with the ball in his hands. As a result, he’ll take the backup slot position and will likely see quite a few touches.
Despite his tempo, Josh Heupel doesn’t run that many receivers in a rotation. As a result, the unit in general will go five deep, which makes sense when you consider that it includes two and a half spots with two wideouts and a slot guy. Tennessee football is set with these five players to fill it.