Tennessee football’s best Heisman hope is Hendon Hooker, not Jalin Hyatt

You really can’t say enough about the way Tennessee football wide receiver Jalin Hyatt has come on the past few weeks. His standout performance was his six catches for five touchdowns and over 200 yards against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

However, Hyatt has been balling all year and has scored at least two touchdowns each of the past three games. His 12 receiving touchdowns leads the nation, and his 769 receiving yards is No. 7. Recent production has fans daring to invoke the Heisman word.

It makes sense. Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith became the first wide receiver to win the Heisman two years ago since Desmond Howard in 1991, and Hyatt is starting to put up similar looking numbers. However, despite that, he’s still not Tennessee football’s best shot.

All due respect to Hyatt, but Hendon Hooker remains the Vols’ best Heisman odds. Even with Hyatt’s record-setting performance against Alabama, Hooker was the one to top or come in second on most Heisman gambling markets afterward, not Hyatt.

Of course, part of that is because usually when Hyatt accrues any stats, Hooker accrues them as well, although Princeton Fant did hit Hyatt for a 66-yard touchdown pass over the weekend against the UT-Martin Skyhawks. Overall, though, you get the gist.

While Hyatt is on track to shatter the school record in single-season receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, Hooker is approaching his own records. He’s likely to shatter Peyton Manning’s total offense and total touchdowns record set in 1997, and he is likely to do it with the most efficient passing stats arguably in NCAA history.

Sure, C.J. Stroud of the Ohio State Buckeyes has seven more total touchdowns. However, Hooker has more passing yards, more yards per attempt, over 400 more total yards and a way better touchdown to interception ratio, as he has one pick, while Stroud has thrown four.

Add in Hooker’s Heisman moments against Alabama, and it’s pretty clear the Tennessee football quarterback is the favorite. More importantly, though, is the fact that Hyatt is about to have a lot more competition among his own teammates for touches.

A huge reason for Hyatt’s recent success is the fact that the Vols’ last three opponents had issues in the secondary when it came do defending slot receivers specifically. However, UT will face opponents down the stretch where their better matchups are at wideout.

That means more touches for Bru McCoy, Ramel Keyton, and yes, Cedric Tillman. Remember, Hyatt didn’t start putting up these numbers until Tillman got hurt on the Vols’ first series against the Akron Zips, and he’s likely to be back soon.

There’s the gamer part and the scheme part, and Tillman is an extra gamer. Heupel and Hooker will begin to look for him more. This isn’t to say Hyatt still won’t be a huge part of the offense. He’s the main slot receiver after all. However, Tillman and different defensive schemes will require Hooker to spread the ball elsewhere.

As a result, assuming Tillman comes back soon, if Tennessee football remains in the College Football Playoff hunt two weeks from today, Hooker will have separated himself. To be fair to Hyatt, though, should they win the next two games, he will have separated himself from everybody, not just his teammates.