For the first time since 2009, Tennessee football has had a player take home a major on-field award. Jalin Hyatt became the first player from Rocky Top to win the Fred Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the nation’s best receiver and has been around since 1994. UT was Wide Receiver U when the award came out, so it’s time they won one.
Congratulations to All-America receiver Jalin Hyatt @jalinhyatt on being named the Biletnikoff Award winner! The Biletnikoff Award recognizes the college football season's outstanding FBS receiver at any position. @Vol_Football @Vol_Sports #OutstandingReceiver #NCFAA pic.twitter.com/xiBJvGtj3n
— Biletnikoff Award (@biletnikoffawrd) December 9, 2022
Eight Vols all time have now won official postseason awards for a season. Only five of them have specifically won awards for on-field performances. Michael Munoz won the William V. Campbell Trophy in 2004, but that recognizes a combination of academics and athletics.
Meanwhile, Phillip Fulmer was Coach of the Year in 1998, and David Cutcliffe won the Frank Broyles Award for the nation’s top assistant that same year. What about the Tennessee football players who only won awards for what they did on the field? Let’s look back on all five Vols who earned such recognition.
The 2022 Fred Biletnikoff Award went to Tennessee football Volunteers wide receiver Jalin Hyatt.
Biletnikoff Award
Most recent on this list is Jalin Hyatt, who won the Biletnikoff Award Thursday night. Hyatt was up with Marvin Harrison Jr. of the Ohio State Buckeyes and Xavier Hutchinson of the Iowa State Cyclones. If you went by the numbers, though, it was a pretty clear-cut race, and Hyatt probably won this award easily, assuming voters were objective.
Hyatt had at least three more touchdown receptions than all of them and at least 90 more receiving yards. His 15 receiving touchdowns are tied with Nathaniel Dell for the most in the nation, and his 1,267 receiving yards are fourth in the nation. Those numbers are first and second among Power Five receivers.
Then there’s the moment. In Tennessee football’s biggest game of the year, against the Alabama Crimson Tide, Hyatt had six catches for five touchdowns and over 200 yards. With Cedric Tillman getting hurt early in the year, he was going to need to step up. He more than did that.