Jalin Hyatt describes the importance of having Cedric Tillman back on offense

Cedric Tillman made his return to the field this weekend for Tennessee against Kentucky after dealing with an ankle injury that caused him to miss the last four games. Adding a player that’s such a weapon as Tillman is only makes Tennessee’s No. 1 offense an even larger embarrassment of riches. While his breakout has come in Tillman’s absence, Jalin Hyatt says he’s more than happy to have the redshirt senior back on the outside with him.

Hyatt broke down Tillman’s return during his media availability on Tuesday. He says it forces teams to pick which of the star Volunteer receivers they’re going to cover. With that said, he knows the most important thing is having a healthy Tillman and his experience back on the field.

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“You’ve got to pick one. Who do you want to stop?,” said Hyatt. “It’s great to have Ced back in that room. We really enjoyed (having) him back. Not only that (but) I think y’all can see it. When he caught that first pass against Kentucky? He was excited. And I’m happy for him, especially how he recovered from his injury.”

Hyatt took over as Tennessee’s No. 1 receiver without Tillman. He caught 22 passes for 502 yards and nine touchdowns in just the four games Tillman missed. Tillman was expected to be the player in Hyatt’s role before the season as he caught 64 passes for 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns a season ago. He looked to be on his way back to being that player again, though, with four catches against the Wildcats in his return.

Tillman couldn’t have come back at a better time. Tennessee will need him as they’re set to hit the road this weekend against Georgia. With him back in the fold, Hyatt says he just can’t wait for kickoff in Athens this weekend.

“Just to have him back in our room? Just him being that leader in that room? We’re ready for Saturday. That’s all I gotta say.”