Jalin Hyatt has 'a little more in the tank' for South Carolina after getting snubbed by Gamecocks
Jalin Hyatt played off the question at first. But the all-star Tennessee receiver couldn’t keep from admitting what’s obvious. Playing at South Carolina Saturday night means a little more for the South Carolina native.
Hyatt was asked the question Thursday during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show.
“Is it true you want to lay it on them this weekend?” Eisen asked.
“Yeah, you know, I’m just going to treat this like a regular game,” Hyatt said. “Go out there and do what I have to do.
“It’s going to be a little more,” he quickly added, “just a little more in the tank. Just proud of what we’ve done so far.”
Hyatt, the Irmo, S.C., native and product of Dutch Fork High School, was a four-star prospect in the On3 Consensus ratings in the class of 2020. He was ranked No. 30 among wide receivers in the cycle and was the No. 3 overall prospect in the state of South Carolina.
He helped Dutch Fork High School win four straight state titles. In the 2019 state championship game, played at South Carolina’s Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, he caught three touchdown passes, including the game winner in overtime.
Jalin Hyatt already over 1,000 yards for the season, breaking Tennessee records
Still, he didn’t have an offer from South Carolina. Tennessee, Michigan, Penn State, Miami, West Virginia, Arkansas, Virginia Tech and Nebraskas offered Hyatt. But not the Gamecocks.
Tennessee (9-1, 5-1 SEC) is looking to continue its chase for a spot in the College Football Playoff at South Carolina (6-4, 3-4) on Saturday night (7 Eastern Time; TV: ESPN) in Columbia. The Vols opened as a nearly three-touchdown favorite on Sunday.
“Does the rest of the team know this? They must know it, right?” Eisen asked Hyatt as the interview continued.
“Yeah, all of them know it,” Hyatt said. “It’s funny just being part of this team, how everybody comes up to me saying you know who we’re playing, who we’re facing this week. It’s amazing to be on this team.”
Hyatt has been one of the biggest breakout stars in college football this season. Through 10 games he has 58 receptions for 1,116 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 19.24 yards per reception and 111.6 yards per game.
He’s just the ninth Tennessee receiver to go for 1,000 yards or more in a single season and has already set new program records for touchdowns catches in a game (5) and touchdowns in a single season (15).
No. 5 Tennessee at South Carolina, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
And he still has two games left on the regular-season schedule, at South Carolina and Vanderbilt.
Earlier this week, South Carolina coach Shame Beamer was asked if he’s had to remind anyone that his staff wasn’t responsible for failing to recruit Hyatt to the Gamecocks.
It was former South Carolina coach Will Muschamp who was on the job when Hyatt picked Tennessee.
“Jalin Hyatt is a phenomenal football player,” Beamer said on Tuesday. “I was coaching at the University of Oklahoma when he graduated and chose to go to Tennessee.”
“I’ve certainly heard from people about what an idiot I am that I didn’t recruit Jalin Hyatt,” added Beamer. “Well, blame Lincoln Riley at Southern Cal because we didn’t recruit him at Oklahoma.
“What a year he’s having and what a threat he is out there on the perimeter, also.”
