Biggest Winners From Tennessee's Thriller Against Alabama

Tennessee outdueled Alabama on Saturday night in a 52-49 victory that will long live in Volunteer History. Looking back on the game, we take a look at the biggest winners from the biggest victory for the Vols in recent memory.

Jalin Hyatt

Talk about seeing your stock soar, right? Hyatt looked like a man among boys on Saturday evening. Six catches for 205 yards and five touchdowns. He didn’t just break, but smashed the school record for single-game receiving touchdowns. Hyatt put in an impressive body of work this off-season, drawing praises from coaches and teammates alike, and it showed up on Saturday night. He has the attention of every NFL team now, and he will likely have a tough decision to make after this season as long as he continues his consistency. He has a strong chance to break the Tennessee single-season receiving touchdown record as well. Buy Jalin Hyatt stock now before it is all gone.

Hendon Hooker

Heisman moment? We will see. Regardless, Hooker delivered on Saturday night. He torched Alabama for over 400 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns. There were times where he missed some throws he should have made, but he never flinched. In fact, I thought he was at his absolute best on the game-winning drive as he was poised and delivered consecutive strikes to get Tennessee into range for Chase McGrath to seal the deal.

Darnell Wright

Speaking of draft stock, the former five-star prospect has been lights out since the second half of last season, and he took it to another level on Saturday. He shut out and shut down Will Anderson, who is arguably the best college football player in America on any given Saturday, and Wright did it convincingly. It wasn’t a game of near misses where Anderson almost got there or something like that, it was dominance from the Tennessee offensive tackle. His size and god-given talent have always been evident, and now it has all come together on the field. In my opinion, we will look back to this game as a major reason Wright hears his name called early in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Glen Elarbee

Wright’s progression has been aided by his offensive line coach Glen Elarbee, but Wright was not the only standout for Tennessee’s front on Saturday. From start to finish, this unit consistently strained and got the push they needed to control the line of scrimmage in the run game and maintain a balance within the offense. Gerald Mincey was hobbled early, so the Vols turned to Jeremiah Crawford at left tackle, and he turned in a solid outing against Alabama’s touted edge rushers. On the interior, Jerome Carvin and Javontez Spraggins were consistently finishing at the second level. I have been on this train for a while, but Elarbee has consistently pieced together strong offensive line units regardless of the situation, and he is arguably the best offensive line coach in America. He stood on the 35-yard line last night overcome with emotion as his players gathered around him and soaked in the win. If his unit can perform at that level the rest of the season, the sky is the limit for the offense.

Josh Heupel

It goes without saying. Not much I can really say. The man that many doubted when he was hired as made a remarkable turn around on Rocky Top. Tennessee is the cool school once again, all because of the culture Heupel and his coaches have instilled inside of the program. In year two, he has already defeated Tennessee’s two biggest rivals. Last night for Heupel will be hard to beat, every time the Vols needed a big play offensively, he had the right call. He is the best play-calling head coach in the country, and he has the Vols squarely in the National Championship conversation.

Danny White

White never flinched when he received criticism for hiring Josh Heupel, and Rocky Top is alive and well because of it. He stood on the field soaking in the fans tearing down the goal posts with a smile on his face. Dixieland Delight blared immediately after the Vols won. The scene inside of Neyland Stadium was unmatched. Athletics are succeeding at a high clip during the Danny White tenure, but with football leading the way, there is no ceiling on what is possible on Rocky Top.

Chase McGrath

The missed extra point from McGrath just adds to the legacy of the redemption. His knuckleball from 40 yards away as time expired is all that matters. He ended a fifteen year streak and is now a Tennessee legend because of it.

Ramel Keyton

All off-season, Ramel Keyton was an afterthought to many. We consistently talked about his importance and how pronounced it would become if there was an injury to Cedric Tillman or Bru McCoy. Well here we are. Keyton has played well during Tillman’s absence but he played his best on Saturday night. He blocked extremely well and hauled in five passes for 78 yards. Keyton has secured a role in the Tennessee receiver rotation for the foreseeable future.