Tennessee Football Offensive Superlatives for 2022

“The standard here is to be the best offense in the country," Tennessee Offensive Coordinator Alex Golesh told reporters during a press conference. "But we can say it or we can work like it, and there’s a handful of guys that have worked like it. There’s a bunch of guys that are learning to work like it. Us as coaches, that’s our standard to ourselves and to the players and to this program and to this place, that our standard is to be the best offense in the country."

The Vols achieved that standard, as they finished 2022 with the top-ranked offense. On the way, Hendon Hooker was named a finalist for the Maxwell Trophy, Jalin Hyatt was named a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, and the Tennessee offensive line is currently semi-finalist for the the Joe Moore Best Offensive Line Award. 

With the regular season in the rearview, we share our staff-picked offensive superlatives. 

Offensive MVP

Tennessee's offense broke school records en route to being the nation's best offense in 2022, and Hendon Hooker was the catalyst for this attack. Despite having his season cut short by a game due to an ACL injury, Hooker was stellar for the Vols with a 27:2 TD:Interception ratio. He engineered the biggest drive in the last fifteen years, at least, against Alabama, and he delivered when the Vols needed him the most. Hooker's leadership and play made him an easy choice for this superlative. He finished the season with 3,135 yard and 27 touchdowns through the air. He added another 430 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. 

Best Offensive Lineman 

Wright was a five-star coming out of high school, and his career has had some ups and downs, but he has continued to flourish under Glen Elarbee. Wright was stellar for the Vols this year at right tackle. In fact, he was arguably the best in the nation. Wright's played earned him SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week twice. According to PFF, in 839 played snaps, Wright did not allow a single sack. Overall, Tennessee's offensive line surpassed many outside expectations, but Wright was an obvious choice for this superlative. 

Best Skill Player 

When you light up the score board like Tennessee did, there are plenty of choices for a superlative like this. Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright both came into their own more for the Vols this season, while Bru McCoy flashed his potential and delivered one of the most important catches in Tennessee history, but the speed demon Jalin Hyatt stuffed the stat-sheet week after week. He became Tennessee's first Biletnikoff finalist with 67 catches for 1,267 and 15 touchdowns. He brings home this superlative. 

Most Valuable Freshman

This was a tough decision. Tennessee did not have to rely on many freshman on either side of the ball this season, but when they did offensively, they turned to two of the fastest guys on the team, and honestly, either one of these guys could have earned the honor, but the nod went to Sampson. He played at crucial moments for Tennessee, and he continued to see his game grow week in and out. Also, had Tennessee lost someone ahead of him to injury, he would have been hit with an immediate increase in production, which speaks to his value. Both guys showed flashes of their potential for the future, regardless of who this meaningless superlative goes to. Sampson finished his freshman season on Rocky Top with 58 carries for 397 yards and six touchdowns. 

Unsung Hero

Coming into 2022, Ramel Keyton was not expected by many outside of the Tennessee facility to play a key role for the Vols. Despite that, Keyton delivered time and time again for Tennessee, especially in the extended absence of Cedric Tillman. Keyton had a massive catch against Florida that helped the Vols pull off a victory in September. He filled in for Tillman and McCoy at different times through the year and was a reliable option for the Vols. He is set to return to a more expanded role in 2023.