Watch: Vols Freshman WR Jalin Hyatt Talks Freshman Season, Progression, More

Watch: Vols Freshman WR Jalin Hyatt Talks Freshman Season, Progression, More

Everything Hyatt says is in the transcript below provided by Tennessee Athletics Communication Department. 

On hearing Coach Pruitt say they need to throw the ball more down field…

“You like to hear that from a receiver standpoint. You try to do the best for your team and for Coach Pruitt, and whatever he says I’m going to do.”

On how different preparation was this offseason coming into college as a freshman and what his dad helped with being his coach…
“Before I got here with COVID going on, just staying on the field, just being prepared to come to Tennessee. When I got here, what I had to learn about is it’s definitely a different ballgame. You have to have stronger hands, you have to be stronger on the field, more physical. I had to learn that when I got here and definitively learned it in fall camp.”

On if there was a time growing up he realized he was faster than everyone else…

“My eighth-grade year I was very slow, but my ninth-grade year, I started getting in the weight room and I guess my body started forming up. I went to a regional opening and that was my first time running a 40 and that time I ran a 4.4, so I knew I had confidence after that. The next time I ran a 40 it went down to a 4.31, and then the last time I ran it, it was a 4.29. When I knew I started running those times my confidence got higher and I knew I was faster than everybody else.”

On how much time the wide receivers spend before and after practice with the quarterbacks…

“We try to do it before practice, just in film and really scouting the secondary so you know their flaws and their weaknesses and strengths. After practice from a receiver’s point we just try to catch balls and catch as many as we can. With the quarterback and receiver relationship, we have a great relationship. I trust all the quarterbacks and I just can’t wait to go and play Texas A&M.”

On the issues the team is having in the second half and his thoughts on the progress of QB Harrison Bailey…

“The problems with the second half is self-explanatory. We just have to be more explosive. We need to come out and act like the first half didn’t happen and come out the second half 0-0. That’s the mindset we have to have coming out of halftime.

“With Harrison Bailey, he came in my recruiting class and I am very proud of him. He is like a close brother to me and he definitely is going to have success in the future, and I can’t wait to play with him and it’s going to be fun.”

On how comfortable he is in playing in each of the wide receiver positions…

“I am very comfortable in it, but right now I love where I am at. The slot has more space you can work with and when it is man, you can do more work in the slot. I love the outside. I played outside in high school, but slot is probably my favorite position right now.

On how he would rate himself as a route runner…

“You always have to put in work, and right now I can improve in everything. So, my route running, I’m happy about it, but I definitely know I can improve in it. Just improve and that’s it.”

Video feature Image via UT Athletics Communication