Can Tennessee football be Wide Receiver U again? Jalin Hyatt, Cedric Tillman make the case
INDIANAPOLIS − Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman aren't just showcasing their skills at the NFL Scouting Combine this week, preparing for the 2023 NFL Draft and their pro futures. They're also doing their best to get Tennessee in the conversation with LSU, Ohio State and Alabama for a coveted title.
"Tennessee, we’re the real Wide Receiver U," Tillman said Friday. "We’re going to keep them rolling."
"He is right," Hyatt added. "We’re going to have some young bulls coming that are playing at University of Tennessee right now. We’re going to earn our respect. There are some other guys that have their guys that are good like Ohio State and Alabama. But we’re trying to get up there with them. We’re trying to teach the young guys the way and keep this thing rolling."
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Returning to the status as WRU that Tennessee held in the 1980s and 1990s when receivers like Alvin Harper, Peerless Price, Willie Gault, Anthony Miller and Carl Perkins roamed the NFL is a lofty goal. But just like how Alabama has DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle storming the NFL together, LSU has Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase setting records and Ohio State has Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave competing for rookie of the year, Tennessee's about to have Hyatt and Tillman emerge together as ambassadors for their brand.
ESPN projects Tillman as the sixth-best receiver in the 2023 NFL Draft and Hyatt at No. 7, ranking both as early to middle second-round picks. But it wouldn't be a surprise if either snuck into the first round. Hyatt may have the best straight-ahead speed in the class and used it to catch 67 passes for 1,267 yards with 15 touchdowns last season. And Tillman has elite size, ball skills and body control, which led him to catch 64 passes for 1,081 yards with 12 touchdowns in 2021 before injuries limited him in 2022.
Tillman said the injuries wore on him a bit in 2022 but he considers himself fully healthy now. He says NFL teams have talked to him about his 2021 tape and pointed out how well he plays when he's at his best, but they've also been complimentary of what he was able to do in just six games in his hobbled senior season. Scouts want Tillman to be a little more consistent with his footwork and he wants to show off his speed more in combine drills, but he thinks his best traits are plainly evident.
"I feel like naturally I’m a playmaker," Tillman said. "Being able to make plays for my team, high point the ball in the red zone. I think NFL teams will look forward to that."
Hyatt takes umbrage with being listed as a second-round talent. He thinks he's the best receiver in the class. He thinks he's unfairly labeled as just a speed guy or just a deep threat because of the number of highlight plays he made last year when given a free release to burn past defensive backs. But beyond the deep balls, Hyatt wants scouts to take notice of his catch radius, long arms, the way he catches with his hands and his ability to create space for himself and run after the catch.
That said, Hyatt's speed will always be his defining asset. He said the fastest he's ever been timed at in a 40-yard dash is 4.29 seconds.
"You can go look at the games last year, dive down, actually look at the film, I feel like I’m unstoppable," Hyatt said. "I feel like nobody can guard me. I feel like they fear me when I get out there."
No one understands what makes Hyatt and Tillman such potent threats quite like former Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker. In his eyes, the traits that make the duo dangerous are traits that can continue to be bred for years in Knoxville and give the Vols whatever fighting chance they have at becoming the new WRU.
"They catch countless amounts of (balls from the Jugs machine) throughout the week," Hooker said. "I’d probably say maybe 3,000 balls a week. That’s just Jugs alone. That’s not catching with me and Joe (Milton), which we’re throwing with them three times a week at the least. So just continuing to gel and continuing to have that chemistry. The work that they put in, it shows on film and it showed this past year."
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football as WRU again: Jalin Hyatt, Cedric Tillman make case
