Jalin Hyatt, a wide receiver for the New York Giants, had a fairytale junior season at the University of Tennessee. He earned the school’s first Biletnikoff Award winner, racking up 1,267 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in an 11-win season for the Vols.
The Giants selected Hyatt with the 73rd pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. While Hyatt’s NFL Draft declaration was unsurprising, he did have one season of NCAA eligibility remaining if he had chosen to utilize it. He commented on why he did not return to Tennessee, citing NIL compensation.
“When I was discussing returning to the University of Tennessee, we also had to consider the finances. You know what figures we’re looking at? What may it look like? And the trouble was that they could toss me any number I chose. It was an option if they chose to wait. They wanted to say, “Oh, you can come back, and then we’ll deal with the numbers.” No, that isn’t how it should work. Because how can I compare it to the league if you’re telling me, “Okay, you have to come back before we can even decide what numbers we can discuss.”
Hyatt went on to say that he loves the university and everything it has done for him. He had 23 catches for 373 yards in his debut season with the Giants.
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