South Carolina didn’t offer Jalin Hyatt. He went to Tennessee and became a star
There probably isn’t a week that goes by that Dutch Fork High School football coach Tom Knotts doesn’t hear the question.
“I probably have three people a week asking me why Jalin Hyatt isn’t at South Carolina or Clemson,” Knotts said Friday after his team’s playoff win over Dorman.
It’s a question that both Gamecocks and Tigers fan bases have pondered for the past three years, and it’s especially a hot topic this season on message boards and social media. Hyatt, the former Dutch Fork standout, has blossomed into one of the nation’s best receivers in his third season at Tennessee.
The 6-foot, 185-pound Hyatt has 58 receptions for 1,116 yards and a school-record 15 touchdowns heading into the No. 5 Vols’ meeting this week against home-state school South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium. He needs 183 yards to set the school’s single-season receiving yardage mark held by Robert Meachem.
The junior is also a Biletnikoff Award finalist, given to the nation’s top receiver. He gained national attention with his five-touchdown performance against Alabama on Oct. 15.
“I told him my favorite number was five because of his five touchdowns against Alabama. When you scorch Alabama for five touchdowns, you are doing something good,” Knotts said. “He has the God-given speed and he has worked on his hands, gotten stronger.”
So, with the USC campus 30 minutes from Dutch Fork, why didn’t Hyatt land a scholarship offer from South Carolina? The answer isn’t a mystery, even if it still might be confounding for Gamecock fans.
Hyatt works out for Muschamp, but ...
Former South Carolina coach Will Muschamp and his staff placed a premium on camp workouts and performances. Hyatt attended a USC camp during the summer of 2018, before his junior year. He worked out in front of Muschamp, offensive coordinator Bryan McClendon and the rest of the Gamecocks’ coaches.
Hyatt turned in a strong time in the 40-yard dash but also made a few mistakes, according to former Dutch Fork receivers coach Jason Barnes, a former South Carolina receiver who is now an analyst at Coastal Carolina.
“Apparently he had a few drops. But you could tell they were looking for something,” Barnes told The State. “They didn’t think he was big enough to be an SEC receiver. But I tried to tell B-Mac (McClendon), you have some good receivers on your roster, but he has the highest ceiling out of all of them. He is fast, he is going to be able to run routes and his release is where they need to be and he will be ready to step in when he gets there. He just needs to get bigger. And that is what college is for, to get bigger and stronger.
“He said, ‘JB, I don’t know. I think we got some guys out there that are a little bit better. We will see how the recruiting plays out, so we will see.’ I said he has got some guys beating down his door — Miami, Virginia Tech and Tennessee — so we aren’t going to wait around.”
Hyatt had a record-breaking career at Dutch Fork, catching 180 passes for a school-record 3,624 yards and 57 touchdowns. He caught the game-winning touchdown in overtime against Dorman in the 2019 Class 5A championship game at Williams-Brice Stadium.
That catch was made with Muschamp and his staff on the sidelines watching. By then, it was too late for the Gamecocks to make a run at him.
After originally picking Virginia Tech, Hyatt committed to Tennessee in July before the start of his senior season. Both Clemson and the Gamecocks had their chances but never followed through with a scholarship offer.
He made four unofficial visits to Clemson during his junior year and also attended a camp there. Former co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott attended a Dutch Fork game to see Hyatt during his senior year.
The Gamecocks ended up signing three receivers in the Class of 2020 — Mike Wyman, Rico Powers and Ger-Cari Caldwell. The three saw no to minimal game action and have since transferred from the program.
“I think everyone is regretting it now,” Barnes said. “You got guys that are home-grown guys that want to play in-state but can’t get that offer. It is just a shame when guys overthink it. They think they’ve got to have this big type of receiver, a great route runner. Just cut the film on, he is good at football. He is going to be able to help you.
“I think he would have went to USC if they had offered. That’s just my opinion. He has never said that. But I think he would have been a Gamecock if he would have gotten that offer.”
‘South Carolina is always a revenge game’
Hyatt was asked about his return to Columbia during an interview last week with Volquest, the On3 site that covers Tennessee. He has fared well in games played at Williams-Brice Stadium, winning three state championships there and catching five TDs in title games in his final two years.
“I love going to Williams-Brice Stadium,” Hyatt told Volquest. “I’m glad it is a night game because I want our guys to experience it. I have attended some games, just being a fan of Carolina. I can’t wait for our guys to experience Williams-Brice Stadium. South Carolina always is a revenge game for me, so I love going against them.”
Hyatt caught 20 passes as a college freshman but didn’t have a great sophomore season in Josh Heupel’s first year coaching with the Vols. He missed a couple games with an injury and was the Vols’ fourth or fifth option.
Hyatt came back determined. He put on some weight and is up to 185 pounds, about 20 pounds more than when he arrived at Tennessee. Heupel raved earlier this season about Hyatt’s attention to detail and maturity, which he said started late in the 2021 season.
Hyatt will have a decision to make in the coming months of whether to turn pro or come back for his senior season. ESPN’s Mel Kiper has him as the second-best receiver if he leaves and the 13th overall prospect for the 2023 NFL Draft.
“We had a conversation before the season. The conversation was pretty much him locking in for six months, that he would have the opportunity to change his whole family’s life,” Barnes said. “We have been talking about it since middle school, to be able to buy your parents whatever they want, buy your mom whatever she wants. I told him he had the opportunity to do that if he would just lock in.
“He told me he was going to do that and he did it, so it is awesome to see it unfold.”
This story was originally published November 15, 2022 at 10:17 AM.
