Tee Martin, the Vols’ wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator, has made it clear to the 6-foot-1, 178-pound Hyatt that he will have a relatively clear path to early playing time once he gets to Tennessee. Hyatt naturally still has some work to do to put himself in position to play as a freshman. But the Vols are hoping he might be able to contribute, if not start, at an important position in their offense.
“(Martin) told me I have a good (chance) to start,” said Hyatt. “They have me at the slot, so I’m learning the slot plays and some outside — but mostly slot, where Jauan played. “With (offensive coordinator Jim) Chaney’s offense, the slot is the big key in his offense, so I have to be ready. I have to come in there, do whatever they ask, and I just have to be ready, on point, stay focused. “But I believe I’ll be ready. I did the work for it. I’ve got the pounds on me a little bit now. And, plus, when I get to Tennessee, (I will) add more.”
After spending the past few months during the COVID-19 pandemic working to add some weight to his lean frame, he said he’s now up to 178 pounds. He said he’s “really thinking that, before the first game, I can be at least 185, 186” — a weight that, in his mind, would allow him to play with the physicality necessary to make plays in the SEC. But Hyatt knows that’s not the only thing he still needs to do to get ready for his freshman season.
Tennessee rising junior cornerback
Bryce Thompson is one of Hyatt’s close friends and a former Dutch Fork teammate. Hyatt said Thompson already has talked with him about the adjustments he’ll face to playing at the SEC level.
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Bryce Thompson, he lives maybe 1 minute from me,” Hyatt said. “He’s back (at home), and we had a good talk about me coming in as a freshman, since he did it already. The biggest thing that I think — even what he said — is the speed of the game. “The speed of the game changes — completely different. It’s just completely faster, so I have to make sure when I get there I’m on point with the plays.”
Speed shouldn’t be a problem for Hyatt, who was timed at 4.31 seconds in the 40-yard dash more than a year ago at The Opening Regional just outside Charlotte, N.C. But he knows that playing against players who have the speed to keep up with him will require him to be sharp in his execution.
That means spending plenty of time learning the playbook and adjusting to Tennessee’s offense going into this season. “I’ve got to learn the plays when I get there, so I’m going to learn the plays, stay in the film room, do whatever Coach Martin wants me to do and make sure I’m ready for the next level, the next speed of the game,” Hyatt said. “That’s the biggest key.”