Tennessee sophomore receiver Jalin Hyatt on Monday shared a couple of his early encounters with new Volunteers football coach Josh Heupel, with one being a bit more public than the other.
"We came off a losing streak, and all of us were down," Hyatt said during a news conference, "and then (former coach Jeremy) Pruitt gets fired. We were all down in our locker room, and when Heup came in, he just really brought the energy back."
And the quiet moment?
"He pulled me aside," Hyatt said with a smile, "and he just told me, 'This is the offense for you.'"
Hyatt was a bright spot in Tennessee's dismal 2020 season, with the 6-foot, 175-pounder from Irmo, South Carolina, finishing second on the team with 20 catches for 276 yards and two touchdowns. Six of his catches went for at least 20 yards, while three went for at least 30.
His 38-yard touchdown against Alabama certainly turned heads, but Hyatt is hoping for much, much more in Heupel's attack.
"With my freshman year, it was more just 'go' routes," Hyatt said. "I want to show what I can do and be diverse. With the offense that Heup has brought in, I feel like I can do that. I'm ready to show that I can catch the ball and get into space."
Receivers come in all shapes and sizes, and it's no different at Tennessee. While Hyatt is commonly viewed as the fastest of the bunch, redshirt junior Cedric Tillman is looking to be the most physical.
At least that's what new receivers coach Kodi Burns is hoping to get out of the 6-3, 215-pounder from Las Vegas. Burns, who came to Tennessee from Auburn, has Tillman watching film of former Vols receiver Josh Palmer and former Tigers receiver Seth Williams, who are each rookies in the NFL.
"Coach Burns says I've got to be a red-zone guy," Tillman said.
Hyatt and Tillman expect to factor into Heupel's offense in different ways this season, and each is expecting improvement in Tuesday's second preseason scrimmage. Heupel said the offense wasn't consistent enough during last Thursday's inaugural scrimmage.
"I want us to get into perfect alignment," Hyatt said. "Sometimes we struggle with where we want to be in different yardage-type situations, so that's one thing we need to do. Another is making the contested catches. We've just got to be one - just play together and have fun out there. There is a different energy and a different vibe on this team. We all know we have something to prove, even the coaches."
Said Tillman: "We've got to play with better tempo. When we play with tempo in practice, that's when we really do well. When we don't, we don't look as good."
Mack's 1-2 punch
Tennessee running backs coach Jerry Mack said Monday that sophomore Jabari Small and junior-college transfer Tiyon Evans have separated themselves from the pack a bit to form a "really good 1-2 punch." Mack praised Small during spring practice and did the same Monday with Evans, a 5-11, 220-pounder from Hartsville, South Carolina, who transferred to the Vols from Hutchinson (Kansas) Junior College.
"The biggest thing I've been shocked with is the way he runs outside zone," Mack said. "He has a knack and a great feel for it. I compare it to the old-school guys like Terrell Davis. He's just got a really good feel for those types of plays.
"Tiyon can do it all, to be honest with you."
Tennessee's other 2021 running back signee, Jaylen Wright of Durham, North Carolina, has come a long way since spring practices in Mack's eyes.
"He wants to play as a true freshman," Mack said. "That's one of his goals."
Shrout setback
Former Tennessee quarterback J.T. Shrout suffered a "significant" knee injury during Colorado's scrimmage this past Saturday, Buffaloes coach Karl Dorrell announced Monday.
Shrout, who completed 24 of 42 passes (57.1%) for 315 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions in four games last season with the Vols, had been running with the first team in Boulder.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.