For junior wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, 2022 is the year of a new start. A change in attitude, mindset, drive, and goals after a 2021 season that was one to forget.

Hyatt opened the year as a starter. Only to lose that job and see his role greatly diminished. He had 4 catches for 62 yards against Bowling Green. He didn’t have another catch till 5 games later. The South Carolina native finished with 21 catches for 226 yards and 2 touchdowns and spent more time watching than playing.

“Last year it was hard on me,” Hyatt stated. “I think I lost my confidence. I didn’t really know the offense as well as I know it this year. I wasn’t going as hard last year. Velus (Jones) helped me a lot when he was here. He was the guy who stood up and took over the role when I couldn’t. Just watching him and how he played receiver and what you can do when you are playing well. I think that was one of the biggest reasons (for changing). In high school, I didn’t really go through a lot of adversity because high school is kind of easy as far as football. When you get up here in the SEC, you are going against big time players, I needed to change my mindset.”

Hyatt praises the man to took his job for helping him re-commit himself to the game, this program and his teammates.

“Right before he left to train for the draft he sat me down. He know I was going through stuff last year. He sat me down and told me what you could do out of this offense,” Hyatt said. “We watched film together. That’s why I say this is a brotherhood. That’s something a lot of people don’t do. That’s why I have so much respect for him and I thank him for everything he has done. It’s made me the man I am today.”

Jones, who’s in training camp with the Chicago Bears, told Volquest his message to Hyatt was a simple one.

“I told him if I can do it in one year you can too. I showed him it’s possible. This offense is set up for success and we have God given speed. Go take advantage of it and get paid.

“Jalin is like a little brother to me and I don’t nearly have the amount of athleticism he has. We have talked a lot and he knows what he needs to do this season. I think he can be a future first round pick.”

Jones’ message resonated with Hyatt and from those conversations as Velus was leaving town, Hyatt has been different. Everyone in the program acknowledges it. Hyatt said transferring was never an option. Instead he took the advice of Jones and others, put his head down and went to work.

“I never had any conversations about leaving,” Hyatt confirmed. “I think why is that coach Burns, coach Pope and Velus, they were always around me when I was going through stuff which is why I thank them so much. Coach Pope pushes me so much. He wants the best out of all of us receivers. I think what he has done, I never thought about any transfer things because I know what we can do in this offense. This offense is going to be the best in the country. That’s why I didn’t want to leave at all. I love these guys.”

With his head in the right space, Hyatt is set to return to the starting line up and is poised to have a big year, but a big year means something different to Hyatt these days.

“One thing last year, I think I did was I was worried about stats. I was worried about things off the field that you weren’t really supposed to be worried about. This year, I’m having more fun out there with my teammates,” Hyatt said. “I love our quarterbacks. I love our running backs. This is a game where mentally if you aren’t up to par it can drag you down.”

Mentally, Hyatt is up to par or as he says he’s locked in.

“Every day I wake up I’m circling that first game. I’m ready to go,” Hyatt said. “That’s one thing I can say for myself this year. Last year, you ask me that question I don’t know what I could tell you. This year, I’m locked in and ready to go.

“Last year taught me if you don't play to the standard where you need to be at, you're going to be on the side, you're not going to be playing.”

With 17 days till kickoff, Jalin Hyatt’s name is in the same place it was a year ago on the depth chart. He’s a starter. However, mentally he is different; but he knows he as to go prove it when the lights come on.

“This is camp. We still haven’t even played a game yet. I just to want to keep going hard everyday no matter where I’m at. Even if I am at home watching film or here watching film or whatever, I just want to go 100% everyday. Last year, I didn’t get everything out of every day so that’s one of the biggest changes for me.”

It’s a change that that Kesley Pope reminds him of daily.

“Staying on him and not giving any leeway (is important). Sometimes, that gets annoying. Sometimes he's tired of hearing me talk and he gets annoyed seeing my face, but you have to stay on him until he proves that he's able to carry that on his own with his own individual habits,” Pope said.

Habits Hyatt has been focused on changing since a wintertime film session with the mentor to took his place a year ago.