Hendon Hooker, Jalin Hyatt up for prestigious year-end awards

Nov 29, 2022 - 3:41 PM

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A special season could lead to some special hardware for a couple of Tennessee Volunteers. Both Hendon Hooker and Jalin Hyatt are up for some big time awards, with both being named finalists on Tuesday morning.

Hooker was named a finalist for the Maxwell Award, which is given to the top college football player each year. Hooker is the first Tennessee finalist for this award since Peyton Manning.

Ohio State’s CJ Stroud and USC’s Caleb Williams are the other two finalists.

Interestingly enough, Hooker was left out of the Davey O’Brien Award finals, which awards the best quarterback in college football. TCU’s Max Duggan got the nod instead.

Jalin Hyatt was named a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the top receiver each season. Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. and Iowa State’s Xavier Hutchinson are the two other finalists.

Just like the Heisman, Hooker will likely have a tough time winning the Maxwell award after missing the final game of the year. He was in line to be a Heisman finalist before that dreadful night in Columbia, where he tore his ACL late in the game. His Heisman odds fell off the map from there, and USC’s Caleb Williams has been playing lights out since.

Jalin Hyatt, on the other hand, has a great argument to win the Biletnikoff. Hyatt finished up the regular season with 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 18.9 yards per reception. His five scores against Alabama alone give him a leg up, with every eyeball in the college football world tuned into that game. Harrison Jr. finished with 1,157 yards and 12 scores, while Hutchinson had 1,171 and 6 touchdowns. No contest.

Winners will be announced during the College Football Awards Show, live on ESPN on December 8th at 7 p.m. ET.