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Hoops Preview: #6 Tennessee at #9 Arizona

Posted on December 16, 2022

The sixth-ranked Tennessee men’s basketball team journeys west for a top-10 matchup this weekend, facing off against ninth-ranked Arizona in Tucson on Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET at McKale Memorial Center.

Fans can catch Saturday’s game on ESPN2 and online or on any mobile device through WatchESPN. WatchESPN can be accessed through the ESPN App, or online at espn.com/watch. Kevin Fitzgerald (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst) will have the call.

Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp describing the action.

Tennessee (9-1) grabbed its second ranked win of the season and won its eighth consecutive game on Sunday in New York, defeating No. 13 Maryland, 56-53. Sophomore Zakai Zeigler had a team-high 12 points and was named the Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational Game MVP. Defensively, the Vols held Maryland to 33 percent shooting for the game, including 13 percent in the first half.

Saturday marks the second-leg of a home-and-home series with Arizona that begun last season in Knoxville, with the then-19th-ranked Vols defeating the No. 6 Wildcats, 77-73. It also marks the second straight season that Tennessee had traveled to the Mountain Time Zone for a true road game against a Pac-12 opponent, as the Vols won at Colorado last December, 69-54.

Following Saturday’s top-10 showdown, Tennessee returns to Knoxville for one final home non-conference contest before the holiday break and beginning of SEC play—taking on in-state foe Austin Peay on Wednesday, Dec. 21. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.

THE SERIES
• Tennessee leads its all-time series with Arizona, 4-1, dating to 1956.
• Last December, the Vols upset sixth-ranked Arizona, 77-73, in Knoxville. See Page 4 for a recap.
• Tennessee also defeated Arizona in its only previous trip to Tucson on Dec. 23, 1983. The Vols shot .556 (25 of 45) in that win.
• Vols head coach Rick Barnes owns a 2-8 career record against Arizona but is 34-24 all-time against current members of the Pac-12 Conference.
• Second-year Tennessee assistant coach Justin Gainey was an assistant coach at Arizona from 2018-20.
• Tennessee sophomore Jahmai Mashack’s older brother, Kwesi Mashack, was a cornerback with the Arizona football program from 2014-17.
• UT senior Uroš Plavšić returns to Arizona after spending the 2018-19 season redshirting at Arizona State in Tempe.

SCOUTING REPORT
• Tennessee has never recorded three wins over ranked teams before Christmas.
• UT’s bench is giving the Vols 24.1 points per game despite the squad being regularly shorthanded.
• Senior guard Santiago Vescovi is five points shy of 1,000 for his career.
• In addition to leading the Vols in scoring at 11.6 ppg, Julian Phillips ranks third among all DI major-conference freshmen nationally in offensive rebounding, with 2.8 per game.
• In only 10 games, Julian Phillips has drawn 45 fouls—that total leads the team. Zakai Zeigler isn’t far behind, drawing 39 fouls.
• Senior big man Uroš Plavšić is averaging 9.0 ppg over UT’s last three outings while shooting 12 of 14 (.857) from the field.
• As this home-and-home series draws to a close, Tennessee on Tuesday announced a new home-and-home series with Big Ten stalwart Illinois, set to begin next December in Knoxville.

DEFENSE TRAVELS
• Saturday’s showdown features KenPom’s No. 1-rated offense vs. KenPom’s No. 1-rated defense.
• The Volunteers own the best adjusted defensive efficiency in the country per Ken Pom, allowing only 81.3 points per 100 possessions.
• Seven times this season, the Vols have held their opponents to 50 points or less. Tennessee has now done that 27 times during the Barnes era (2015-present).
• Of 363 Division I teams, 341 are shooting 40 percent or better from the field this season. Tennessee has held eight of its 10 opponents this season below 33 percent shooting.
• Tennessee has yet to trail at the break this season and is outscoring its opponents 34.1 ppg to 22.4 ppg (+11.7 ppg) in first-half action.
• The leading scorer for Tennessee’s opponents is averaging just 15.1 points so far this season. The high is 23 by Colorado’s KJ Simpson.

ABOUT ARIZONA
• Arizona (9-1) enters Saturday’s contest having won three straight games—including an 89-75 win over No. 14 Indiana last Saturday in Las Vegas.
• The Wildcats have already recorded three wins over ranked opponents this season, having defeated No. 10 Creighton, No. 14 Indiana and No. 17 San Diego State—all at neutral sites. Their lone loss this season came at Utah on Dec. 1, 81-66.
• Arizona leads all of Division I in scoring offense (92.0 ppg), field-goal percentage (.547) and assists per game (21.5) this season.
• Junior forward Azuolas Tubelis, a 2022 first-team All-Pac-12 selection, enters Saturday averaging 20.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
• Redshirt junior center Oumar Ballo, who averaged just 6.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game last season, is averaging 18.1 points and 9.4 rebounds through 10 games this year while shooting .747 from the field.
• Tubelis was a preseason first-team All-Pac-12 selection, while junior guard Kerr Kriisa and junior guard Pelle Larson earned second-team nods.
• Fifth-year senior guard Courtney Ramey, a Texas transfer, scored a game-high 18 points during the Longhorns’ 52-51 win over Tennessee last season.
• Arizona has won 24 straight home games dating to the 2020-21 season, which is tied as the fourth-longest active home win streak in the nation.
• Tennessee senior guard Santiago Vescovi has a history playing with two players on Arizona’s roster. Vescovi played at the NBA Academy Latin America with Ballo, while he played with Kriisa at a Basketball Without Borders camp.
• Tennessee sophomore guard Jahmai Mashack’s older brother, Kwesi Mashack, played cornerback with Arizona football from 2014-17.

LAST MEETING WITH ARIZONA
• In the words of ESPN’s Jimmy Dykes, Tennessee’s 77-73 triumph over No. 6 Arizona last year in Knoxville was a win that had “shelf life.” It ended up being the first of four top-10 wins for the Vols last season. And Tennessee earned a No. 3 seed.
• Arizona entered the Dec. 22, 2021, showdown boasting the No. 1 scoring offense in Division I at 91.0 ppg, but the Vols were the first team all season to hold the Wildcats to fewer than 80 points.
• Tennessee forced Arizona into turnovers on 22.7 percent of its possessions (17 total). UT also held the Wildcats below 1.0 points per possession (0.97 ppp).
• Arizona scored just 21 points in the first half.
• Vols super senior John Fulkerson drew 13 fouls in the win. Azuolas Tubelis and eventual 2022 NBA Draft pick Christian Koloko combined for almost as many fouls (9) as points (10).
• Eventual sixth overall NBA draft pick Bennedict Mathurin led all scorers with 28 points for Arizona.

VOLS SEEKING 24th RANKED WIN UNDER BARNES
• Under Rick Barnes, the Vols have logged 23 wins over AP ranked foes, including 10 wins over top-10 teams.

TOP-10 TAKEDOWNS
• Tennessee has won each of its last five games against AP top-10 opponents. That’s the longest active streak in the nation.
• The Vols toppled No. 3 Kansas in November. Last season, UT beat teams ranked Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 6.

VOLS’ NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE LINED WITH BIG-TIME TESTS, OPPORTUNITIES
• Tennessee’s postseason résumé includes a decisive win over then-No. 3 Kansas as well as a triumph over then-No. 13 Maryland—both away from Knoxville.
• The Vols also own a Quad 2 win over Butler.
• Saturday’s showdown with Arizona stands as an opportunity for a top-10 true road win.
• And on Jan. 28, Tennessee hosts Texas as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

REBOUNDING KEY TO TENNESSEE’S EARLY SUCCESS THIS SEASON
• Through the games of Dec. 13, Tennessee leads the nation in offensive rebounding, pulling down 15.6 per game.
• The Vols are converting those offensive boards into 15.7 second-chance points per game.
• UT’s rebounding margin of +8.8 rpg ranks third in the SEC and 12th nationally.
• Three Vols average at least 2.0 offensive rebounds per game: Julian Phillips (2.8 orpg), Jonas Aidoo (2.2 orpg) and Tobe Awaka (2.0 orpg).
• A true freshman, Awaka has pulled down 17 rebounds—nine offensive—in his last 30 minutes played.
• The Vols set a Barnes-era high during their win over Eastern Kentucky on Dec. 7, recording 56 total rebounds.
• Tennessee’s rebounding prowess is even more impressive considering that the team’s leading returning rebounder, Josiah-Jordan James (6.0 rpg), has played in only five of UT’s 10 games.

PHILLIPS CRASHING THE GLASS
• Vols true freshman Julian Phillips ranks sixth in the SEC in offensive rebounding with 2.8 per game. Among all Division I freshmen on major-conference teams, he ranks third in offensive rebounds per game.

RANK    PLAYER, TEAM ORPG    MPG
1.            Kyle Filipowski, Duke             2.92       27.3
2.            Donovan Clingan, UConn      2.82       15.1
3.            Julian Phillips, Tennessee      2.80       26.6

-UT Athletics

The Knoxville Fire Department is Investigating a West Knoxville Apartment Fire

Posted on December 16, 2022

Four people are displaced following an early morning apartment fire in West Knoxville.

The Knoxville Fire Department is investigating the fire at Woodview Terrace Apartments.

No one was home at the time of the fire and no injuries have been reported.

The apartment has suffered heavy fire damage. The apartment below has suffered moderate water damage, and others have mild smoke damage.

The American Red Cross is assisting those displaced by the fire.

Highlights/Photos/Postgame/Stats/Story: All 14 that played scored as Lady Vols Blow Past UCF, 99-64

Posted on December 14, 2022

Box Score (PDF) | Postgame Quotes | Highlights | Photo Gallery

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – All 14 active Lady Vols contributed toward Tennessee’s 99 points, as it cruised past UCF in Thompson-Boling Arena on Wednesday, 99-64.

With the 35-point triumph, head coach Kellie Harper‘s squad put its third straight decision in the win column and collected its fifth victory during a six-game home stand.

Tennessee (7-5) was led by senior Jordan Horston, who turned in 15 points and seven rebounds in pacing UT in scoring for the sixth time on the campaign. Freshman Justine Pissott was also in double figures, posting a career-high 14 points on 63 percent shooting from the floor. Graduate Jasmine Franklin tallied a season-best 10 rebounds to set the tone on the boards.

Three players were in double figures for the Knights (6-3), with Mya Burns, Sierra Godbolt, and Laila Jewett finishing with 12, 11, and 10 points, respectively.

Burns put UCF on the board first, knocking down a short jumper 18 seconds into the contest, but Tennessee took the lead two and a half minutes later, going up 6-4 off three straight buckets by Horston. The Knights reclaimed the lead off five quick points by Jewett, but an old-fashioned three-point play by Franklin put the Lady Vols on top 10-9 by the 4:13 mark. Horston and Pissott hit 3-pointers on back-to-back plays, while their squad limited UCF to twos on the other end, giving UT its largest advantage of the quarter at 16-13. The Knights closed out the period with an 8-4 run to lead 21-20 at the end of the first.

Pissott opened the second quarter with another trey, and Horston followed it up with a layup to put UT ahead by four two minutes into play. Tennessee maintained that lead through the media timeout, but Burns knocked down a 3-pointer coming out of the break to pull UCF within one with 4:43 left in the half. Tennessee responded with a 5-0 run fueled by Jasmine Powell and Jordan Walker to lead 36-30 less than a minute later. Bryana Hardy responded with a three-point play on the other end, and the teams would trade baskets through the end of the half with UT’s three-point advantage holding at 41-38.

Horston and Tess Darby combined for five points coming out of halftime, stretching the Lady Vols lead to eight just over a minute into the half. The Knights countered with a bucket on the other end, but Sara Puckett hit back-to-back treys to kick off a 14-2 Big Orange run that put UT ahead 60-42 by the 6:06 mark. Burns ended the UCF drought with a layup on the next play, and the game became a back-and-forth affair until Tess Darby hit a 12-foot jumper that was the first of eight straight Lady Vol points that put UT up by 24 with just under two minutes left in the third. That margin would hold until Rickea Jackson knocked down a trey before the buzzer to send the game into the final quarter with Tennessee ahead by 27 at 75-48.

Hardy scored the first bucket of the fourth for Central Florida, but UT responded with a 14-0 run that was contributed to by six different Lady Vols in claiming a 89-50 lead with 6:10 to play. Godbolt and Brown strung together six straight points for the Knights to pull within 33, but that’s as close as they’d get as Tennessee’s reserves closed out the game to take a 99-64 victory.

UP NEXT: The Lady Vols will hit the road to take on No. 2 Stanford on Sunday at Maples Pavilion. Game time is set for 3 p.m. ET (noon PT), and the contest will be aired on ABC.

UP NEXT: The Lady Vols will hit the road to take on No. 2 Stanford on Sunday at Maples Pavilion. Game time is set for 3 p.m. ET (noon PT), and the contest will be aired on ABC.

ANOTHER THIRD-QUARTER OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION: Tennessee’s 34 points in the third period tied for seventh all-time for most points in a quarter. The Lady Vols shot 57.9 percent from the floor, going 11 of 19 and hitting five of seven beyond the arc in that frame. That effort followed up a third period last game vs. Wright State in which they shot 84.6 on 11 of 13 overall field goals to tally 27 points.

TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK: The Lady Vols committed only six turnovers vs. UCF, marking the fewest in the Kellie Harper era. The previous record for fewest turnovers during Harper’s tenure occurred on two occasions, most recently against Wright State (12/11/22) and last season versus Belmont (3/21/22) when the Big Orange had nine. Wednesday night’s total was the fewest turnovers in a game by Tennessee since the 2017-18 season, when UT had only four miscues against Alabama State (12/3/17).

KEEPING IT CLEAN, BACK-TO-BACK: The Lady Vols’ six turnovers against UCF paired with Tennessee’s nine versus Wright State (12/11/22) marked back-to-back games with single-digit turnovers. The last time Tennessee had two consecutive contests with single-digit turnovers was in 2016-17, when it posted only eight against Alabama in the SEC Tournament (3/2/17) and nine versus Dayton in the NCAA Tournament (3/18/17).

TESS FOR THREE: Tess Darby hit two 3-pointers against the Knights, recording her fifth game this season with two or more threes. The junior has notched 18 3-pointers this season and is shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc.

FRESHMAN POWER FROM PISSOTT: Justine Pissott scored a career-high 14 points while posting three rebounds and an assist. The freshman from Toms River, N.J., hit five of eight shots for 63-percent accuracy, including 2-for-5 shooting beyond the arc, and knocked down a pair of free throws in as many attempts.

RUNNING WILD ON THE BREAK: Tennessee has been on a tear over the past five games on fast break opportunities. The Lady Vols have outscored their opponents 84-11 in that statistical category after building a 21-4 edge vs. UCF on Wednesday.

TURNING THE TIDE ON THE BOARDS: The Lady Vols were out-rebounded by UCF in the first half, 26-19, including 12-7 on the offensive end. After some halftime encouragement from head coach Kellie Harper, Tennessee turned up the intensity to produce a 29-9 advantage on the glass over the final 20 minutes, including 11-3 for o-boards. UT ended up winning the battle on the glass for the game, 48-35, marking the sixth straight game and the ninth time in 12 contests that they have bested their foes. Seven of those occasions were by double digits, including the 13-point edge vs. the Golden Knights.

-UT Athletics

Hyatt Collects AFCA All-America First Team Recognition

Posted on December 14, 2022

WACO, Texas — The 2022 Biletnikoff Award winner snagged his eighth All-America accolade Wednesday morning as the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) tabbed Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt to the 2022 AFCA FBS Coaches’ All-America First Team.

Hyatt’s remarkable junior campaign has been well recognized by numerous outlets and organizations this postseason. The Irmo, South Carolina, product had previously garnered first team All-America acclaim from the Walter Camp Football Foundation, FWAA, Associated Press, Sporting News, ESPN, The Athletic and CBSSports.com/247Sports.

Tennessee’s first Biletnikoff winner posted a record-breaking season for the Big Orange in 2022, claiming the SEC receiving triple crown as he led the nation’s best conference in receptions (67), receiving yards (1,267) and receiving touchdowns (15). His 15 scoring grabs this fall shattered the single-season school record and tied with Houston’s Nathaniel Dell for the FBS lead, while his 1,267 yards ranked fourth nationally and are 31 shy of tying Robert Meachem’s school record set in 2006.

Widely regarded as the most explosive playmaker in college football this season, Hyatt led the country in plays of 30-plus (15), 40-plus (11), 50-plus (7) and 60-plus (5) yards from scrimmage. He logged five games with more than 100 yards receiving and five games with multiple touchdown scores, highlighted by a historic five-touchdown, 207-yard performance against then-No. 3 Alabama to lead the Vols to a monumental, 52-49 victory on The Third Saturday In October. His five receiving touchdowns tied an SEC single-game record and his 207 yards were sixth-most in UT single-game annals.

2022 AFCA All-America Teams

FIRST TEAM
Offense
WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
WR Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
TE Brock Bowers, Georgia
OL O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida
OL Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
C Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan
OL Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
OL Steve Avila, TCU
QB Caleb Williams, USC
RB Blake Corum, Michigan
RB Bijan Robinson, Texas

Defense
DL Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame
DL Jalen Carter, Georgia
DL Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh
DL Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
LB Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
LB Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati
LB Jack Campbell, Iowa
DB Christopher Smith, Georgia
DB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
DB Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
DB Clark Phillips III, Utah

Specialists
P Bryce Baringer, Michigan State
PK Christopher Dunn, NC State
AP Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State
LS Michael Vinson, Notre Dame

SECOND TEAM
Offense
WR Nathaniel Dell, Houston
WR Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State
TE Michael Mayer, Notre Dame
OL Alex Palczewski, Illinois
OL Jarrett Patterson, Notre Dame
C John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota
OL Joe Alt, Notre Dame
OL Andrew Vorhees, USC
QB C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
RB Chase Brown, Illinois
RB Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota

Defense
DL Byron Young, Alabama
DL Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State
DL Mike Morris, Michigan
DL Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech
LB Drew Sanders, Arkansas
LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia
LB Nick Herbig, Wisconsin
DB *Jordan Battle, Alabama
DB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
DB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
DB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU

Special Teams
P Kai Kroeger, South Carolina
PK Jake Moody, Michigan
AP Jaylin Lucas, Indiana
LS Joe Shimko, NC State

2022 Tennessee Football Postseason Honors

HC Josh Heupel
SEC Coach of the Year – AP
AFCA Region 2 Coach of the Year
Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Finalist

OC Alex Golesh
Frank Broyles Award Finalist

QB Hendon Hooker
Walter Camp Player of the Year Award Finalist
Maxwell Award Finalist
Manning Award Finalist
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Finalist
All-America Second Team – CBSSports.com/247Sports
All-America Third Team – Associated Press
SEC Offensive Player of the Year – Associated P ress, Coaches, USA Today
All-SEC First Team – AP, Coaches, USA Today

WR Jalin Hyatt
Biletnikoff Award Winner
All-America First Team – AFCA, Walter Camp, FWAA, Associated Press, Sporting News, The Athletic, CBSSports.com/247Sports, ESPN.com
All-SEC First Team – AP, Coaches, USA Today

TE Jacob Warren
2022 SEC Community Service Team

OL Darnell Wright
All-SEC First Team – AP, Coaches, USA Today

DE Byron Young
All-SEC First Team – Coaches
All-SEC Second Team – AP

-UT Athletics

Hyatt Collects AFCA All-America First Team Recognition

Posted on December 14, 2022

2022 AFCA All-America Teams

2022 Tennessee Football Postseason Honors

-UT Athletics

26 Student-Athlete Graduates Taking Part in Fall Commencement; 14 in football

Posted on December 14, 2022

More than two dozen Tennessee student-athletes are celebrating their college graduation this week, participating in commencement ceremonies at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Of the 26 Vols and Lady Vols receiving their diplomas, seven student-athletes have completed Master’s degrees.

Also among the newest crop of UT student-athlete graduates are a pair of former standout performers who put their degree progress on hold to pursue careers in professional sports. They recently re-enrolled in the SouthEast Bank Renewing Academic Commitment (RAC) Program to complete their degree requirements. This semester’s RAC graduates are football player Eric Gordon (2010-12) and men’s basketball player Isiah Victor (1997-2001).

The list of degree programs completed by this collection of Tennessee grads includes Communication Studies, Finance, Kinesiology, Animal Science, Public Relations, Recreation & Sport Management, Supply Chain Management and other disciplines.

MEN’S BASKETBALL (3)
Josiah-Jordan James, Communication Studies
Isaiah Sulack, Supply Chain Management
Isaiah Victor, Sociology (RAC)

FOOTBALL (14)
Michael Bittner, Finance
Warren Burrell, Communication Studies
Paxton Brooks, Kinesiology (Master’s)
LaTrell Bumphus, Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication (Master’s)
Jerome Carvin, Communication Studies
Romello Edwards, Recreation & Sport Management
Trevon Flowers, Communication Studies
Eric Gordon, Sociology (RAC)
Kingston Harris, Communication Studies
Cheyenne Labruzza, Recreation & Sport Management (Master’s)
Ollie Lane, Management & Human Resources (Master’s)
Jaylen McCollough, Communication Studies
Maurese Smith, Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication (Master’s)
Jacob Warren, Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication (Master’s)

SOCCER (4)
Abbey Burdette, Marketing
Mackenzie George, Animal Science
Lindsey Romig, Supply Chain Management
Hannah Zaluski, Management & Human Resources (Master’s)

SOFTBALL (1)
Kaitlin Parsons, Kinesiology

MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING (1)
Nolan Briggs, Accounting

WOMEN’S TENNIS (1)
Callie Creath, Psychology

MEN’S TRACK & FIELD (2)
Israel Adesina, Communication Studies
Jalen Tate, Sociology

UT Athletics

26 Student-Athlete Graduates Taking Part in Fall Commencement; 14 in football

Posted on December 14, 2022

More than two dozen Tennessee student-athletes are celebrating their college graduation this week, participating in commencement ceremonies at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Of the 26 Vols and Lady Vols receiving their diplomas, seven student-athletes have completed Master’s degrees.

UT Athletics

Sporting News Names Hyatt to All-America First Team

Posted on December 14, 2022

CHARLOTTE – Marking his sixth All-America honor of the year, and fourth by one of the NCAA-recognized outlets, Jalin Hyatt was selected to the All-America First Team Tuesday morning by Sporting News.

A commonplace the last four weekdays has been Hyatt’s recognition for an excellent 2022 season with All-America honors. It started with Walter Camp last Thursday, followed by the Football Writers Association of America last Friday and the Associated Press yesterday. Today was just another feather in the cap of the 2022 Biletnikoff Award winner.

Hyatt dazzled every time he stepped out onto the field, averaging 105.6 receiving yards per game and 1.25 touchdown receptions per game. All this while making 5.6 receptions per game and posting a 18.9 yards per reception average. The speedy wideout made a habit of blowing past defenders and racing through the open field with not a defender in sight as he dashed to the end zone, making 15 plays of 30+ yards, 11 plays of 40+ yards, seven plays of 50+ yards and five plays of 60+ yards – all leading the nation in those respective categories.

The junior’s 2022 regular season concluded with 67 catches for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns. He was a midseason All-American by ESPN, the AP, The Athletic and Pro Football Focus, and continued his push towards the acclaim through the back half of the season, becoming the first Tennessee Volunteer since Eric Berry in 2008 and 2009 to be named to four different outlets’ All-America first team lists.

Later Tuesday afternoon, Hyatt picked up All-America First Team recognition from ESPN.com, his seventh of the season. Their All-America selections can be found by clicking here.

The full Sporting News All-America teams, along with all postseason honors earned by Tennessee Volunteers, can be found below.

The Sporting News All-America Teams

FIRST TEAM
Offense
QB Caleb Williams, USC
RB Blake Corum, Michigan
RB Bijan Robinson, Texas
WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
WR Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
TE Michael Mayer, Notre Dame
T Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
G Cooper Beebe, Kansas State
C Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan
G O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida
T Alex Palczewski, Illinois
ATH Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State

Defense
DL Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
DL Jalen Carter, Georgia
DL Calijah Kancey, Pitt
EDGE Will Anderson, Alabama
LB Jack Campbell, Iowa
LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia
LB Ivan Pace, Cincinnati
CB Tre’vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU
CB Clark Phillips, Utah
S Kamren Kinchens, Miami
S Christopher Smith, Georgia

Specialists
K Joshua Karty, Stanford
P Adam Korsak, Rutgers
RET Anthony Gould, Oregon State

SECOND TEAM
Offense
QB Max Duggan, TCU
RB DeWayne McBride, UAB
RB Chase Brown, Illinois
WR Nathaniel Dell, Houston
WR Charlie Jones, Purdue
TE Brock Bowers, Georgia
OL Dawand Jones, Ohio State
OL Andrew Vorhees, USC
C Brett Neilon, USC
OL Christian Haynes, UConn
OL Joe Alt, Notre Dame
ATH Zach Charbonnet, UCLA

Defense
DL Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame
DL Jose Ramirez, Eastern Michigan
DL Viliami Fehoko, San Jose State
EDGE Bralen Trice, Washington
LB Drew Sanders, Arkansas
LB Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State
LB Cedric Gray, North Carolina
CB Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
S Jordan Battle, Alabama
S Kaevon Merriweather, Iowa

Specialists
K Christopher Dunn, NC State
P Bryce Baringer, Michigan State
RET Lideatrick Griffin, Mississippi State

2022 Tennessee Football Postseason Honors

HC Josh Heupel
SEC Coach of the Year – AP

OC Alex Golesh
Frank Broyles Award Finalist

QB Hendon Hooker
Walter Camp Player of the Year Award Finalist
Maxwell Award Finalist
Manning Award Finalist
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Finalist
All-America Second Team – CBSSports.com/247Sports
All-America Third Team – Associated Press
SEC Offensive Player of the Year – Associated P ress, Coaches, USA Today
All-SEC First Team – AP, Coaches, USA Today

WR Jalin Hyatt
Biletnikoff Award Winner
All-America First Team – Walter Camp, FWAA, Associated Press, Sporting News, The Athletic, CBSSports.com/247Sports, ESPN.com
All-SEC First Team – AP, Coaches, USA Today

TE Jacob Warren
2022 SEC Community Service Team

OL Darnell Wright
All-SEC First Team – AP, Coaches, USA Today

DE Byron Young
All-SEC First Team – Coaches
All-SEC Second Team – AP

-UT Athletics

Hyatt Adds AP All-America First Team Recognition

Posted on December 14, 2022

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Adding to his list of impressive honors for the 2022 season, Jalin Hyatt earned Associated Press All-America First Team acclaim Monday afternoon.

Much like he did throughout the regular season, Hyatt continues to reel in the accolades like they are long passes from Hendon Hooker or Joe Milton III. The 2022 Biletnikoff Award winner earned his third first team All-America recognition of the year after being tabbed to the Walter Camp and FWAA teams last week.

Hyatt’s impressive season saw the junior collect the triple crown for receiving in the Southeastern Conference, leading the way in receptions (67), receiving yards (1,267) and touchdowns (15). He currently stands just 33 receiving yards away from becoming the first wideout in Tennessee history to compile 1,300 or more yards in a single season. The success has been spread throughout the season as the speedster racked up over 100 yards receiving in five different games this season, tying for sixth in single-season 100-yard outputs with his teammate Cedric Tillman, who accomplished the feat in 2021, and Tim McGee, who did so in 1985 on the way to consensus All-America recognition.

For his career, the Irmo, South Carolina, native has hauled in 19 receiving touchdowns and 1,769 yards. He currently ranks tied for fourth in program history for career touchdown catches, sitting even with VFL Peerless Price who did so from 1995-98.

The full Associated Press All-America First Team, along with all postseason honors earned by Tennessee Volunteers, can be found below.

Associated Press All-America First Team

Offense
QB Caleb Williams, USC
RB Bijan Robinson, Texas
RB Blake Corum, Michigan
OT Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame
OG O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida
OG Andrew Vorhees, USC
C John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota
TE Michael Mayer, Notre Dame
WR Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
WR Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State
AP Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State
K Christopher Dunn, NC State

Defense
EDGE Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
DT Jalen Carter, Georgia
DT Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh
LB Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati
LB Jack Campbell, Iowa
LB Drew Sanders, Arkansas
CB Clark Phillips III, Utah
CB Devon Weatherspoon, Illinois
S Kamren Kinchen, Miami
S Christopher Smith, Georgia
DB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU
P Bryce Baringer, Michigan State

2022 Tennessee Football Postseason Honors

HC Josh Heupel
SEC Coach of the Year – AP

OC Alex Golesh
Frank Broyles Award Finalist

QB Hendon Hooker
Walter Camp Player of the Year Award Finalist
Maxwell Award Finalist
Manning Award Finalist
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Finalist
All-America Second Team – CBSSports.com/247Sports
SEC Offensive Player of the Year – AP, Coaches, USA Today
All-SEC First Team – AP, Coaches, USA Today

WR Jalin Hyatt
Biletnikoff Award Winner
All-America First Team – Walter Camp, FWAA, Associated Press, The Athletic, CBSSports.com/247Sports
All-SEC First Team – AP, Coaches, USA Today

TE Jacob Warren
2022 SEC Community Service Team

OL Darnell Wright
All-SEC First Team – AP, Coaches, USA Today

DE Byron Young
All-SEC First Team – Coaches
All-SEC Second Team – AP

-UT Athletics

Josh Heupel Named 2022 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award Finalist

Posted on December 14, 2022

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After guiding Tennessee to a 10-win regular season and a No. 6 final position in the College Football Playoff rankings, head coach Josh Heupel has been tabbed as a finalist for the American Heart Association’s 2022 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award, the organization announced on Tuesday.

Heupel is one of six finalists for the award, which recognizes the country’s top college football coaches for their contributions both on and off the field, making the sport better for athletes and fans alike by demonstrating grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching and life. He joins TCU’s Sonny Dykes, Tulane’s Willie Fritz, Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh, Georgia’s Kirby Smart and UTSA’s Jeff Traylor.

Heupel was also a finalist for the award in 2018 after leading UCF to a perfect 11-0 regular season in his first season with the Knights.

Heupel has lifted the Volunteers to national prominence in his two seasons, compiling a 17-8 record with the nation’s No. 1 offense that has set numerous school records. This season, saw the Vols climb to No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings for the first time via victories over Florida, LSU and Alabama.

Heupel became just the third UT head coach in the last 60 years to lead the Vols to 10 or more wins in his first or second season, joining Phillip Fulmer and Bill Battle. After being picked to finish third in the SEC East in the preseason, Tennessee secured second place and its first Orange Bowl appearance in 25 years. Heupel also tutored quarterback Hendon Hooker, who finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting—the highest by a Volunteer since Peyton Manning in 1997.

Heupel and the Vols aim for their first 11-win campaign since 2001 when they take on No. 7 Clemson in the Capital One Orange Bowl at 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 30 in Miami.

The Bryant Coach of the Year Award is voted on by the National Sports Media Association, current NCAA College football coaches, former Coach of the Year Award winners, the Bryant Awards’ Executive Leadership Team and the Bryant family. Now in its 37th year, the Bryant Coach of the Year award winner will be announced from Houston’s Post Oak Hotel on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, during an awards ceremony.

-UT Athletics