Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt Opts Out Of Orange Bowl After Signing NIL Deal With Hyatt Hotels To Help With Team's Travel Expenses

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Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt recently signed an NIL deal with Hyatt Hotels. While on paper the deal makes all the sense in the world, his recent decision to opt out of the Orange Bowl and declare for the 2023 NFL Draft threw a wrinkle into the equation.

As OutKick's Trey Wallace reported just over a week ago, part of Hyatt's NIL deal with the hotel company included easing the travel expenses for the families of each Tennessee football player that will travel to Miami for the Orange Bowl against Clemson.

Hyatt Hotels honored the deal -- Wallace reports it was the plan all along -- and have given 90+ hotel credit gift cards to each player to cover the cost of their family members' hotel stay.

Jalin Hyatt will finish his three-year Tennessee career with 108 receptions and 19 touchdowns. (Getty Images)

“The World of Hyatt team gave me the ability to create a deal that benefited my teammates and our families,” Hyatt said in a statement on Dec. 6. “That’s real, as those are the people I care about the most. Knowing my teammates’ families will all have help to be at the game, and that they are being cared for on the road is amazing.”

Front Office Sports reported that the wide receiver was expected to "promote the hotel chain's World of Hyatt rewards program."

Hyatt plans to travel to Miami for the Orange Bowl and will be on the sidelines, according to Wallace.

The Irmo, S.C., native could be the first wide receiver taken in the 2023 NFL Draft coming off of a breakout season in Knoxville.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.