Hendon Hooker has finally settled Tennessee's quarterback nightmare
Tennessee's quarterback position has been a source of misery since Josh Dobbs ran out of eligibility.
It seems as if Virginia Tech transfer quarterback Hendon Hooker has finally rid the Vols of quarterback issues, however. Hooker, who committed to play for Jeremy Pruitt after leaving Blacksburg, decided to stick with Tennessee when Josh Heupel was hired and it's paying off.
Things didn't pay off for Hooker right way though. Michigan transfer Joe Milton beat out Hooker in fall camp for the starting quarterback job, putting Hooker on the bench for the first game and a half of the season.
Hooker didn't pout. Instead, he continued to work and be the best teammate he can be so that when his number was called, he could take advantage. That he did. When Milton left the Pittsburgh game midway through because of injury, Hooker took the job, ran with it, and hasn't looked back.
“Hendon’s continuing to grow into us offensively, to have complete command of what we’re doing," Heupel said following Tennessee's 45-20 win over South Carolina on Saturday, "That’s in the run game, that’s in the pass game, that’s understanding protections. You can see we trust the ball in his hands in situations, too. He continues to grow and take great care of the football. Players have responded to him in a really positive way.”
In the Vols' win over the Gamecocks, Hooker was 17-for-25 passing for 225 yards and three touchdowns, while he added 66 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Most importantly, he didn't turn the football over.
Hooker became the first Vol quarterback since Tyler Bray in 2012 to throw multiple touchdowns in five consecutive games. He's also the first quarterback to throw for three touchdowns and rush for a touchdown in three different games since Joshua Dobbs.
"He has really, really been efficient in how he’s played," offensive coordinator Alex Golesh said this week on Vol Calls. "He’s been able to hand the ball off when he’s supposed to. He’s been able to throw the ball when he’s supposed to. He’s given us a really good element in the run game, in terms of him being able to run the ball. What you didn’t know through spring and summer — because they’re in a red jersey, you can’t hit them — is how tough he is. He is a certifiable dude in terms of toughness."
Hooker is completing 69.6% of his passes, good enough for second-best in the SEC. His 13 touchdowns ranks fourth in the league and his one interception ranks second-fewest. He's thrown for 1,063 yards to generate a quarterback rating of 185.87.
At Virginia Tech, Hooker never threw for more than 13 touchdowns in a season. He did so in 10 games back in 2019. Hooker has already thrown for 13 touchdowns in six games for the Vols this year, and really has done so in fourth and a half games of being QB No. 1.
"I've been more decisive and more consistent," Hooker explained. "A lot of long hours working on my craft. I'm blessed to see it paying off."
Tennessee will face a tall task this coming Saturday as No. 17 Ole Miss comes to town under Lane Kiffin. Most counted the Vols out in this game early in the season, but Hooker has many believing that Tennessee has what it takes offensively to go toe to toe with the Rebels.