In the penultimate game of the regular season, Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker suffered a torn ACL injury that held him out for the remainder of the year.
With the 2023 season marking the end of his eligibility, Hooker then turned his attention to rehabbing for the upcoming NFL season.
Although this process is still ongoing, Hooker has made sure that he makes the necessary stops along the way.
First, he made an appearance at the Reeses' Senior Bowl to talk to scouts and meet with other players.
Then, the quarterback made the trip to Indianapolis to take part in the NFL Combine while continuing to create connections with teams.
Most recently, Hooker returned to Knoxville for the Vols' Pro Day where he supported his former teammates and even threw some short warmup passes.
Hooker's clearance in throwing while standing is a recent step in his recovery process. Recovering from an ACL injury is a long road but he has been able to reach the necessary checkpoints.
"Next checkpoint is a week and a half I get to drop back," said Hooker. "Actually taking some actual drops. I feel good. Just coming out here and being able to be back on the field and throwing with my guys has been a blast."
Although Hooker is still far from 100%, he is still confident he will be ready for the start of the season, though.
With his injury taking place in November, this would be about a nine-month recovery period.
"I just met with my doctor on Monday and he said I will be good," said Hooker on being ready for the season. "Looking forward to that."
Despite not being able to showcase his talent on the field, Hooker has seen his draft stock increasingly rise in recent weeks.
Hooker believes this is due to a few aspects. He is confident in his football IQ and his ability to be a leader on and off the field.
"Honestly, I feel like that's the bottom line of being a big-time quarterback... Being able to showcase what you know on the board should come naturally," said Hooker. "Because that's what you do. This is what we do on a daily basis... I've spent a lot of time in the mirror drawing. Anytime I walk past the mirror there's an Expo marker right there and I'm going to draw on the mirror. That's just something that I enjoy doing because I love the game of football.
"What I do best is leadership. Just being personable. Being able to communicate with my teammates at a high level. Communicate with others at a high level. The energy that I bring. The competitive nature as well."
This strength in talking to scouts and other members of NFL teams is a large reason Hooker is projected to be selected in the opening rounds of the draft.
However, this does not save Hooker from criticism.
The biggest knock on the signal caller is the scheme he ran while at Tennessee. Some pundits claim that the reason for his success at the college level is primarily due to the offense he was in rather than his actual talent.
Hooker doesn't see it this way, though. He instead says it looks easy because the team makes it look easy.
"It's always funny to hear people talk about our offense," said Hooker. "There's a lot of intricacies into what we do and how we do it. It's a lot of things you have to process. The mental side of the game is at an all-time high. The physical part of the game looks easy because we make it look easy. It's not because it's just easy."
Outside of talking to teams in an attempt to raise his value, Hooker also returned to see his former teammates.
He is a team-first player who is seemingly always rooting on others first. When he was held out with injury, he remained at the team's side as he supported them during an Orange Bowl win in Miami.
In total, there were 14 Vols who participated in Pro Day. Five of these players were offensive starters alongside Hooker.
This included Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman who were the recipients of the majority of Hooker's passing yards while in orange.
"I'm really excited for my teammates and for the culture of Tennessee getting back to where it belongs at the top of college football," said Hooker. "Us just showcasing everything that we've had here. From the brotherhood from how we compete and bringing that to the next level, as well."
The NFL Draft will begin on April 27 and finish on April 29. It will take place in Kansas City and will be aired on ESPN and NFL Network.
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