11/20/2022 football Edit

Vols' Hendon Hooker out for remainder of senior season with ACL tear

Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker looks to pass in the second half against South Carolina. (USA TODAY Sports)

Noah Taylor • VolReport

Managing Editor

Noah is a graduate of the UT College of Journalism & Electronic Media and has covered Tennessee football since 2019. He joined Rivals in 2022.

A prolific and historic college career has come to an end for Hendon Hooker.

The Tennessee senior quarterback suffered a non-contact injury in the fourth quarter of the Vols' 63-38 loss at South Carolina on Saturday. He managed to walk off the field but did not return to the game.

On Sunday, a statement posted on the Tennessee football Twitter account revealed the extent of the injury – an ACL tear in Hooker's left knee, which has cut his final season with the Vols short.

A three-star prospect out of Dudley High School in Greensboro, North Carolina, Hooker originally committed to – and played for – Virginia Tech in 2018.

In three seasons with the Hokies, he passed for 2,894 yards and 22 touchdowns before transferring to Tennessee in January 2021.

After initially serving as the Vols' backup in the first two games of the 2021 season, Hooker took the starting job and ran with it – spearheading a Tennessee offense that was among the best in college football over the last two seasons.

In 11 games this season, Hooker tossed for 3,135 yards and 27 touchdowns against just two interceptions. He ended his storied run as Tennessee's signal-caller as the program's leader in consecutive games with a touchdown pass at 20 games.

Hooker's dominant play in 2022 also cemented him into the Heisman Trophy conversation, and he was among the favorites to win the prestigious award this year.

Backup quarterback Joe Milton, a redshirt senior, will assume starting duties this week as Tennessee prepares to face Vanderbilt in its regular season finale at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville at 7:30 p.m. ET (SEC Network).

Milton, who began last season as the starter after transferring from Michigan, is 23-for-33 passing for 573 yards and six touchdowns this season. He'll have big shoes to fill with replacing Hooker.

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