Fire up the Heisman campaign for Hendon Hooker

I’ve been pretty skeptical of Hendon Hooker’s Heisman prospects to this point, and it has nothing to do with Hooker himself or his production. That skepticism had everything to do with Tennessee’s win/loss record.

But on Saturday, Tennessee improved to 4-0. The Volunteers have now beaten Pittsburgh and Florida, racking up two top 20 wins. They’ve won their first two swing games, paving the way to a potentially special season on Rocky Top.

We know a couple things about the Heisman. You’ve got to have the numbers — and you’ve got to have the wins. So far, Hendon Hooker is doing both.

The 24 year-old senior quarterback just threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns, without his top receiver Cedric Tillman against the Florida Gators. He ran for 111 yards and another score on the ground. Hooker helped pick up Tennessee’s first win over Florida since 2016 in the process.

The win moves Tennessee to 4-0 on the year, and more than likely a top ten ranking ahead of their matchup at LSU in two weeks. That stretch continues a gauntlet run for the Volunteers — at LSU, Alabama, a breather against UT-Martin, Kentucky and at Georgia.

It’s a daunting task, but it’s a chance for Hooker to catch the attention of the nation, and put Tennessee in position to make some real noise. I’m not saying Hooker is going to do it, but the opportunity certainly is there.

Josh Heupel’s offense has Tennessee in position to do some damage year two, something that nobody saw coming just 20 short months ago. Hooker has proved to be the perfect fit for him, even though the two didn’t commit to each other. Ever since Hendon has taken the reins of this offense, this program has been completely transformed.

So the question is this — why not Hendon for the Heisman? Bryce Young and Alabama have been so-so this far. Can you give it to anyone on Georgia? C.J. Stroud? Caleb Williams? There’s no runaway favorite to this point, so why not Hooker?

In fact, after Tennessee’s win over Florida, Hendon Hooker moved up to fifth overall in the Heisman odds, per DraftKings Sportsbook. He’s now +1600 to win the award, trailing only Stroud, Williams, Young and Stetson Bennett.

Why not Hendon? Tennessee will go as far as he can carry them. And he’s likely going to get Cedric Tillman back for the LSU game. The path forward is challenging, but it’s not impossible.

Tennessee has never had a Heisman winner. Hooker is the best chance we’ve seen since Peyton Manning. He’s still a longshot, but he’s got a real shot. Let’s see how this develops.

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See DraftKings.com/sportsbook for details.