NFL Draft Profile: Hendon Hooker

From a forgotten about transfer addition, to one of the best quarterbacks in Tennessee history — Hendon Hooker’s story is incredible. Hooker wasn’t even recruited by Heupel’s staff, in fact, they recruited Joe Milton and started Milton over Hooker.

Everything worked out in the end for both sides. Hooker put up a Heisman worthy 2022 season in Knoxville, leading Tennessee to an eventual No. 1 ranking. Unfortunately, both Hooker and Tennessee saw their seasons go up in smoke on a November night in Columbia.

Hooker tore his ACL in a devastating loss to South Carolina, which ultimately kept Tennessee out of the College Football Playoff and Hooker out of New York for the Heisman ceremony.

The injury also kept Hooker out of the physical parts of the NFL Draft process. Instead of throwing for teams, Hooker has been rehabbing his knee with hopes of being ready for training camp in the late summer.

Still, Hooker has a pretty good shot to go in the first round. His medical checks have apparently gone very well, firmly slotting him into that fifth-quarterback slot in this class.

Measurables

Size: 6-3, 217 pounds

Arm: 33”

Hand: 10.5”

Age: 25

(No NFL Combine data due to torn ACL)

Background

Hendon Hooker committed to Tennessee thinking he was going to play for Jeremy Pruitt. Quickly, thanks to some found recruiting violations, things would change. The entire Tennessee athletics administration underwent a quick overhaul, and Josh Heupel ended up being the man in charge of the football program.

Hooker suddenly was set to play in an offensive system that he didn’t sign up for, and it wasn’t even a sure thing that he was even going to see the field. Former five-star quarterback Harrison Bailey was going to get a shot, and the staff went out and added Joe Milton after that 2021 spring.

Heupel’s staff was clearly enamored with Milton’s arm — everyone was. But it just wasn’t working early on. Milton eventually went down with an injury, and Hooker was the next man up. The rest is history.

Hooker went on to light up the SEC, powering Tennessee to a shockingly productive season. One of the worst offenses in the country in 2020 was one of the best in 2021. In 2022, Hooker led the Volunteers to the No. 1 spot in total offense.

Hooker’s complete mastery of Heupel’s system in such a short amount of time was impressive, considering what he was as a player at Virginia Tech. This staff helped transform him, but it was Hooker’s decision making and accuracy that made the whole thing click.

2021: 206/303 (68%) 2,945 yards, 31 TDs, 3 INTs (616 yards rushing)

2022: 229/329 (69.6%) 3,135 yards, 27 TDs, 2 INTs (430 yards rushing)

NFL Prospects

Hooker is an athletic, accurate passer that flat out just didn’t make mistakes during his time at Tennessee. Once he was installed as the starter, Tennessee really found their groove. Hooker operated Heupel’s tempo-based attack nearly flawlessly, which was fairly surprising considering his struggles as a passer at Virginia Tech.

Maybe the biggest surprise was Hooker’s ability to work down the field, providing us with plenty of big plays to Cedric Tillman. His deep attempts immediately began connecting, which was the early issue with Milton as a starter. Hooker has a good enough arm for the next level, but it’s his accuracy to every level of the field that makes him such an appealing prospect.

Hooker’s mobility is a huge bonus, legitimately armed with burst and speed to change how defenses play him. He’s a tough runner — some would say too tough. Hooker took plenty of hits at Tennessee, but it never seemed to faze him. Hendon’s strides and cuts as a runner are violent, and he can change direction on a dime. This also helps him navigate the pocket and keep plays alive.

One obvious question on Hooker is the offense that he played in. Hooker is going to have to prove that he isn’t just a system guy, thanks to Heupel’s tempo and simplified reads. Tennessee played so fast and kept things so simple that evaluators didn’t really get to see Hooker scan a full field on the regular. How will he perform in a traditional, NFL-style system? That’s a legitimate question moving forward.

At least for what he was asked to do in college, Hooker was a complete master of the Vols’ attack. He always seemed to be a step ahead, and it was rare to see him panic in the pocket. His decisions were made quick, and it almost always seemed to be the right one.

Does that translate to a more traditional offense? That, plus the knee and the age, are things NFL teams are weighing ahead of Thursday’s NFL Draft. Despite all of that, Hooker is favored in gambling markets to come off the board in the first round. We’ll find out soon enough.