Transfer Spotlight – Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker

At CFB Saturdays we recognize that the landscape is always changing in College Football and the undeniable impact transfers have had on our beloved sport in recent history.  Transfers have gone on to make College Football Playoff runs, win the Heisman, the National Championship, and become top NFL Draft Picks (Joe Burrow recently accomplished all of the above).  In the Transfer Spotlight we take a look at the potential impact of top Transfers in 2021.  Today we take a look at Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker who previously started for Virginia Tech.

Two Years Of Sharing Time

Hooker has played a lot for Virginia Tech the last two years, but has had to share the time at the quarterback position in both of those seasons. In 2019, he took over as the starter five games into the season and had a strong run to close out the year. He completed 61 percent of his passes, averaging 9.6 yards per attempt with a 13 to 2 touchdown to interception ratio. Hooker is a dangerous runner and ran for 356 yards and 5 touchdowns as well.

With a strong finish to the 2019 season, Hooker was looking to build on his success in 2020. Much like 2019, Hooker did not start the first game of the season but did take the most snaps of any quarterback on the Hokies. He improved his completion percentage 65 percent, maintained his yards per attempt with a slight decline to 8.9 yards per attempt, but had a worst touchdown to interception ration at 9 to 5. Hooker was still a weapon in the running game picking up 620 yards and 9 touchdowns for the season.

After two years of playing well but not being the sole starter at Virginia Tech, Hooker decided to enter the transfer portal. In early January he decided to transfer to Tennessee where he would be in an open competition for the starting spot. Tennessee has since hired Josh Heupel who will bring a high powered offensive scheme with him from UCF. Hooker will look to win the job and be the quarterback to run Heupel’s offense at Tennessee.

Hooker’s Tools

Hendon Hooker is a tall sturdy quarterback at 6’4″ 220 lbs. He has good arm strength, showing the ability to stretch the field vertically and sideline to sideline. Hooker is accurate with the football when he has time in the pocket and maintains his footwork. When Hooker reads the defense well he is comfortable with his decision making and makes good accurate throws on time. When he does not trust his reads, he is not as confident in his throws and his accuracy suffers. Hooker has the skill set to be a good passer if he is comfortable in the offensive scheme.

Hooker is a threat to change the game with his running ability. He can scramble on broken plays or run the ball on designed quarterback runs. Hooker has good acceleration and speed to get through the hole quickly and is a threat to score at any time. He is elusive in the open field making him difficult for defenders to tackle one on one. Hooker is a dangerous runner who has to be accounted for on every play.

Outlook at Tennessee

Tennessee is a program in transition again. Jeremy Pruitt has been fired and Josh Heupel is taking over the program. The Volunteers finished a disappointing season in which the team finished 3 – 7. Quarterback play was an issue for the Volunteers in 2020 and Heupel will need to find a quarterback he can count on to run his offense. Hooker will attempt to win the starting job and lead Tennessee in 2021, but with several key players moving on to the NFL or transferring out of the program, the Vols will need to find replacements quickly.

Leading rushers Eric Gray and Ty Chandler have transferred out of the program leaving a void in the backfield. Leading receiver Josh Palmer is off to the NFL and fellow receiver Brandon Johnson has transferred out for his final year of eligibility. On the offensive line, tackles Wanya Morris and Jahmir Johnson have also left the program. The departures of so many key contributors means Tennessee will need new players to step in on offense and perform at a high level.

The offensive scheme will be completely different than what the Vols ran in 2020. Heupel plays a fast paced offense that spreads the field and uses tempo to create match-ups that are favorable for the offense. With a quarterback like Hooker, who is a threat to beat the defense with his arm and legs, Tennessee should be able to create favorable match-ups on the perimeter. The offense can put defenders in conflict, helping the offensive line play with an advantage as well.

Hooker is not guaranteed to be the starter, but his skill set will give Tennessee the best chance to succeed in a year of roster turnover. He is a proven dual threat quarterback who can make plays when there is nothing there. Hooker may have committed to Tennessee before Heupel was hired, but the duo may end up benefiting one another in 2021.

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