Who Is Hendon Hooker? Get To Know The 2023 NFL Draft Prospect

Hendon Hooker, the quarterback for Tennessee, declared that he will start his new chapter by signing up for the National Football League draft.

“Two years ago, the people of Tennessee took in a graduate transfer quarterback looking to make his mark. I am proud of the legacy we leave behind. My hope is we made those before us proud and that we inspired those who will follow in our footsteps,” Hooker’s tweet said.

Who Is Hendon Hooker? Get To Know The 2023 NFL Draft Prospect

Hendon Hooker, a quarterback, has become one of the most sought-after prospects in the 2023 draught class after mostly going unnoticed throughout the pre-draft period. The Tennessee standout was unable to impress scouts at the NFL Scouting Combine or the Volunteers’ pro day because of his continued recuperation from a season-ending ACL injury. However, it appears that football gurus are now watching his footage because he has recently shot up ranks.

Hooker is a dart thrower with the ability to deliver the football with touch, timing, and anticipation at short and intermediate range. Over his last two collegiate seasons, he accumulated 6,080 throwing yards and a 58:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. In addition to his precise changeup pitches, he also throws high-arching rainbow tosses that fall from the sky into the arms of fleet-footed pass catchers running various vertical routes.

Hooker, who transferred from Virginia Tech, demonstrated in Knoxville that he can pound defences like a world-class fighter by using jabs (dink-and-dunk throws) and right hooks (deep balls) to make opponents defend every blade of turf from sideline to sideline and end zone to end zone. The 25-year-old is a plug-and-play talent at the next level thanks to his composure, patience, and accuracy.

Hooker’s journey has been long and arduous; at one point, he was only a minor footnote in the annals of contemporary college football. The sixth-year senior and former four-star prospect started his college career at Virginia Tech, where he redshirted in 2017. He would be a solid backup in 2018 before becoming a starter in 2019.

Under head coach Justin Fuente, Hooker offered some consistency at quarterback, especially in 2019. Hooker completed 99 of 162 attempts that year, completing the throw for 1,555 yards, 13 touchdowns, and two interceptions. However, everything went south in 2020, and Hooker quickly shifted to Tennessee to start over. In Knoxville, he acquired it and more.

In 2021, Hooker made a name for himself. Hooker completed 206 of 302 throws for 2,945 yards, 31 touchdowns, and just three interceptions in his debut season alongside Josh Heupel. His level of productivity was almost unmatched, and he continued it through 2022.

Hooker completed 229 of 329 pass attempts for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns, and only two interceptions in the 11 games he played this past season, improving his career TD:INT ratio with the Volunteers to 58:5. Additionally, he added more than 400 yards and five more scores while rushing.

 

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