This time last year, Hendon Hooker was growing into his role as Tennessee’s starting quarterback and enduring some bumps along the way, most notably a 24-point loss at Florida and a 28-point loss at Alabama.
And now?
“He’s become a guy who’s operating as highly and as effectively as anybody in the country,” Volunteers coach Josh Heupel said.
In guiding the Vols to their 8-0 start that now includes No. 1 status in the College Football Playoff rankings, Hooker has completed 156 of 219 attempts (71.2%) for 2,338 yards with 21 touchdowns and one interception. His efficiency rating of 191.64 ranks second nationally to Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and would break Tennessee’s single-season mark of 181.41 that he set last year.
The 6-foot-4, 218-pounder from Greensboro, North Carolina, has tallied 52 touchdown tosses against just four picks in 21 games with the Vols and apparently has done all that while keeping a level head, which will be needed Saturday when they face reigning national champion Georgia in Athens.
“I have not seen him lose his cool,” Vols quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle said. “He is extremely competitive, so you are going to see him compete at a really high level. He can be fiery, like when you saw him score on that option that he ran the other night. He was jacked up going in there, but then he comes over to the sideline, jumps on the headset and he is right back down to himself.
“He has the fire and the competitiveness that you want, but it never takes him to the point where it makes him play outside of his game.”
Hooker’s consistency and demeanor continue to keep him atop the Heisman Trophy landscape, and this weekend provides yet another gargantuan stage. He has stepped up in every challenge this season, shrugging off a frustrating second half at Pittsburgh to find Cedric Tillman for the winning 28-yard connection in overtime, and his five touchdown passes to Jalin Hyatt in the 52-49 topping of Alabama will forever rate high in Vols lore.
There has been no backtracking in performance for Tennessee this season, and the same can be said for its field general.
“Hendon’s development since we’ve gotten here is a great story,” Heupel said. “As a leader, especially this past offseason, you could see him being comfortable and confident in his own skin. From the first day we got here to who he is now, he has just fundamentally completely changed who he is. The platform in the pocket. The ability to suddenly move in the pocket and find the soft spot.
“He keeps his eyes down the field and is in a good position to deliver the football, and then you pair that with his football IQ and his understanding of what we’re doing and his understanding of defenses. That’s at a completely different level compared to when we first got here.”
Hooker arrived at Tennessee after four seasons at Virginia Tech. He committed to play in Knoxville under former coach Jeremy Pruitt and was beaten out by Michigan transfer Joe Milton III before last year’s opener against Bowling Green, so there was early adversity to overcome at his new locale.
“The biggest thing for me was understanding what the coaches wanted to accomplish, being very decisive in my decision making and communicating at a high level,” Hooker said. “I’ve always just wanted to get the ball to the playmakers and let them do what they do.”
Hooker has done that and more this season, as the Vols will head to Georgia leading the nation with 553.0 yards and 49.4 points per game.
“As you start having success, especially in this style of offense, a lot of guys start to get greedy,” Halzle said. “You are not seeing that from him at all. You are seeing him check the ball down. You are seeing him find his tight ends and his backs. It would be easy just to drop back and try to throw it as far as you can to Jalin, but he is throwing it deep when it makes sense.”
Said Georgia coach Kirby Smart: “You think of the reps and the games he’s played since our game last year. He’s just as elusive and has the same arm talent. It’s his decision making and his processing that improves, and the guys around him are playing much better, too.”
Wright semifinalist
Tennessee senior right tackle Darnell Wright is one of 12 semifinalists for the Lombardi Award, which is given annually to college football’s top offensive or defensive lineman.
Wright is just the fifth Vols player to be named a Lombardi semifinalist, joining Chip Kell (1970), Reggie White (1983), John Henderson (2001) and Jesse Mahelona (2005).
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.