Tennessee graduate transfer quarterback Hendon Hooker's effectiveness and productivity are not only benefiting this season's Volunteers but could impact the program down the road on the recruiting front.
Vols first-year coach Josh Heupel arrived in January with a track record of developing quarterbacks such as Oklahoma's Sam Bradford and Landry Jones, Missouri's Drew Lock, and Central Florida's McKenzie Milton and Dillon Gabriel. Yet recruiting always has a here-and-now element, and Hooker's meteoric rise since arriving from Virginia Tech and learning under Heupel, offensive coordinator Alex Golesh and quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle is certainly a selling point that Heupel can add to his understudy list.
"You can see the style of offense now," Heupel said Thursday during a news conference. "It's one thing to talk about it when I first got here, but now recruits have an opportunity at all positions to see what we're doing and our ability to have an explosive offensive style of play and the quarterback development that they're going to receive here.
"Our track record of quarterback play at the highest level from the different stops that I've had - you can see that it's going to happen here, too. Hendon is a guy who was in the portal, and he's playing at a really efficient level right now and continues to grow fundamentally."
Heading into Saturday night's game at No. 18 Kentucky, the 6-foot-4, 218-pound Hooker ranks fourth nationally in efficiency, having completed 114 of 166 passes (68.7%) for 1,578 yards with 17 touchdowns and two interceptions. The dual-threat talent also has rushed 102 times for 417 yards (4.1 per carry) and four scores to headline an offense that has scored 299 points through eight games, the most for the program since Peyton Manning's sophomore season in 1995.
Hooker actually decided on Tennessee as his transfer destination when Jeremy Pruitt was coach and never wavered like the four quarterbacks from last season - Jarrett Guarantano, J.T. Shrout, Brian Maurer and Harrison Bailey - ultimately did. Bailey became the last of those four to enter the NCAA transfer portal, doing so last week.
When asked last week about what he appreciates most with his new staff, Hooker said: "They've helped me the most with my confidence and just going out there and playing my game. They've encouraged me to go out there and have fun."
Tennessee already has four-star quarterback Tayven Jackson (6-4, 195) of Greenwood, Indiana, committed for the 2022 recruiting cycle, but Hooker's productive year in Heupel's system would likely resonate more with those looking to enter the NCAA portal or with younger prospects starting the decision process.
"Hendon's growth as a player should speak to the potential for some of these guys who are coming in here to have big-time careers," Heupel said.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.