Can you believe the final week of the regular season in college football is here? It just seems like yesterday when I was preparing for Notre Dame and Ohio State in week one. It always breezes by each season. One team that’s been taking the country by storm has been the Tennessee Volunteers. They started the year 8-0 and have been one of the best offensive teams in the country. This is what you get from a Josh Heupel coached team. This Volunteers 0ffense has been anchored by a Quarterback named Hendon Hooker. When I previewed Florida and Tennessee back in September, I watched the tape on him and was impressed. Against the Alabama Crimson Tide in October, he put this team on his back led them to a win over a Nick Saban coached team. Hendon was making a case as a Heisman candidate. Today, the news came out that the star Quarterback will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL.
Hendon has been one of the best Quarterbacks in the country this year. I love the competitive nature he plays with and he’s always looking to make the best possible play to put his team in the best position to win the football game. Hendon is as pure of a passer as they come. With a clean pocket, he’s as pure of a passer as they come. When Hendon throws the football, it’s a flick of the wrist and he puts the ball in the perfect spot for his intended receiver to make the catch. Sometimes, the ball just falls right in the breadbasket. When it comes to throwing the deep ball down the field, Hendon ranks at the top of the list and it’s not even close. He throws the ball down the field so effortlessly and with a perfect spiral. Let’s talk about the mobility he displays. Hendon isn’t always looking to run first, and I say that because he wants to drop back in the pocket to throw the football. He makes all his reads and progressions, then when the play breaks down, he uses his feet to extend the play or get those additional yards. This is a big kid. He’s 6’4 and weighs 222 pounds. He’s quick and electric with his feet. Hendon plays with strong pocket awareness and puts more than enough touch on his passes. When I first watched him, I compared him to Randall Cunningham. I also see Deshaun Watson in his game with how he moves and how he throws the football.
I’m absolutely devastated for this kid. He was having such a great season and was a key reason why the Volunteers were ranked as highly as they were. They were upset last night at the hands of the South Carolina Gamecocks. They lost their chances to make the College Football Playoff and they ended up losing their best player. That’s an unfortunate double loss. I wish Hendon a speedy recovery and I hope to see him back on the field in the future.
