Week 6 of the college football season is in the books, and most teams are now past the halfway point in their season. By now, the line between contender and pretender is pretty clear, and Tennessee appears to be a contender for the first time in a long time. The Volunteers are rolling right now, and quarterback Hendon Hooker is the main reason why.
After showing terrific promise last season, Hooker has emerged as one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Through five games, Hooker sits near the top of the SEC in nearly every passing stat, including third in yards and fourth in touchdowns. He also leads the conference with a 179.5 passer rating, even beating out Alabama's Bryce Young, last season's Heisman winner.
With Hooker leading the Vols' resurgence, he has picked up serious traction as a Heisman contender. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, he now has the third-best odds to win the award, behind only Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and USC's Caleb Williams. If he continues his pace, he will undoubtedly be a finalist, and may even win the Heisman.
If Hendon Hooker isn't in the Top 3 of your Heisman Trophy lists, you're doing it wrong.
— Barrett Sallee 🇺🇸 (@BarrettSallee) October 8, 2022
Here are a few reasons why Hendon Hooker could win the Heisman Trophy at season's end.
3. Tennessee is winning big games
Any team looking to be the best has to beat the best, and Tennessee has done that so far this season. The Volunteers have three top 25 wins this season, beating Pittsburgh, Florida and LSU. All of those teams have fallen out of the poll recently, but that is still an impressive set of wins, especially considering two of them were on the road.
The real test for the Vols is coming up, with a matchup against Alabama on Saturday. The Tide have looked very vulnerable at points this season, needing last-minute heroics to beat both Texas and Texas A&M. Tennessee has a great chance to knock off Alabama for the first time since 2006, especially if Young is not able to go again.
Then on Nov. 5, the Vols travel to face defending national champion Georgia. The Bulldogs have also looked vulnerable this season, including trailing against lowly Missouri for most of the game. Tennessee last beat Georgia in 2016, and that game in Athens became an instant classic.
October 1, 2016: After Jacob Eason throws a 48-yard TD to Riley Ridley w/ 10 seconds left to give Georgia the lead, Josh Dobbs hits Jauan Jennings for a walk off hail mary TD and a 34-31 Tennessee win. pic.twitter.com/8vtXG78Fx6
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) October 1, 2022
Even if the Vols only win one of these games, they will have one of the most impressive resumes in the country. That not only bodes well for their playoff chances, but also Hendon Hooker's Heisman campaign.
2. The Volunteers' offense is unstoppable
Tennessee's offense has been arguably the best in the nation this season. The Vols are first in the country in total yards per game (547.8), second in points per game (46.8) and seventh in passing yards per game (340.4). This isn't just due to beating up on bad teams either, as Tennessee has played one of the tougher schedules this season.
Hendon Hooker has undoubtedly been the engine that makes this offense run. Through five games, the redshirt senior has 1,432 yards and 10 touchdowns passing, plus 231 yards and three scores rushing. That averages out to 332.6 total yards per game, over 60% of the Vols' total yards as a team.
Heisman voters love dual-threat quarterbacks who account for most of their team's yardage. Kyler Murray, Lamar Jackson and Marcus Mariota are just a few of the running QBs who have won the award over the last decade. If Hooker keeps up this kind of production, he could join them very soon.
1. Hendon Hooker is remarkably efficient
Hooker began his college career at Virginia Tech, where he was good but not great. In two seasons with the Hokies, Hooker completed 63.1% of his passes for 2,894 yards, 22 touchdowns and seven picks. Those are solid numbers for sure, but not Heisman-worthy by any stretch.
Since transferring to Tennessee, though, Hooker has elevated his game considerably. In the last two seasons, he has completed 68.7% of his passes for 4,377 yards, 41 touchdowns and only three picks, including none this season. Those numbers aren't just Heisman-worthy, they would make Aaron Rodgers jealous.
Just comparing Hooker's stats this season to some of the country's other top QBs reveals how good he has been. He has a better completion percentage than Young, Williams, Stetson Bennett and DJ Uiagalelei, and a better quarterback rating than all of them as well. The only reason he lags behind in yards and touchdowns is because he has already had his bye week, whereas none of those other QBs have had theirs.
From nearly every statistical standpoint, Hooker is one of the best quarterbacks and players in college football. He should be a Heisman finalist at the very least, and he might even become Tennessee's first Heisman winner.
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