It hasn’t taken long for Tennessee football fans to gravitate to new cornerback Colton Hood. Despite not getting to Knoxville until after the spring transfer window, Hood has become a fan favorite behind a strong start to his UT career.
On Wednesday, Nolan Whitehead, a Vols fan and artist, got the chance to meet Hood. He gave him a poster he drew of Hood as a gift in the interaction, as well.
Great to see Colton today and give him this awesome poster! pic.twitter.com/xECh5DLA2r
— Nolan Whitehead Art (@Nolan_W_Art) October 7, 2025
This isn’t the first time Hood has seen the art, either. A few weeks ago, Hood saw the drawing and gave it a shoutout on his X account.
This so tough https://t.co/zAskPlwhGQ
— Colton HOOD 🕴🏼💯 (@Colton_Hood2023) September 18, 2025
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Hood was expected to be a strong contributor to Tennessee’s secondary when he transferred in, especially considering McCoy’s recovery, but he has exceeded all expectations through the first portion of the season. The six-foot cornerback has established himself as a shutdown No. 1 cornerback and one of the best options in the country at the position.
As a result, Hood has found himself on a handful of mock drafts as a first-round pick.
Through five games, Hood has totalled 19 tackles, five passes defended and an interception. He has two touchdowns, one of which was a fumble return against Syracuse and the other a pick-six against Mississippi State on the road.
Prior to his time in Knoxville, Hood played last year at Colorado under Deion Sanders and alongside Heisman winner Travis Hunter. The year before that, he opened his career at Auburn.
This week, Hood and Tennessee will host Arkansas for another SEC clash. Kick off is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. ET and will air on the SEC Network.
