As the college football offseason rolls along with fans waiting patiently for the start of spring training camp, ESPN’s Bill Connelly took on the massive task of ranking the Top 100 quarterbacks from the 2000s. Connelly notes that players are only added to the list at the completion of their collegiate careers, meaning that Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza is available for consideration.
Tennessee landed one player on the list, and it’s not hard to figure out who it was. VFL and former SEC Offensive Player of the Year Hendon Hooker comes in at No. 92 on the list, one spot ahead of BYU’s Max Hall (2007-2009) and one spot behind Washington’s Jake Browning (2015-2018).
Hooker’s entire collegiate career is noted as 2018 to 2022 with his time spent at Virginia Tech and Tennessee, but his career didn’t take off until he joined Josh Heupel’s inaugural roster at Tennessee. In three seasons at VT, Hooker threw for 2,894 passing yards with 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions. In 24 games at Tennessee in 2021 and 2022, though, he threw for 6,080 yards with 58 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He also ran for 1,046 yards and 10 touchdowns during his time on Rocky Top.
“He flashed potential in three seasons at Virginia Tech, but no one knew just what Hooker was capable of until he paired up with Josh Heupel at UT,” Connelly writes. “After a solid junior season, he threw for 3,135 yards and 27 TDs as a senior, but those were just 11-game totals — a serious Heisman contender, he tore an ACL against South Carolina, missed the last two games and finished fifth in voting instead.”
More From RTI: College Football Insider Looks Ahead to Vols’ Offseason Quarterback Battle Following Joey Aguilar Ruling
Hooker transferred to Tennessee ahead of Josh Heupel’s inaugural season in 2021. And while teammate and friend Joe Milton III initially got the start for the Vols’ 2021 season, Hooker was forced into action after an injury sidelined Milton. Hooker took the job and ran with it, which led him to become the Vols’ go-to starter for the rest of the season and the following one in 2022.
During Hooker’s memorable final season with the Vols, he threw for 3,135 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and two interceptions during his 11-game season before injury. He also racked up five touchdowns on the ground. Over the span of his two years, Hooker led the Vols to wins over LSU, Florida, Alabama, Kentucky, Pitt, and Vanderbilt.
His triumphant performance to help the Vols snap a 15-year losing streak over Alabama in 2022 will go down as one of Tennessee Football’s all-time great moments, and the celebration will be replayed for years on end.
Other notable names in Hooker’s quadrant of the rankings (75-100) include former Josh Heupel quarterback McKenzie Milton at No. 90, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders at No. 87, Georgia/Miami quarterback Carson Beck at No. 86, Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan at No. 85, Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott at No. 81, West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith at No. 79, Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron at No. 76, and Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett at No. 75.
Hooker was drafted in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He spent two seasons with Detroit before signing with the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad ahead of the 2025 season. Hooker finished the year with the New York Jets, being promoted to the active roster before the team’s regular-season finale against the Bills in early January.
Hooker recently returned to Rocky Top in February and was honored during a timeout at the Tennessee men’s basketball game against LSU.
VFL Hendon Hooker is back on Rocky Top and gets a roaring applause from the crowd at the Food City Center ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Uk1QtluhFx
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) February 15, 2026
