Hendon Hooker is fluid on the football subject and cellular in NFL meeting rooms, where he’s been hurdling issues about his age, health and fitness and enjoying design.
The 25-yr-outdated former Tennessee quarterback who tore the ACL in his still left knee considerably less than five months in the past has used his predraft visits with groups outlining the complexity of the Volunteers’ seemingly simplistic unfold offense. It can be a person that has lifted considerations about how his recreation will translate to the execs, the place he’ll have to study the complete subject and not lock in on his major focus on so a great deal.
“I can make any toss,” Hooker mentioned. “The way we operate our offense, the broad splits, those are all developed-men throws. I am not throwing any 5-garden outs. Individuals are all significant-boy balls.”
Hooker pounces at issues about how he’ll do in a professional design and style offense.
“I cannot aid that defenders won’t be able to guard my receivers. My job is to get them the ball,” Hooker explained. “A whole lot of these queries about one-sided reads, we have pure progressions and routes. It’s not my fault that my to start with read is acquiring open.”
And really don’t be fooled, Hooker added, you can find a good deal heading on beneath that cool demeanor of his that would make it seem to be like he’s just leisurely playing catch.
Hooker figures to be the fifth quarterback selected in the NFL draft later on this month, behind absolutely sure-fireplace 1st-rounders Bryce Youthful, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis and Anthony Richardson.
“I seriously like Hendon Hooker,” NFL Community draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah claimed, citing his accuracy, acumen and adjustability.
Hooker’s age — he’ll flip 26 by the conclusion of his rookie year — and health and fitness — he tore the ACL in his still left knee in a sport from South Carolina on Nov. 19 — have quite a few predicting that he’ll slide into the next spherical. But Jeremiah has him likely to the Vikings at No. 23 in his newest mock draft.
The 2022 SEC Offensive Participant of the Yr used a few many years at Virginia Tech and the past two at Tennessee.
Patrick Mahomes is just two years more mature than Hooker but has now played 6 NFL seasons and received a pair of Tremendous Bowl rings. Jalen Hurts is 24 and has a few years’ NFL practical experience and a Super Bowl visual appeal.
“If you advised me you draft Hendon Hooker in the 2nd round and he is your beginning quarterback or 7, 8 truly very good several years, I assume you take it,” Jeremiah said. “I consider Hendon Hooker has a possibility to be a actual price choose for anyone.”
Hooker could conclusion up sitting a year powering an recognized starter, much too, a thing that would assuage any worries about his surgically fixed knee.
The a lot more pressing worry is how Hooker’s sport will translate to the future amount right after functioning in Tennessee’s tremendous unfold offense, where he experienced to get the ball out lickety-split and hardly ever arrived off his very first read.
Placing that style aside, “I’ll just say when you are evaluating him, the accuracy, the selection-building, the poise, the athleticism to be ready to go around and generate with his legs, to toss as nicely as to operate, all people things are all there,” Jeremiah siad.
At Tennessee, Hooker was what scouts contact a “half-discipline reader.”
ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay figures that was additional a product or service of Josh Heupel’s offense than a flaw in Hooker’s recreation.
“The reviews from each and every workforce I’ve talked to about him is he is accomplished a terrific work acquiring on the board and understands concepts and can go again to his Virginia Tech playbook and recite almost everything like he was actively playing in it yesterday,” McShay reported. “That’s section of why it is so essential with the quarterbacks to have individual time, private exercises, non-public meetings, to definitely review their mind and how they learn.”
Hooker relished exhibiting off his football acumen on the white boards.
“Any time I walk previous a mirror and there’s an Expo marker, I’m heading to attract on the mirror,” Hooker said. “Which is just one thing I delight in doing since I love the match of soccer.”
Heupel claimed the offense Hooker was requested to run at Tennessee was not as simplistic as it seemed.
“I’m not guaranteed any one in college or university football has additional on their plate than Hendon does,” Heupel mentioned. “Then, you toss in the tempo that we play at, you have acquired to be a quick conclusion-maker, you have bought to recognize defensive framework incredibly promptly. … He controlled the entire recreation on just about every one enjoy. I assume that puts him in a wonderful place to be capable to changeover at the subsequent amount and handle all which is coming at him.”
Heupel reported the intangibles this sort of as leadership and charisma are what will make Hooker somebody’s franchise quarterback.
“I’ve never been around any individual that is been a stronger or extra impactful chief than Hendon Hooker is,” Heupel stated. “Our plan is not exactly where it is at now except Hendon is a component of our locker space.”
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AP Professional Soccer Author Teresa Walker in Nashville contributed.
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