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Tennessee football: The case for and against each QB after three games

By Caleb Calhoun

Tennessee quarterbacks Hendon Hooker (5) and Joe Milton III (7) during morning football practice on campus on Friday, August 20, 2021.Kns Ut Football Practice Bp
Tennessee quarterbacks Hendon Hooker (5) and Joe Milton III (7) during morning football practice on campus on Friday, August 20, 2021.Kns Ut Football Practice Bp /
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Sep 11, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker (5) looks to pass the ball against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 11, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker (5) looks to pass the ball against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /

Hendon Hooker

33-of-47 (70.2%) for 392 yards (8.3 YPA); 18 carries for 113 yards (6.3 YPC)

6 total TDs (5 passing, 1 rushing); 4 total turnovers (1 INT, 3 fumbles)

The case for

Numbers don’t lie. Hendon Hooker has the highest completion percentage, yards per passing attempt, yards per rush and most touchdowns. His PFF grade overall so far for the season is the highest of any other quarterback on Tennessee football’s roster.

It’s clear that Hooker’s experience is paying off as the one guy who played in a non-pro style offense before this year, in Justin Fuente’s spread with the Virginia Tech Hokies for three years. Hooker is mobile enough for the added element to Josh Heupel’s offense. He’s the second most mobile and second most accurate quarterback, as his intermediate routes are always on point.

The case against

Although Hooker is the most accurate of the mobile quarterbacks, he’s not the best decision maker of the group. There’s a reason that against the Pittsburgh Panthers, he had the exact same PFF grade as Joe Milton III, per Rocky Top Insider. Sure, his PFF grade against TTU was better than Milton’s against the Bowling Green Falcons, but TTU is much worse.

Pitt is the one game you can measure for both. Hooker made the poor decision to hand off the ball on an RPO on 4th and 1 inside the Pitt 10 late with a chance to score. He then made a bad decision that resulted in an interception on the next drive. His turnovers are a problem, and he had two overthrows against TTU as well, so it’s not like his accuracy is always there.

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