Tennessee football vs. Ole Miss: Five key Vols to watch for against Rebels
Redshirt senior. 839. Pick Analysis. Quarterback. 2. player. Scouting Report. Hendon Hooker
6’4″ 218 pounds
Okay, so we’re getting cliche again, but who cares? This is a battle of two elite quarterbacks in the SEC, and Hendon Hooker will be playing to prove he’s on Matt Corral’s level. Hooker had another insanely efficient game last week, and he has now completed 78 of 112 passes on the year (69.6 percent) for 1,063 yards (9.5 yards per attempt), 13 touchdowns and just one interception.
In the first quarter against South Carolina, Hooker led Tennessee football to a 28-0 lead with three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. Hooker has 66 carries for another 282 yards and three touchdowns on the year, meaning he has 16 touchdowns and just three turnovers in total, and he hasn’t had a turnover in his last three games.
Taking all that into account, Hooker will be more crucial than a quarterback usually is in a game like this, and they are usually crucial in shootouts, which we expect to see. Ole Miss’ recent struggles against mobile quarterbacks makes his role even bigger.
Last week, Arkansas quarterback K.J. Jefferson had 326 yards passing, 85 yards rushing and six total touchdowns. Could Hooker pull off a similar feat this weekend? If he does, the Vols could be in great position to pull off the upset.