Tennessee football 2021 highlights: Top 10 plays of the season

1. Hendon Hooker 75-yard touchdown pass to JaVonta Payton at Kentucky

There were tons of big plays we could have picked from on the year, but none stood out more than Hendon Hooker hitting JaVonta Payton for a 75-yard score against the Kentucky Wildcats. That was the first play of the game, and Payton, true to form immediately ran it back for a score.

All of these plays against Kentucky made a huge difference, but Payton’s first play set the tone. As we already mentioned, Tennessee football was nothing but a highlight reel in that game altogether. One drive after Payton, Velus Jones Jr. had a 72-yard touchdown catch.

There were also other huge plays by Payton on the year. He had another 75-yard touchdown reception at the Florida Gators, and he had a 58-yard score against Alabama. Both of them deserve a mention on this post.

These big plays were a huge part of Hendon Hooker’s success, as the dual-threat quarterback was impressive the whole season. However, his pass to Payton against Kentucky stood out over all the other ones in a big way.

That score made the difference for Tennessee football, it happened on the first play of the game, and it exemplified both Hooker and Payton this year. Payton had six touchdowns on 18 catches, and Hooker averaged 9.75 yards per passing attempt. This play was all of that in a nutshell.