Where former Tennessee Vols QB Hendon Hooker lands in ESPN’s Top 100 college QBs of the 2000s
Hendon Hooker served as the Tennessee Vols’ starting quarterback in 2021 and 2022.
Hendon Hooker didn’t wear orange for long in college — he spent just two seasons with the Tennessee Vols after transferring from Virginia Tech — but he made quite an impact during his time on Rocky Top.
Hooker took over as the Vols’ starting quarterback in 2021 after Joe Milton was injured in Tennessee’s second game of the season.
The Greensboro, NC native led the Vols to an incredible 2022 season in his second year as a starter, guiding the Vols to memorable wins over Florida, LSU, and Alabama.
Hooker was the first Tennessee quarterback since Erik Ainge in 2004 to earn wins against Florida and Alabama in the same season (Nico Iamaleava also accomplished the feat in 2024).
It looked like Hooker, who was the SEC offensive player of the year in 2022, was on his way being a Heisman finalist during his final season at Tennessee, but a torn ACL against South Carolina in the Vols’ penultimate game of the regular season ended those hopes.
ESPN ranks the top 100 college quarterbacks of the 2000s
ESPN ranked the top 100 college quarterbacks of the 2000s this week and they have Hooker at No. 92.
“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,” wrote ESPN’s Bill Connelly. “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.”
Lists like this are always subjective, and I’m sure many Tennessee fans would like to see Hooker ranked higher, but the main that is that he was recognized as one of the best college quarterbacks of the 2000s.
Regardless of where Hooker is ranked on any list, his impact on Tennessee is undeniable — Hooker helped Tennessee football get back to a level that it hadn’t been at in nearly two decades.
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