The Tennessee Vols are currently the No. 8 team in the nation thanks in large part to quarterback Hendon Hooker.

Hooker has been a revelation for the Vols since arriving as a transfer from Virginia Tech in early 2021.

The Greensboro, NC native has only thrown two interceptions since taking over as the starting quarterback last season. And he's yet to throw an interception this season (he's accounted for 11 total touchdowns this year).

Hooker is firmly entrenched as a Heisman Trophy contender this season. As long as he continues to play at his current pace, and as long as Tennessee keeps winning games, he'll be on the stage in New York in December.

The fact Hooker is even suiting up for the Vols should be considered somewhat surprising.

When Hooker transferred to Tennessee, Jeremy Pruitt was the head coach and Jim Chaney was the offensive coordinator.

Flash forward a few weeks and Pruitt was fired due to an NCAA recruiting investigation and Josh Heupel was hired as Tennessee's head coach. Heupel obviously didn't retain Chaney, which meant Hooker was facing a completely different situation at UT than he signed up for.

But instead of transferring again, Hooker decided to stay and stick it out.

That was partially because of former Vols quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke, who was still employed by Tennessee after Pruitt was fired (Pruitt was fired 11 days after Hooker announced his intentions to transfer to UT).

According to a recent article from CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd, Hooker and his family considered transferring again because of the instability at Tennessee. Weinke, however, urged them to stay.

From CBS Sports:

The Hookers sensed instability. When they asked, "Do we need to look someplace else?" Tennessee quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke urged them to stay put.

That says a lot about Weinke. Fans didn't love him as a position coach at UT — the quarterbacks under Weinke never seemed to improve — but he did right by the program when it came to Hooker.

Weinke certainly knew his days on Rocky Top were numbered. He's been around football at the collegiate and professional levels his whole life — he knows what a coaching change entails. And he knew he wouldn't be coaching Hooker at Tennessee in 2021 or 2022.

But he still did his job as an employee at the time. And if not for his insistence that Hooker stick around in Knoxville, maybe Hooker isn't playing for the Vols right now.

It's funny how things work out sometimes.

Who would've thought that Weinke, despite his troubles as an assistant at Tennessee, would be partially responsible for the Vols' success in 2022?

Certainly not me.

Featured image via Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK