Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee

[Superman]

Report on Hendon Hooker here. I'll share some clips in the links at the bottom.

 

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/hendon-hooker-1.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hendon_Hooker

 

Basic info: Born in January 1998, he is already 25 years old (that makes him a year and a half older than Will Levis; he's two months older than Justin Herbert, seven months older than Jalen Hurts). The start of his career was rough, as he redshirted at Virginia Tech in 2017, rode the bench in 2018, was mostly the starter in 2019, then 2020 was upset by Covid. He transferred to Tennessee in 2021, where he started two seasons, so he was a college player for six seasons. His final year was cut short by an ACL injury, in November. His father -- Alan Hooker -- played QB for NC A&T, and is in their Hall of Fame. Hendon wrote a kid-themed scripture book with his brother, Alston, who plays QB at NC A&T like their father.

 

Size/body: Listed at 6'4", 218 pounds, he's long with a good frame, but has room to put on more size and muscle. (Similar body composition to CJ Stroud.) He handles contact reasonably well, even bouncing off of defenders in the pocket at times. He could play with more balance, but I don't think that's a strength/power issue, more a footwork thing. His ACL was a non contact injury. 7/10

 

Movement/athleticism: His open field running is awkward and gangly, but he can move. Several plays of him running away from linebackers and giving DBs trouble, and he has enough wiggle to make good defenders miss, although he over relies on a not-impressive spin move that's gotten him cracked a few times. In the pocket, he moves well, has quick feet, repositions himself away from pressure, usually stays balanced but can be knocked off center by contact. When he gets ready to run, he can get out of the pocket quickly enough. He ran a lot of read option and keepers, and was always a threat to use his legs. He's effective as a runner, but not quite explosive. 7/10

 

Throwing ability: His arm strength is completely adequate for running an NFL offense, even though he's not exactly blasting the ball all over the place like some other guys can. When his feet are right and he can step into it, he can get the ball 55+ yards down the field, but he needs to put more arc on the ball than I'd prefer, and it might give defenders extra time to recover. His velocity and zip are not overly impressive, but at times he can drive the ball to the second level. He doesn't really throw big boy out-breaking routes, but I think the ability is there when his footwork is right. He isn't necessarily changing arm angles or doing anything extra creative, but he does have a consistent, quick release. 7/10

 

Accuracy: Generally capable of putting the ball where his receivers can get it, but I would not call him a precise passer. Most of what the Vols offense does is spread the WRs way out and run big routes up field and across the middle, so lots of his throws were to big, open windows, with a lot of room for error. However, there are slants and tight crossers where he shows some good aim. At times his throws will sail too high, or come in low at the receiver's feet, sometimes he'll be off target left or right, and these are usually issues with mechanics. When under pressure, accuracy suffers. I had to specifically seek out his interceptions, just five in 24 games at Tennessee, INT % of 0.08, which is crazy. 7/10

 

Mechanics/footwork: As a nitpick, I think his base gets too wide, and that's with him almost always operating out of shotgun (like Bryce Young, I can't find any snaps under center). His rhythm gets thrown off at times, sometimes he gets out of sequence, he'll stay on his toes rather than planting to throw, even keeping his front leg up like a pitcher until the last second, which causes rushed throws and prevents him from transferring his weight and driving the ball. When this happens, his throws tend to sail. After movement in the pocket, his base can be a mess, and he doesn't consistently re-establish. Bad habit at times of bouncing in the pocket for no reason, which undermines his eye level, and causes inaccuracy. Generally his arm mechanics are sound, he has a quick release and usually doesn't strain to get the ball downfield, though I think he has an average-ish max to his throwing distance. Despite some glitches, he's generally a smooth thrower. 7/10

 

Processing/anticipation/vision: The Vols offense doesn't call for very much of this from him. The WRs usually line up in very wide splits, sometimes so wide you can't even see them in the broadcast view, often in a stack or bunch formation. They run lots of switch release routes, which calls for defensive cushion and prevents DBs from playing man or disrupting the timing, and in breaking routes tend to come open soon enough. Almost every pass play is a half field read, and Hooker does a good job of throwing decisively, but there isn't much for him to figure out -- just see the open man, throw the ball. He can throw with some anticipation, but it's not super impressive when we know how far spread out the defensive help is. There are some plays where he knows to wait for the second window, or sees a coverage bust coming and makes the defense pay over the top. But it's mostly 'check with me' pre-snap decisions, where he has to choose whether to throw it short or deep. His ability to process and operate in a pro style offense is unknown, and that's pretty rare now when "pro style" is basically the same as college; this is difficult to project. To his credit, he rarely gets fooled or puts the ball in danger. When he holds the ball longer, it usually leads to pressure or hits. 4/10

 

Pocket presence: It's a little hit/miss for him here. Sometimes he moves decisively and effectively in the pocket, sensing pressure adjusting, reloading, all while keeping two hands on the ball and his eyes downfield. Other times he'll stand like a statue, oblivious to pressure, and get blasted. He's generally good at protecting the ball in the pocket, and maybe because it's a quick read offense, he mostly doesn't wait too long before taking off and running. There are a couple of fumbles that result from carelessness. 6/10

 

Intangibles: He intended to transfer from Virginia Tech after basically not playing in 2018, but returned, and eventually won the starting job for most of the season. Seems like Josh Heupel got a lot out of him at Tennessee, but I'm not sure what went into his decision to stay for 2022, given his age. Speaking of which, this is going to be a major concern for some people, because he could easily be topped out, and he needs to change his approach dramatically to succeed in the NFL. In a way, he could be a bigger project than a guy like Richardson, especially when you factor in the knee injury. Seems like a solid character guy who knows what he wants and will compete to get it, also seems mature and level headed. 6/10

 

Projection: One of the more difficult projections and comparisons for me, mostly because everything at Tennessee makes the game so easy for the QB. I don't think he's extra athletic, talented, dynamic, accurate, or tough, but he's been very effective and productive the last two seasons, and he generally looks good doing it. He's going to have some technical issues, but they seem minor. Reminds me a little of Marcus Mariota, not as dynamic, but similarly capable as a passer, and with similar question marks about how his talent will translate to the NFL. He's going to miss most of his rookie offseason while rehabbing his knee. By the beginning of his second season, he'll be nearly 27 years old, and if he's not locked in to pro style offense, he just won't make it. 

 

https://forums.colts.com/topic/74880-will-levis-qb-kentucky/

https://forums.colts.com/topic/74915-bryce-young-qb-alabama/

https://forums.colts.com/topic/74975-cj-stroud-qb-ohio-state/

https://forums.colts.com/topic/75019-anthony-richardson-qb-florida/

 

No more reports for me right now. Time for the Combine. I'll add some revised thoughts in all of these threads over the next two months.

 

I hope all these links work this time...

Vs LSU, 1:33, 50 yards in the air, outstanding

Vs LSU, 2:24, completely oblivious to the pressure, gets blasted

Vs LSU,4:34,  little flat throw, slightly off target

Vs LSU, 4:48, keeper, nice wiggle and open speed

Vs Bama, 0:19, one read, never looks left, takes off, but the athleticism is shown

 

Vs Bama, 0:38, quick pocket movement, doesn’t reestablish his base, stays on toes, the throw dies on him

Vs Bama, 1:09, quick decision, go route, accurate throw, TD (btw, Jalin Hyatt is all over this game tape)

Vs Bama, 2:54, bad habit of bouncing for no reason, probably affected his accuracy here

Vs Bama, 3:23, never looks left, gets sacked

Vs Bama, 4:22, another bad habit, he keeps his left foot up until the last minute, often fails to reestablish his base and drive the throw

Vs Bama, 5:25, this looks like the limit of his arm, but an amazing throw 

Vs Bama, 8:51, I guess this is processing? Still very wide splits, but watch the replay which shows him waiting for the 2nd window throw
Vs Florida, 0:34, quick look-off to the right, comes back across the middle

[ChuggaBeer]

Thanks for doing all of these.  After looking at all the QB's can you list in order who you think  best fits the Colts?   

[stitches]

Thanks for your reports @Superman. I will add some thoughts below:

13 hours ago, Superman said:

Report on Hendon Hooker here. I'll share some clips in the links at the bottom.

 

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/hendon-hooker-1.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hendon_Hooker

 

Basic info: Born in January 1998, he is already 25 years old (that makes him a year and a half older than Will Levis; he's two months older than Justin Herbert, seven months older than Jalen Hurts). The start of his career was rough, as he redshirted at Virginia Tech in 2017, rode the bench in 2018, was mostly the starter in 2019, then 2020 was upset by Covid. He transferred to Tennessee in 2021, where he started two seasons, so he was a college player for six seasons. His final year was cut short by an ACL injury, in November. His father -- Alan Hooker -- played QB for NC A&T, and is in their Hall of Fame. Hendon wrote a kid-themed scripture book with his brother, Alston, who plays QB at NC A&T like their father.

 

Size/body: Listed at 6'4", 218 pounds, he's long with a good frame, but has room to put on more size and muscle. (Similar body composition to CJ Stroud.) He handles contact reasonably well, even bouncing off of defenders in the pocket at times. He could play with more balance, but I don't think that's a strength/power issue, more a footwork thing. His ACL was a non contact injury. 7/10

He was measured 6'3 5/8" 208lbs at the Senior Bowl. Kind of thin, but it's possible him being unable to work out is part of the reason. 

 

13 hours ago, Superman said:

 

Movement/athleticism: His open field running is awkward and gangly, but he can move. Several plays of him running away from linebackers and giving DBs trouble, and he has enough wiggle to make good defenders miss, although he over relies on a not-impressive spin move that's gotten him cracked a few times. In the pocket, he moves well, has quick feet, repositions himself away from pressure, usually stays balanced but can be knocked off center by contact. When he gets ready to run, he can get out of the pocket quickly enough. He ran a lot of read option and keepers, and was always a threat to use his legs. He's effective as a runner, but not quite explosive. 7/10

Yeah, he looks like above average QB. He made plays with his feet both to run and to pass. I think he has enough movement skill to be successful in the NFL on the move. But I agree... it's not spectacular or incredibly dynamic like Richardson for example... or hell, even Levis probably... 

13 hours ago, Superman said:

Throwing ability: His arm strength is completely adequate for running an NFL offense, even though he's not exactly blasting the ball all over the place like some other guys can. When his feet are right and he can step into it, he can get the ball 55+ yards down the field, but he needs to put more arc on the ball than I'd prefer, and it might give defenders extra time to recover. His velocity and zip are not overly impressive, but at times he can drive the ball to the second level. He doesn't really throw big boy out-breaking routes, but I think the ability is there when his footwork is right. He isn't necessarily changing arm angles or doing anything extra creative, but he does have a consistent, quick release. 7/10

 

Similar to his athleticism/movement his arm strength is good but I wouldn't say exceptional. Again. agree with your overall assessment. 

13 hours ago, Superman said:

Accuracy: Generally capable of putting the ball where his receivers can get it, but I would not call him a precise passer. Most of what the Vols offense does is spread the WRs way out and run big routes up field and across the middle, so lots of his throws were to big, open windows, with a lot of room for error. However, there are slants and tight crossers where he shows some good aim. At times his throws will sail too high, or come in low at the receiver's feet, sometimes he'll be off target left or right, and these are usually issues with mechanics. When under pressure, accuracy suffers. I had to specifically seek out his interceptions, just five in 24 games at Tennessee, INT % of 0.08, which is crazy. 7/10

I thought he was pretty accurate from what I saw... him throwing to a lot of big open windows might be part of it. I'd probably give him 8 here... but I wouldn't fight the 7 you gave him. 

 

13 hours ago, Superman said:

Mechanics/footwork: As a nitpick, I think his base gets too wide, and that's with him almost always operating out of shotgun (like Bryce Young, I can't find any snaps under center). His rhythm gets thrown off at times, sometimes he gets out of sequence, he'll stay on his toes rather than planting to throw, even keeping his front leg up like a pitcher until the last second, which causes rushed throws and prevents him from transferring his weight and driving the ball. When this happens, his throws tend to sail. After movement in the pocket, his base can be a mess, and he doesn't consistently re-establish. Bad habit at times of bouncing in the pocket for no reason, which undermines his eye level, and causes inaccuracy. Generally his arm mechanics are sound, he has a quick release and usually doesn't strain to get the ball downfield, though I think he has an average-ish max to his throwing distance. Despite some glitches, he's generally a smooth thrower. 7/10

13 hours ago, Superman said:

Processing/anticipation/vision: The Vols offense doesn't call for very much of this from him. The WRs usually line up in very wide splits, sometimes so wide you can't even see them in the broadcast view, often in a stack or bunch formation. They run lots of switch release routes, which calls for defensive cushion and prevents DBs from playing man or disrupting the timing, and in breaking routes tend to come open soon enough. Almost every pass play is a half field read, and Hooker does a good job of throwing decisively, but there isn't much for him to figure out -- just see the open man, throw the ball. He can throw with some anticipation, but it's not super impressive when we know how far spread out the defensive help is. There are some plays where he knows to wait for the second window, or sees a coverage bust coming and makes the defense pay over the top. But it's mostly 'check with me' pre-snap decisions, where he has to choose whether to throw it short or deep. His ability to process and operate in a pro style offense is unknown, and that's pretty rare now when "pro style" is basically the same as college; this is difficult to project. To his credit, he rarely gets fooled or puts the ball in danger. When he holds the ball longer, it usually leads to pressure or hits. 4/10

This is the one I struggled with the most. It's not that I disagree with anything you've detailed above... Agree with pretty much everything. My thought though is - yes, his offense and what he was asked to do doesn't lend itself to having very reliable projection towards what he will be asked to do in the league, but IMO this is much more a problem with the system than with him. You said "ability to process and operate in a pro style offense is unknown" I think you hit the nail on the head... we just don't know... so I'm not even sure if you are wrong to give him 4/10 on this... but it feels wrong to me, simply because he did what he was asked to do at a very high level I would say. Now that thing was not particularly challenging or well projecting to the league but still... I'm just very unsure about this and I have no idea how to put a number on it... 4 feels wrong... but then again he didn't show more than 4 on the scale of what he will need to do in the league.... even if it's not his fault... I feel like I'm going in circles and this has been the case with me trying to figure out what to do with that projection so I will just leave it at at... 

 

13 hours ago, Superman said:

Pocket presence: It's a little hit/miss for him here. Sometimes he moves decisively and effectively in the pocket, sensing pressure adjusting, reloading, all while keeping two hands on the ball and his eyes downfield. Other times he'll stand like a statue, oblivious to pressure, and get blasted. He's generally good at protecting the ball in the pocket, and maybe because it's a quick read offense, he mostly doesn't wait too long before taking off and running. There are a couple of fumbles that result from carelessness. 6/10

Yeah, I felt he had good feel for pressure and did the necessary adjustments for the most part. There are some hiccups here and there so I feel like 6 is fair... 

13 hours ago, Superman said:

 

Intangibles: He intended to transfer from Virginia Tech after basically not playing in 2018, but returned, and eventually won the starting job for most of the season. Seems like Josh Heupel got a lot out of him at Tennessee, but I'm not sure what went into his decision to stay for 2022, given his age. Speaking of which, this is going to be a major concern for some people, because he could easily be topped out, and he needs to change his approach dramatically to succeed in the NFL. In a way, he could be a bigger project than a guy like Richardson, especially when you factor in the knee injury. Seems like a solid character guy who knows what he wants and will compete to get it, also seems mature and level headed. 6/10

 

Projection: One of the more difficult projections and comparisons for me, mostly because everything at Tennessee makes the game so easy for the QB. I don't think he's extra athletic, talented, dynamic, accurate, or tough, but he's been very effective and productive the last two seasons, and he generally looks good doing it. He's going to have some technical issues, but they seem minor. Reminds me a little of Marcus Mariota, not as dynamic, but similarly capable as a passer, and with similar question marks about how his talent will translate to the NFL. He's going to miss most of his rookie offseason while rehabbing his knee. By the beginning of his second season, he'll be nearly 27 years old, and if he's not locked in to pro style offense, he just won't make it. 

 

https://forums.colts.com/topic/74880-will-levis-qb-kentucky/

https://forums.colts.com/topic/74915-bryce-young-qb-alabama/

https://forums.colts.com/topic/74975-cj-stroud-qb-ohio-state/

https://forums.colts.com/topic/75019-anthony-richardson-qb-florida/

 

No more reports for me right now. Time for the Combine. I'll add some revised thoughts in all of these threads over the next two months.

 

I hope all these links work this time...

Vs LSU, 1:33, 50 yards in the air, outstanding

Vs LSU, 2:24, completely oblivious to the pressure, gets blasted

Vs LSU,4:34,  little flat throw, slightly off target

Vs LSU, 4:48, keeper, nice wiggle and open speed

Vs Bama, 0:19, one read, never looks left, takes off, but the athleticism is shown

 

Vs Bama, 0:38, quick pocket movement, doesn’t reestablish his base, stays on toes, the throw dies on him

Vs Bama, 1:09, quick decision, go route, accurate throw, TD (btw, Jalin Hyatt is all over this game tape)

Vs Bama, 2:54, bad habit of bouncing for no reason, probably affected his accuracy here

Vs Bama, 3:23, never looks left, gets sacked

Vs Bama, 4:22, another bad habit, he keeps his left foot up until the last minute, often fails to reestablish his base and drive the throw

Vs Bama, 5:25, this looks like the limit of his arm, but an amazing throw 

Vs Bama, 8:51, I guess this is processing? Still very wide splits, but watch the replay which shows him waiting for the 2nd window throw
Vs Florida, 0:34, quick look-off to the right, comes back across the middle

Mariota is interesting projection. I kind of feel like Mariota was more dynamic in college. I will have to think about this a bit more... I'm not sure I have a good comp for Hooker... again... probably because of the offense he was running ... 

[ChuggaBeer]

Thanks for your input @stitches

 

My question would be.   For value.   Draft a top defensive player with #4 and get Hooker in the second. Wouldnt that make the team better  over trading draft pick (if we have to) to get the top QB?

 

Yes he is older.  Again that doesn't bother me because I don't see any of them lasting like Brady or Brees     But 10 yrs is not out of the question 

 

I am very much leaning toward AR15 or Hooker.  But then again.  I know a fraction about this stuff that some of you do 

 

 

[richard pallo]

4 hours ago, ChuggaBeer said:

Thanks for your input @stitches

 

My question would be.   For value.   Draft a top defensive player with #4 and get Hooker in the second. Wouldnt that make the team better  over trading draft pick (if we have to) to get the top QB?

 

Yes he is older.  Again that doesn't bother me because I don't see any of them lasting like Brady or Brees     But 10 yrs is not out of the question 

 

I am very much leaning toward AR15 or Hooker.  But then again.  I know a fraction about this stuff that some of you do 

 

 

For me I would prefer McKee in the second instead of Hooker.  Age is part of it but I really like his upside.

[DougDew]

Body-type wise, Hooker seems like a slightly smaller Carson Wentz.  He's awkward and gangly like Wentz.  I would not consider him to be very athletic, per se.   I would see him as a pocket passer who can do some things with his legs at times, but he's going to have to make it in the NFL with the typical/traditional QB skills, IMO.

 

It seems like there are questions about this ability in terms of college system and readiness to play.

 

McKee seems like the better pick over Hooker considering size, age, and developmentable skills, and absent the ACL too.

[Superman]

18 hours ago, stitches said:

He was measured 6'3 5/8" 208lbs at the Senior Bowl. Kind of thin, but it's possible him being unable to work out is part of the reason. 

 

He doesn't look that thin to me when he's on the field. But I would think he'd decline to measure at the Senior Bowl if his weight would be a complete misrepresentation of his normal body comp. IDK... I don't have any major concerns with his body type, as there's no question his frame can handle 215-220 pounds, and I'm not counting on him being a dual threat QB.

 

Quote

This is the one I struggled with the most. It's not that I disagree with anything you've detailed above... Agree with pretty much everything. My thought though is - yes, his offense and what he was asked to do doesn't lend itself to having very reliable projection towards what he will be asked to do in the league, but IMO this is much more a problem with the system than with him. You said "ability to process and operate in a pro style offense is unknown" I think you hit the nail on the head... we just don't know... so I'm not even sure if you are wrong to give him 4/10 on this... but it feels wrong to me, simply because he did what he was asked to do at a very high level I would say. Now that thing was not particularly challenging or well projecting to the league but still... I'm just very unsure about this and I have no idea how to put a number on it... 4 feels wrong... but then again he didn't show more than 4 on the scale of what he will need to do in the league.... even if it's not his fault... I feel like I'm going in circles and this has been the case with me trying to figure out what to do with that projection so I will just leave it at at... 

 

I think this is also connected to accuracy, by the way... 

 

When watching, I rarely came away with the impression that he was even interested in checking on the other side of the field. Whenever he'd try to manipulate the safety, it seemed pre-planned, kind of forced, and not part of a normal progression. Everything is out of shotgun, and there are few examples of him hitching, resetting, moving his eyes/head, or generally anything related to decision making after the snap. There isn't even much of him checking outside, then inside, which is why I linked that one play where he waits for the second window, because that's kind of an outlier... everything is 'high, low, run.' There's little evidence of antipation-based throwing, because they don't run a lot of pro routes. And there are plays where his delayed decision making gets him in trouble in the pocket. Is he even aware of what's happening on the back side of the play? And I'm talking about coverage, protection, etc. 

 

There's also a footwork/mechanics question that would need to be answered. Can he reposition his feet and get lined up to throw left if it's late in the progression? I mean, physically, is he even capable of it? I don't see it on the tape.

 

And I looked briefly at some of his VaTech play, and didn't see it there either. (He looked more dynamic back then, though.) I mean, over 40+ games, I would think there would be a handful of clips of him turning down the front side, and coming back across the field and showing something resembling the ability to make a full field read, even if it's not designed. We see it from Richardson, who is less refined, and has way fewer games to sample from. 

 

I get that it's harsh, and it's not necessarily his fault. He plays in a cheat code offense, and does exactly what they ask him to do, and he does it really well for the most part. But there's no evidence that it will translate to the NFL. And I think that's why I got stuck on Mariota as a comp. Yeah, not as dynamic, but Mariota's athleticism never quite worked for him in the NFL anyway, so I don't know if that even matters. What made Mariota so effective in college was Chip Kelly's system, but his passing and his ability to succeed in a progression-based system weren't demonstrated in college, and he didn't really translate to the pros. Hooker's deal is different, but the fundamental questions are the same: will what he does work in the NFL (probably not), and has he demonstrated the ability to succeed in a pro offense (not really)?

 

I'm not writing off the possibility that he can develop in this area, but right now, it's just not there. The other option for me was an incomplete grade, but that feels like a cop-out. 

[stitches]

Hendon Hooker's measurements: 

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 217 lbs

Hand size: 10 4/8"

Arm length: 33" 

[ChuggaBeer]

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