GREENSBORO, NC – It is understandable if Hendon Hooker and his family are not taking my calls on Thursday.
The 2023 NFL Draft begins Thursday at 7 p.m. in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The Hookers — father Alan, mother Windy, sons Hendon and Alston, and daughter Nile — are likely waiting on another call.
They are hoping to receive that call sometime on Thursday evening. It will indicate Hendon’s selection in the first round of the draft. Only first round selections are made Thursday.
Alan was a record-setting quarterback at NC A&T from 1984-87. Alston is a redshirt freshman QB on the current Aggies’ roster. For both them and the rest of the Hooker clan, it would be the ultimate culmination of their son’s and brother’s quarterback dreams.
Hendon Hooker in 2023 NFL Draft
A great deal of speculation about the 2023 NFL Draft has centered on four quarterbacks. Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C. J. Stroud, Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson are top rated players at the position. Each is projected to go in the first round. Many predict that they will all be off the boards in the first 11 picks.
Hendon Hooker is the wild card. The Tennessee QB is the only other quarterback projected to go in the first round after the quartet. Chris Simms believes he is the third best QB in the draft.
In the plethora of mock drafts — for whatever they are worth — some have him going as high as No. 11 to Tennessee. He’s also projected at 12th to Houston, 19th to Arizona, 22nd to Baltimore, 23rd to Minnesota and 30th to Las Vegas.
Nearly as many have him falling out of the first round.
Hooker rounding into form as NFL Draft approaches
The foursome has had the extra benefit of physically working out in front of NFL brass leading up to draft day.
Because of a torn ACL he suffered in Tennesse’s 11th game, Hooker has not been cleared to work out. But he has impressed scouts and team personnel with his football IQ and mental grasp of the quarterback position.
Hendon got great news just before the draft. He expects to be fully cleared to play before Week 1 of the NFL season. He is reportedly dropping back on a field again, one day before the 2023 NFL Draft.
His numbers are undeniable.
Hendon Hooker in 2022
The 25-year old Hooker, a transfer from Virginia Tech, played his way into first round contention. He had an outstanding 2022 season at the University of Tennessee. Hooker led the Vols to an 8-0 start and to the top of the College Football Playoff rankings for the first time in their history.
Including in that run was a scintillating 52-49 win over then No. 3, national power Alabama in game six of the season. Hooker led Tennessee on a game-winning drive in the final :15 seconds, completing two clutch passes. A 40-yard field goal capped the drive at the final buzzer. He threw for 385 yards (21-30-1) with five passing touchdowns and one interception in the win. It gave UT its first 6-0 start since 1998 and it was the first victory for Tennessee over Alabama since 2006.
That performance vaulted Hooker solidly into the top of the race for the coveted Heisman Trophy. After two more outstanding performances in wins, Hooker and the Vols ran into undefeated and defending and eventual national champion Georgia. The Bulldogs handed Hooker and UT what was then their only defeat of the season, 27-13. Hooker was 23 of 33 for 195 yards with one pick and no touchdowns.
After throwing for 355 yards and three more scores and running for a TD in a 66-24 win over Missouri, Hooker’s season came to an abrupt end vs. South Carolina. He tore his ACL in the fourth quarter of a loss to the Gamecocks.
Hendon finished the season completing 229 of 329 passes, a 69.5 percent average, for 3,135 yards, 27 TDs and just two interceptions. He also rushed for 430 yards and five scores.
He now awaits his draft fate.