A preview of ‘On the Clock,’ featuring Hendon Hooker, from Omaha Productions

On the Clock is a four-part ESPN+ Original series that’s produced by Omaha Productions and NFL Films, and is presented by EGO. The show will follow four of the top quarterback prospects throughout their final college football season and into the offseason as they begin preparations for the NFL Combine, Pro Days and finally the NFL Draft.

The show’s calling card is with NFL legends Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning evaluating and mentoring these future NFL signal-callers as they continue their paths towards the biggest night of their lives. The quarterbacks included in the series are Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker, Alabama’s Bryce Young, Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson.  

On The Clock debuts tonight (Monday, April 10) with a two-episode premiere, beginning with Bryce Young at 8 pm eastern followed by Hendon Hooker at 8:30. Will Levis will star in the third episode on Monday, April 17 at 5:30 pm while Anthony Richardson’s feature will be showcased on Monday, April 24 at 8:30 pm. The show will be aired live on ESPN 2 and will be streamed on ESPN+ immediately following their debut.  

The NFL Draft is set for Thursday, April 27 – Saturday, April 29 and will be televised on ESPN and ABC.

“It’s been so much fun for Peyton, Eli, and me to work closely with these four talented quarterbacks as they prepare to take the next step in their journey,” Archie Manning said of the series. “On the Clock will give fans an inside look at all that goes into being a successful quarterback, on and off the field, and how each of these young men are ready to take on the challenge of being the face of an NFL franchise.”

Volquest was given the opportunity to watch the second episode in its entirety prior to the release date. Below is a preview of the episode that features Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker.

What to expect in Episode 2 with Hendon Hooker

This was a really good product. The episode was incredibly-well produced, detailing the timeline of Hooker over the past calendar year from working as a counselor at the Manning Passing Academy, to the Heisman Trophy worthy season and into the NFL Draft process. It showed the highest of highs (like knocking off Florida and Alabama) and the lowest of lows (injury sustained at South Carolina) but kept one central theme alive throughout.

Hendon Hooker is just an easy guy to root for, regardless of what colors you’re wearing on Saturdays. Consistently throughout the feature, Archie and his boys are praising the quarterback for who he is off the field and the leader he became at Tennessee. The production team did a great job of incorporating clips from press conferences where Josh Heupel spoke on just that – outside of what Hooker was doing on the field.

Now, being a good person doesn’t always get you drafted. No worry for Hooker there as his quarterback talents were praised throughout by the Hall of Fame father and son – as well as Eli, who very well could be inducted into Canton in 2025.

There was a portion of the episode where Peyton and Eli were in the film room watching cutups of Hooker from the 2022 season. One note I loved that Peyton pointed out was that Hooker’s eyes were one of his biggest weapons. He basically says if you can’t look defenders off, you can’t play on Sundays. He rolled several plays where Hooker does just that and later says his game ‘100 percent translates’ to Sundays.

The constant shade thrown at Peyton by both Archie and Eli never got old to me. There were a lot of jokes about having a Tennessee quarterback finally being good enough to serve as one of their camp counsellors or worthy of them watching on tape. More than once, the joke was thrown around about how Hooker beat Florida, but Peyton never could. The humor wasn’t overbearing, but consistent with any Manning-led production. Tennessee fans will enjoy it.  

Now, I’m not sure how much of the other episodes will dive into the actual NFL Draft process with Bryce Young, Will Levis and Anthony Richardson. I would assume a lot more than this one. Because of Hooker’s late season injury, he has obviously not been active throwing the football at the NFL Combine, UT Pro Day or even the Senior Bowl. The Manning’s do, however, speak on his injury and how with today’s medicine, a torn ACL is nothing to worry about long term. They show some brief clips of Hooker taking part in rehab and show some clips of the quarterback speaking about his comeback.

The episode focused greatly on the incredible 2022 season he had and intertwined various broadcast play-by-play calls from the telecast – and even the Vol radio Network – over his highlights. Hooker’s parents are heavily portrayed in the episode and it capsulated his Senior Night game against Missouri well – all the way up to where he’s leading the Pride of the Southland Marching Band. Maybe even better than Peyton did.      

Tennessee fans love their quarterback, and this is great recognition of everything Hooker has done for the program the past two seasons. It also further enhances the conversation around whether or not he will sneak into the back half of the first round here in a few weeks. It’s a quick and easy watch and one that every Tennessee Volunteers fan should enjoy.