'I feel great': Hendon Hooker updates ACL rehab in ESPN report
Hendon Hooker told ESPN at the Senior Bowl that he’s on track to be healthy for the start of NFL training camp later this year, as the former Tennessee star quarterback continues to rehab the torn ACL that ended his senior season with the Vols.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Tuesday that Hooker told him an NFL team will be getting “a better version of Hendon Hooker, the best we’ve seen” after he completes his comeback.
Hooker is in Mobile, Ala., for the Senior Bowl to talk with NFL personnel and, per Thamel’s report, become more familiar with NFL offenses. The Senior Bowl will be played on Saturday. Other Vols taking part in the game include offensive tackle Darnell Wright and edge rusher Byron Young.
Hooker tore his ACL in the fourth quarter of Tennessee’s loss at South Carolina on November 19, after leading the Vols to a 9-1 record.
Three Vols to take part in Senior Bowl: Hendon Hooker, Darnell Wright, Byron Young
Thamel reported that Hooker won’t run at Tennessee Pro Day on March 30 but plans to “stride it out” to show NFL scouts his level of mobility.
“I feel great,” Hooker told ESPN. “I’m moving around. I’m excited to get back to my regular self. My cerebral side has elevated to a whole other level. I’m continuing to build that and my leadership skills and communication skills. I’ll have that chip on my shoulder whenever I get back.”
Hooker is currently ranked by ESPN as the fifth best quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft. He’s ranked No. 68 overall among draft-eligible players with a grade of 79. Quarterbacks ranked in front of Hooker are Alabama’s Bryce Young (95), Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud (93), Kentucky’s Will Levis (91) and Florida’s Anthony Richardson (86).
“I’m doing really well, putting 100 percent weight on it,” Hooker told ESPN. “I’m able to do exercises without my brace. I’ll throw sitting down some. Nothing too crazy on my knee where I’m twisting and turning on it, just taking it slow and all the precautions.”
In 11 games this season, Hooker completed 69.6 percent of his passes, throwing for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns and two interceptions, leading the Vols to an 8-0 start before losing at Georgia.
Hendon Hooker’s Tennessee career: 7,126 total yards, 68 touchdowns in 24 games
Hooker in two seasons at Tennessee passed for 6,080 yards, 58 touchdowns and was intercepted just five times. He completed 68.8 percent of his 632 pass attempts with the Vols, quickly proving to be the ideal trigger man in Josh Heupel’s uptempo offense.
He told ESPN he wants to “be smart and learn and want to come in and be extremely competitive” when he starts his NFL career.
The NFL Draft will be held April 27-29.
“A dynamic guy,” Hooker told ESPN of what an NFL team will be getting in him, “who is hungry for betterment of himself on and off the field. A dynamic guy in the pocket and a good deep-ball thrower and an accurate thrower. And an athletic player. A competitor.”
