Hendon Hooker named finalist for Manning Award
Hendon Hooker on Friday became Tennessee football’s first quarterback to be named a Manning Award finalist. The award, commissioned in 2004, was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl to honor the college football accomplishments of Archie, Eli and Peyton Manning.
There are 10 finalists for the Manning Award, with Hooker joined by Georgia’s Stetson Bennett, TCU’s Max Duggan, Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman, North Carolina’s Drake Maye, Oregon’s Bo Nix, Washington’s Michael Penix, Mississippi State’s Will Rogers, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, USC’s Caleb Williams and Alabama’s Bryce Young.
Hooker this season was a four-time winner of the Manning Award Star of the Week, the weekly version of the award.
Hooker, who accounted for 3,565 total yards and 33 touchdowns in 11 games this season, on Monday became Tennessee’s first Maxwell Award finalist since Peyton Manning won the award in 1997. Stroud and Williams are the other two Maxwell finalists.
Hooker tore his ACL in the fourth quarter at South Carolina on November 20. He completed 229 of 329 passes (69.6 percent) for 3,135 yards and 27 touchdowns, with just two interceptions, in 11 games before suffering the season-ending injury. He ran for 430 yards and five more touchdowns.
Vols WR Jalin Hyatt named finalist for Belitnikoff Award
Junior receiver Jalin Hyatt on Monday became Tennessee’s first finalist for the Belitnikoff Award, given annually to college football’s top wide receiver.
Hyatt finished the regular season leading the country in touchdowns, with his 15 setting a new Tennessee program record. He finished with 1,267 receiving yards, only 31 yards short of matching the Tennessee record held by Robert Meachem, who had 1,298 yards in 2006.
Hyatt’s 1,267 yards came on just 67 receptions, giving him an average of 18.9 yards per catch.
As the biggest deep threat the country, Hyatt finished No. 1 in the country in plays of 30 or more yards (15), 40 or more yards (11), 50 or more yards (7) and 60 or more yards (5).
Tennessee offensive coordinator named finalist for Broyles Award
Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh last week was named a Broyles Award finalist, given annually to college football’s top assistant coach. David Cutcliffe won the award in 1998 and was the last Tennessee assistant to be named a finalist.
The Vols finished the regular season No. 1 in scoring offense (47.3 points per game), No. 1 in total offense (538.1 yards per game), No. 3 in passing offense (332.3 yards per game) and No. 18 in rushing offense (205.75 yards per game). In 2021, Tennessee finished No. 7 in scoring offense, No. 9 in total offense, No. 12 in rushing offense and No. 39 in passing offense.
Golesh has coached tight ends at Tennessee while serving as offensive coordinator the last two seasons.
