2023 BCS QB Scouting Report
Player: Hendon Hooker
School: Tennessee
Year: (RS) Senior
Games Watched: Pittsburgh (2021), Ole Miss (2021), Georgia (2021), Purdue (2021), Florida (2022) LSU (2022), Alabama (2022)
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Accuracy: Completed a high percentage of his passes in a vertical offense. Feet can become scrambled from his drops and prevent the creation of the proper hallway, leaving throws high or behind.
Arm Strength: Easy ability to generate strength and velocity down the field. Can come off his three-step drops and squeeze throws into Cover-2 holes on times.
Size: Stands 6’4”, 218 pounds with a muscular frame, but additional mass will help.
Mobility: More than enough speed and quickness for the position with the ability to break tackles in different ways. Depending on his injury recovery, will likely be counted on in the QB-run game because of how strong and effective he is as a runner.
Decision Making: Carefulness has improved the more he’s played and has never really been at a dangerous level. Took a higher number of sacks than desired the last two years because he struggled to pull the trigger on time.
Out of Structure Ability: Has the athleticism to be a creator beyond the pocket and work later into the down. Disassociation between his upper and lower halves when on the move negates optimal placement.
Pocket Awareness: Movements within the pocket can become exaggerated, but the understanding of when to make them is there. Eyes usually remain down the field when making his movements. Continued pressure occasionally pushes him deeper in the pocket throughout games.
Touch/Placement: Deep balls are thrown with the right blend of touch and velocity to run over and touch down while receivers are in stride. Has shown he can throw the changeup when necessary.
Upper/Lower Mechanics: Allow his hips to lead and rotate through the throw and finish with the ball snapping off his hand. Drops in the pocket aren’t consistently balanced or in rhythm with the concept, and needs to do a better job of staying on the ground between said drops. Longer limbs create a longer windup, but it doesn’t seem to deter him.
Progressions: System didn’t require him to make man full-field reads and often helped throws come open. NFL spacing was rarely featured or forced him to throw into next-level windows. Did well to hold backside and MOF defenders with his eyes before working back play-side. Will he have to see it to throw it the next level?
Accuracy (15): 11.5
Arm Strength (10): 7.5
Size (5): 4
Mobility (10): 8.5
Decision Making (10): 7.25
Out of Structure Ability (10): 7.5
Pocket Awareness (10): 7
Touch/Placement (10): 7.5
Upper/Lower Mechanics (10): 6.5
Progressions (10): 5
Grade: 72.25/100 – Day 2
Summary: Hooker was highly productive across two Power 5 stops with 2021 and 2022 campaigns that showed clear improvement. However, the combination of age (25), offensive system, and current injury creates a notable division between his grade and actual draft slot (likely late Day 3 pending his medical checks). It is important to separate what you’re watching from what can or will translate. Hooker’s NFL future will be predicated on how well he recovers from his torn ACL and how effectively his skillset adapts to the next level.
Report Author: T.J. Randall
Twitter: @TJ_Randall12