Hendon Hooker

Hooker transferred to Tennessee from Virginia Tech and has a great chance to be the starting quarterback when the Vols open their 2021 campaign. Jarrett Guarantano and JT Shrout both transferred out following last season, leaving only Harrison Bailey and Brian Maurer as competition. Hooker is a dual-threat option who rushed for 620 yards and nine touchdowns in 2020, but struggled passing the ball downfield. He averaged just 8.9 yards per attempt, tossed nine touchdowns as compared to five picks and went from the bench to starter and back to the bench for the season finale against Virginia. Hooker gets a fresh start at Tennessee, through the Vols continue to lag behind most of their SEC counterparts, which could make Hooker’s job difficult.

Hooker enters 2020 as a feast or famine option, seemingly stuck between taking a giant step forward or possibly losing his starting job. At his best, he's arguably the best dual threat quarterback in the ACC, running at least 10 times in all but one start last year while accumulating 18 total touchdowns in eight games. But whether it's a lack of confidence from his coaching staff or poor decision making, Hooker was often left to dink and dunk, forcing the ball downfield only when the scoreboard necessitated. He completed a mere 98 passes once assuming his starting role, and any early season struggles will likely lead to extended chances for Oregon transfer Braxton Burmeister or Quincy Patterson. The ceiling for Hooker could be 3,000+ total yards and 20+ touchdowns, but the floor could be he's replaced before October, which makes him a lottery ticket QB3 in larger formats on draft day.