The trip from California to Knoxville is not the shortest one, but it pales in comparison to quarterback Jarrod Hoyer's journey to being recruited. Hoyer who has been at four different schools in the last five years took his first recruiting visit over the weekend, an unofficial visit to Tennessee. It was amazing, Hoyer said. I don't even know if I can describe it. I have never been on a visit. It was special. We had a great tour on Friday and met with the coaches. And the spring game atmosphere was great.
Hoyer is a 6-foot-5, 220 pound quarterback who currently plays at Diablo Valley Community College. Hoyer was a full qualifier out of high school but injuries, a transfer and a different position sent him down the junior college path. I went to Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland for my first three years, Hoyer explained. I was hurt my junior year. I actually had a stress fracture in my L4 vertebrae the doctors said occurred from growing. I grew 4 inches in less than a year.
As a senior, Hoyer transferred to Dougherty Valley High School because it was closer to home. He made that move just weeks before the start of fall practice. Dougherty Valley already had a quarterback. So Hoyer found himself playing wide receiver after being a quarterback all of his life. Hoyer finished the year back at quarterback because of an injury to the starter. With a lack of game tape and a new high school, colleges didn't come calling. So Hoyer landed at Laney Community College in Oakland where he grayshirted in football and played baseball. After a year at Laney, Hoyer moved to Diablo Valley Community College where he is now, playing in every game last season.
It was a longstanding relationship that has brought Tennessee into the picture. Kevin Simon is the new director of player personnel at Tennessee. He knows the quarterback coach I work with, Matt Gutierrez. Coach Simon and the coaches watched my film. Tennessee reached out to me a month ago. They invited me to come out for their spring game.
For this next year, they said they are in the market for a guy with some experience either a juco or transfer guy. My first two years of high school I was in a pro-style offense. Now I'm in more of a spread offense. But I'm more of a drop back pro style guy, Hoyer said. I think it fits me. I was in the quarterback meetings on Friday. I visited with Coach Helton and he told me that he was going to come out in spring practice to see me throw.
