29. TENNESSEE: HENDON HOOKER
Tennessee's roster was gutted via the transfer portal but has some potential with the combination of new head coach Josh Heupel and Virginia Tech transfer Hendon Hooker. The dual-threat quarterback enjoyed plenty of success with the Hokies, aided by play-action passes and his impact in the rushing game.
Hooker’s passing grade on play-action dropbacks was nearly 30 grading points higher than it was on straight dropbacks (85.9 versus 57.0) in 2020, and his completion rate differential led all FBS quarterbacks (+13.5%). Heupel led a UCF offense that dialed up play action at a top-10 rate in 2020 (45%), with many of the resulting passes targeting go-routes down the sideline. Hooker won't consistently hit those nine routes as often as Heupel’s last quarterback, Dillon Gabriel, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still be a good quarterback for the Volunteers.