Is Hendon Hooker a darkhorse Heisman contender?

#3
#3
Berry4Heisman14 said:
I don’t think we will win enough games for him to be considered
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I think we just might could.

We don't have to be in the playoffs, for sure. 10 wins might be enough. Gritty victories over Pitt, Florida, and LSU (or replace any one of those with an upset of Bama or UGa), with Hendon clearly the MVP in all of them, could be enough.

He just has to (1) vastly exceed expectations (the combination of those wins would meet that need) and (2) make a strong argument as the best football player in college football this year. The latter depends on how other players do, of course, and fickle voters as well. But the former, we could get to with 10 wins. Which is not entirely outside the realm of possibility.

Go Vols!
 
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#7
#7
LWSVOL said:
The winner will come from a playoff team. That is just the politics of these awards. Hope Tennessee can be there.
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This and who else would be in the finals with him if he made it that far. ESPN is major factor in who wins that award, as we Vol fans know very well.

Back in Majors day it was a ND or a USC player. Majors probably got screwed by the biased media worse than Peyton did.
 
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#8
#8
LWSVOL said:
The winner will come from a playoff team. That is just the politics of these awards. Hope Tennessee can be there.
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Well, we were talking about candidates/contenders, which means this question is more about whether he could be one of the three or four invited to New York, rather than the one lifting the trophy at the end of the evening.

But even focusing on who might win the trophy--and setting aside the gris-gris that keeps Tennessee QBs from getting above 2nd place in the voting--there's a recent example proving that you got that wrong: Lamar Jackson.

QB for Louisville, won the Heisman in 2016, just six years ago. His team wasn't in the playoffs. They went 9-3 in the regular season (and then lost their bowl game). They lost to Houston and Kentucky to end the regular season, too. He still won the Heisman. Louisville ended the year ranked 21st ... coincidentally, just one spot ahead of #22 Tennessee.

So Hendon could absolutely win the Heisman with a 10-2 season, if the way our lads won the games highlighted, over and over again, how excellent a football player Hendon is.

Not saying it will happen. Tennessee backs never win, at best they come in 2nd in the voting (Cafego, Majors, Shuler, Manning). But he could, theoretically at least. And he could certainly be a finalist.
 
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#10
#10
VFL-82-JP said:
Well, we were talking about candidates/contenders, which means this question is more about whether he could be one of the three or four invited to New York, rather than the one lifting the trophy at the end of the evening.

But even focusing on who might win the trophy--and setting aside the gris-gris that keeps Tennessee QBs from getting above 2nd place in the voting--there's a recent example proving that you got that wrong: Lamar Jackson.

QB for Louisville, won the Heisman in 2016, just six years ago. His team wasn't in the playoffs. They went 9-3 in the regular season (and then lost their bowl game). They lost to Houston and Kentucky to end the regular season, too. He still won the Heisman. Louisville ended the year ranked 21st ... coincidentally, just one spot ahead of #22 Tennessee.

So Hendon could absolutely win the Heisman with a 10-2 season, if the way our lads won the games highlighted, over and over again, how excellent a football player Hendon is.

Not saying it will happen. Tennessee backs never win, at best they come in 2nd in the voting (Cafego, Majors, Shuler, Manning). But he could, theoretically at least. And he could certainly be a finalist.
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I don’t think he will make the cut to be invited. There will be two other QBs (kid from Bama and another) and a WR and/or a RB/WR who balls out.
 
#11
#11
vol94 said:
I don’t think he will make the cut to be invited. There will be two other QBs (kid from Bama and another) and a WR and/or a RB/WR who balls out.
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You could be right. If we go 7-5 or 8-4, you'll definitely be right.

But we'll see. I'm pulling for him.

Go Vols!
 
#12
#12
VFL-82-JP said:
Well, we were talking about candidates/contenders, which means this question is more about whether he could be one of the three or four invited to New York, rather than the one lifting the trophy at the end of the evening.

But even focusing on who might win the trophy--and setting aside the gris-gris that keeps Tennessee QBs from getting above 2nd place in the voting--there's a recent example proving that you got that wrong: Lamar Jackson.

QB for Louisville, won the Heisman in 2016, just six years ago. His team wasn't in the playoffs. They went 9-3 in the regular season (and then lost their bowl game). They lost to Houston and Kentucky to end the regular season, too. He still won the Heisman. Louisville ended the year ranked 21st ... coincidentally, just one spot ahead of #22 Tennessee.

So Hendon could absolutely win the Heisman with a 10-2 season, if the way our lads won the games highlighted, over and over again, how excellent a football player Hendon is.

Not saying it will happen. Tennessee backs never win, at best they come in 2nd in the voting (Cafego, Majors, Shuler, Manning). But he could, theoretically at least. And he could certainly be a finalist.
Click to expand...

In most any statement made, a one off can be found.
 
#13
#13
VFL-82-JP said:
I think we just might could.

We don't have to be in the playoffs, for sure. 10 wins might be enough. Gritty victories over Pitt, Florida, and LSU (or replace any one of those with an upset of Bama or UGa), with Hendon clearly the MVP in all of them, could be enough.

He just has to (1) vastly exceed expectations (the combination of those wins would meet that need) and (2) make a strong argument as the best football player in college football this year. The latter depends on how other players do, of course, and fickle voters as well. But the former, we could get to with 10 wins. Which is not entirely outside the realm of possibility.

Go Vols!
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Think it will be difficult for Hendon to “vastly” exceed expectations. They are already extremely high. Do think he could be a top 5 QB. Will Anderson to me was arguably best player I saw by far last year. Think Heisman will come down to Young, Stroud, Anderson, C Williams (USC) or Ewers. They’re getting the most hype.
 
#15
#15
He could get some consideration IF Tennessee became the surprise team in the SEC but I wouldnt expect anything more.
 
#17
#17
We are not good enough to get attention so he would have to really go off like a Johnny Manziel or Lamar Jackson type numbers/situation.
 
#18
#18
CJ Stroud will win, setting the stage for an Ohio St vs Bama CFP final with the past 2 Heisman winners
 
#19
#19
Where Hooker4Heisman? Any thoughts?

I can’t wait to see the hype pick up around here next month lol it’s comical how that works.

Feels like 98! Just win baby 🥇

Nerds
 
#20
#20
THEAXMAN said:
?
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Brother, who cares? His name may be floated at times this season just so writers have something to write. But we could win the national championship behind Hendon having a record-breaking season and he still wouldn’t win. The words “Heisman”and “Tennessee football” have never mixed well. Ask Johnny Majors and Peyton Manning. It’s a meaningless award for northern schools and players chosen by biased writers, in my opinion.
 
#23
#23
Defcon5 said:
Think it will be difficult for Hendon to “vastly” exceed expectations. They are already extremely high. Do think he could be a top 5 QB. Will Anderson to me was arguably best player I saw by far last year. Think Heisman will come down to Young, Stroud, Anderson, C Williams (USC) or Ewers. They’re getting the most hype.
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My bad, I should've been clearer. I meant vastly exceed expectations for the team.

Yes, expectations for Hendon are already very high. You don't have a 31 TD to 3 INT season without folks expecting a lot of you the next year. But expectations for the team are still fairly low. Vegas says 7.5. Lots of non-Vol talking heads saying 7 or 8 wins.

So if we win 10, including 3 of these 5--Bama, UGa, FL, LSU, Pitt--we will be vastly exceeding most folks' expectations.

Including most of us, tbh. Most folks here are saying between 7-5 and 9-3, with 8-4 probably the most common prediction.

The Heisman is an individual award. But most of the time (LWS has this mostly right) the team has to do well, too. Not necessarily playoffs well, but surprisingly well.

Go Vols!
 
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#24
#24
There is a good chance he comes up in the conversation but him actually winning would mean we won the SEC east and we went 2/3 against Florida, Bama and GA. That would require a 11-1 or 10-2 season at the very least.

That being said, him even being in the conversation is good for the program and paves the way for the next guy.
 
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#25
#25
They still have this award?

It's as much a popularity contest driven by regional and media biases than anything else. Paul Hornung got his with 5 wins but he got the Notre Dame bump. At least ESPN also overlooked Tom Brady in the 97 hypesman campaign.

I don't attach any significance to this award anymore. I couldn't care less who wins it.

I do enjoy the commercials though.....
 
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