Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker went down last college football season with an ACL tear in the team’s lopsided 63-38 loss to South Carolina. At that point, fans and bettors began to ponder the future of the Vols’ superstar.
Would Hooker — the then-24-year-old with a major injury and no national championship game appearances — have enough in the tank and on his résumé to make a splash in the 2023 NFL Draft?
When the injury happened, most pundits doubted the quarterback would even get drafted. But as the draft gets closer, the answer to both of the above questions is now, presumably, yes.
We spoke with an oddsmaker to tackle this topic from a betting perspective.
FOX Bet Senior Trading Operations Manager Dylan Brossman pointed out that Hooker, despite the unfortunate ending to his college football playing career, is projected to be a top-drafted QB later this month potentially.
“Recently, Hooker appeared on a popular analyst’s mock draft as the No. 5 overall pick, ahead of Florida’s Anthony Richardson,” Brossman noted.
Before the chatter began that suggested Hooker could actually go higher than initially anticipated, it was Richardson, along with quarterbacks C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, and Will Levis, who bettors were eyeing to come off the draft board early.
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And it makes sense, according to Brossman, that Hooker was an afterthought until recently.
“Yes, Hooker has all the traits to become an elite NFL quarterback, but NFL scouts hold two major concerns — he is already 25 years old, and he is coming off an ACL tear just a few months ago.”
As Brossman pointed out, Hooker is the same age as or older than several signal-callers who have already been in the NFL for multiple years. Guys like Jalen Hurts and Justin Fields come to mind.
In what round will Hooker get selected, and which teams could end up actually drafting the quarterback? Here are some hypothetical odds from Brossman on where the athlete’s next stop might be after Rocky Top.
ODDS ON HENDON HOOKER’S NEXT TEAM*
Vikings: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)
Lions: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Seahawks: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Colts: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Titans: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)
Buccaneers: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)
Ravens: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)
Raiders: +1700 (bet $10 to win $180 total)
Giants: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Cowboys: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Over/Under for Hooker’s Draft position: 24.5
*hypothetical odds as of 4/5/2023
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Minnesota has the shortest odds to hook Hendon in the three-day draft event. And if the Vikes did add him to the roster, the 6-foot-4 senior could be positioned to become an apprentice to one of the league’s best passers in 2022. Last season, Kirk Cousins‘ 4,547 yards were the fourth-best in the league, and his 29 touchdowns tied for fifth-best in the NFL.
In the middle of the hypothetical odds pack — after teams like the Lions, Seahawks and Titans — are the Buccaneers at +1500. After finishing 2022 with an 8-9 record, a first-round 31-14 playoff loss to the Cowboys and a retired Tom Brady, Tampa Bay could be an ideal fit for Hooker. If the Bucs draft him, Hooker — if healthy — could insert himself into the starting QB convo in Tampa.
At the bottom of the oddsboard is Dallas. The Cowboys are committed to Dak Prescott, at least for the immediate future. And even though some of the team’s offseason moves indicate that Dallas is retooling its offense, the quarterback position is not a position currently up for grabs.
In addition to watching if Hooker gets drafted before top prospects like Stroud, Young and Levis, bettors will also be keeping tabs on if Hendon comes off the board before SEC-rival quarterback Stetson Bennett, who is also 25.
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Like with Bennett, there have been ongoing debates about how NFL scouts might view Hooker’s next-level potential because of his age. However, Bennett led his Georgia Bulldogs to back-to-back College Football Playoff (CFP) national championships as a starter. The closest Hooker and his Vols got to that kind of relevance was when the CFP ranked them the No. 1 team in the nation last season — a week-long stint that ended after they lost 27-13 to the eventual champion Dawgs.
Will Hooker’s athleticism help him get drafted before conference nemesis Stetson? Will a surprising team shock the world and add Hooker to their roster before all the brand-name QBs find new homes? And when it comes to the Over/Under, will Tennessee’s former signal-caller hear his name before or after the 24th pick?
Stay tuned to FOX Sports as the Hendon Hooker draft story unfolds!
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