After losing JT Shrout to the State of Colorado via the transfer portal, Tennessee Volunteers added a new signal caller to the list. On Thursday, the former Virginia Tech defender Hendon Hooker announced his move to Tennessee on social media.
Hooker tweeted an image of himself wearing a Tennessee uniform with Neyland Stadium in the background. Hooker also included the caption: “Chasing dreams is an occupation, those with jobs understand the process of manifestation. Committed.”
In December, the former Hokies quarterback announced that he was entering the NCAA Transfer Portal. A former four-star recruit for 247Sports Composite, Hooker started 15 games for Virginia Tech during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, launching for 2,894 yards and 22 touchdowns for seven interceptions. He added 1,033 race yards in his career, averaging 4.2 yards per attempt, and 15 touchdowns on the ground.
Hooker split the time during the 2020 football season with the transfer from Oregon Braxton Burmeister. Due to a medical problem, Hooker was unable to start the season as a starting quarterabck at Virginia Tech, losing the first two competitions of the year against NC State and Duke. Hooker returned to action in week 3 during Virginia Tech’s 56-45 loss to North Carolina. After week 3, Hooker returned to the starting lineup, starting 7 of the 8 remaining games on the Virginia Tech schedule.
Volunteers have a few places to fill in the quarterback’s room, even with the real freshman Kaidon Salter arriving on campus this fall. Last month, Jarrett Guarantano announced that he would not be returning to Knoxville for another season. He will use his last year of eligibility elsewhere or declare himself for the NFL’s 2021 Draft.
In 41 career games in Tennessee, Guarantano, who signed with the Vols as part of his 2016 recruiting class for Butch Jones, passed 6,174 yards with 38 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions, along with five rushed touchdowns. His career with the Vols was defined by his ups and downs and his perseverance in the midst of a remarkable amount of adversity. He played for two different head coaches, four different offensive coordinators and four coaches from different positions in his five seasons in Tennessee.