Volunteer Country

Hendon Hooker Receives Reese's Senior Bowl Invitation

Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker's final season on Rocky Top was cut short due to an ACL injury sustained against South Carolina. Despite this, Hooker is

Matt Ray

Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker's final season on Rocky Top was cut short due to an ACL injury sustained against South Carolina. Despite this, Hooker is still a finalist for the prestigious Maxwell and on the Heisman ballot of many. 

On Wednesday morning, Tennessee Football's social media account released a video of Hooker being presented with his official invite to the Reese's Senior Bowl. Hooker will still have to officially accept, but this seems likely given the opportunity it will present. 

While Hooker will not be able to participate in any physical aspect of the week long event, attending will still afford him the opportunity to spend time with potential NFL Draft suitors. Hooker should still have a promising NFL future, but the ACL injury has already brought questions, many of which he will hope to answer during the week in Mobile (Ala.)

"Now Hooker, who will turn 25 in January, has an uncertain path toward the NFL," Lead Draft Writer for NFL.Com Eric Edholm wrote last week. "Age could be a factor in his evaluation -- he's a couple months older than Chargers QB Justin Herbert -- as could the wide-open looks the explosive Vols offense provided him. But prior to the injury, Hooker's draft stock had been on the rise, perhaps even in the top-50 picture overall. Hooker might not be able to do much, workout-wise, leading up to next April's draft as he recovers from the ACL tear. The injury now adds one more concern for evaluators when it comes to selecting the talented signal-caller." 

Despite this take above, this draft should still present plenty of options for Hooker, given his football IQ, quick decision-making ability, and versatility.  

The Senior Bowl will be played on February 4th, 2023 this year, with several days worth of events leading into the game, including practice, press conferences, etc. 

Along with Hooker, fellow Vols Darnell Wright, Cedric Tillman and Byron Young have also received invites to the game. Each of them could opt to return to Tennessee for another year, so if they accept their invite down the road, this means they are heading for the NFL. 

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Matt Ray
MATT RAY

Matt Ray is the publisher of Sports Illustrated-FanNation's Volunteer Country, serving as a beat reporter covering football, recruiting, and occasionally other sports. Matt also is a lead analyst at Sports Illustrated All-American, Sports Illustrated lead authority in high school recruiting coverage. When not at work covering the Tennessee Volunteers or the recruiting trail, Matt enjoys spending time with his wife Destiny traveling the country. 

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