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Was Tennessee football’s Hendon Hooker snubbed as Heisman finalist?

By Matt Melton

ATHENS, GA - NOVEMBER 05: Hendon Hooker #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers drops back to pass in the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium on November 5, 2022 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
ATHENS, GA - NOVEMBER 05: Hendon Hooker #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers drops back to pass in the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium on November 5, 2022 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /
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When the finalists for the 2022 Heisman Trophy were released Monday night, there was one notable name from the SEC who was missing from the list – Tennessee football quarterback Hendon Hooker.

Yes, the SEC will still send one player to New York this Saturday in Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett, who was named a Heisman finalist alongside USC quarterback Caleb Williams, TCU quarterback Max Duggan, and Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud. However, when looking at the numbers alone, Hooker likely should have been invited to New York at-the-least.

Tennessee football’s Hendon Hooker snubbed as 2022 Heisman finalist

A player who was considered as the frontrunner to win the Heisman Trophy at points during the season, Hooker’s 2022 campaign for the 10-2 Volunteers was nothing short of phenomenal.

Across 11 games, Hooker completed 69.6% of his passes at the helm of Tennessee football’s offense to lead the SEC in CMP% (No. 6 nationally), with the Volunteers offense also ranking No. 1 nationally with 47.3 PPG. Hooker also ranked third in the SEC by throwing for 3,135 yards with a 27:2 TD:INT ratio, which also combined with his success on the ground rushing for 430 yards and five touchdowns on 104 attempts.

Speaking of leading the SEC, Hooker also led the conference with a 175.5 passing efficiency rating, while also ranking top three in passing yards and touchdowns, all while missing the Vanderbilt game due to injury.

Comparing those numbers to the four Heisman finalists as well, it’s clear that Hooker had a case to be included as a Heisman finalist:

Completion Percentage

  • Hooker: 69.6% (229-of-329)
  • Bennett: 67.9% (269-of-396)
  • Stroud: 66.2% (235-of-355)
  • Williams: 66.1% (296-of-448)
  • Duggan: 64.9% (239-of-368)

Passing Yards

  • Williams: 4,075
  • Bennett: 3,425
  • Stroud: 3,340
  • Duggan: 3,321
  • Hooker: 3,135

Passing TD:INT Ratio

  • Williams: 37:4
  • Stroud: 37:6
  • Duggan: 30:4
  • Hooker: 27:2
  • Bennett: 20:6

Passing Effieceny Rating 

  • Stroud: 176.2
  • Hooker: 175.5
  • Williams: 167.9
  • Duggan: 165.5
  • Bennett: 154.2

Rushing

  • Hooker: 104 attempts, 430 yards, 5 TD
  • Duggan: 112 attempts, 404 yards, 6 TD
  • Williams: 109 attempts, 372 yards, 10 TD
  • Bennett: 47 attempts, 184 yards, 7 TD
  • Stroud: 34 attempts, 74 yards

Next. LSU, Tennessee among November recruiting winners. dark

So, what do you think? Should Hooker have been named as a finalist for the 2022 Heisman Trophy?

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