Regular Season Report Card: Quarterbacks
Tennessee's 2021 regular season is over, and Josh Heupel helped the Vols achieve a 7-5 record. With 12 games on the books, we take a look at each position group in this report card series, starting with the quarterback position.
Overview
It would not be Tennessee without at least a little quarterback drama. Spring practice and the Orange & White game created plenty of intrigue heading into the fall. Joe Milton III joined Hendon Hooker, Harrison Bailey, and Brian Maurer shortly after the conclusion of the spring semester.
Milton III garnered all of the buzz heading into fall camp, and he would eventually be named the starter. But still, there was drama around the position, as Brian Maurer went awol from camp, tweeted cryptic messages, and finally found his way into the transfer portal after just four practices.
Milton started the season by leading Tennessee to two quick touchdown drives to start the season, but his tenure as the starting quarterback for the Vols trended downhill. For roughly five quarters, he failed to connect on routine passes and would eventually lose the job to Hendon Hooker after suffering an injury early in Tennessee's second game of the season.
Hooker held the reins for the remaining games on the schedule, even battling through a knee injury later in the season. Following Tennessee's narrow loss to Ole Miss, where Joe Milton III entered the game for an injured Hooker, Harrison Bailey entered the transfer portal during the bye week, which would leave the Vols with only two scholarship quarterbacks. Now, lets take a look at the numbers.
Stats
Hendon Hooker- Passing- 180-261 for 2,567 yards and 24 touchdowns to three interceptions. Rushing- 148 attempts for 561 yards and five touchdowns.
Joe Milton III- Passing- 32-62 for 375 yards and two touchdowns. Rushing- 28 attempts for 129 yards and two touchdowns.
Grade
The start was rocky, and many will question Heupel's decision to roll with Joe Milton III, but he won the job on the practice field, end of the story. While the results did not translate to the game field, Heupel and Halzle clearly handled the transition to Hooker the right way. Hendon Hooker ran away with the job and never gave this staff any real reason to look back. He flourished under Heupel and Halzle's tutelage, quickly becoming one of the nation's most efficient and effective signal-callers.
Hooker posted a 26-3 touchdown to interception ratio, and the group as a whole posted a 28-3 touchdown to interception ratio. Given the last five years on Rocky Top at the quarterback position, I don't think Tennessee fans could ask for more. Hendon Hooker joined Josh Dobbs as the only quarterback in Tennessee history to throw for 2,500 yards and rush for 500 yards in a season. This position far and away exceeded expectations in year one under Josh Heupel and Joey Halzle.
Grade: A
