Less than a month after entering the NCAA transfer portal, former Virginia Tech quarterback Hendon Hooker is joining the Tennessee Volunteers as a graduate transfer.
Hooker, who graduated in December, will have two years of eligibility remaining. He’ll enroll this semester.
“Hendon is a very talented and dynamic quarterback with multiple years of Power Five experience,” Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt said. “He will be a great addition to our quarterback room and make a positive impact with two years of eligibility remaining.”
Sidelined by medical issues the first two games of the season, the 6-foot-4 Hooker played in eight games, starting six. He threw for 1,339 yards and nine touchdowns, adding nine more scores while rushing for 620 yards. He also threw five interceptions.
The Volunteers were thin at the position after two of their quarterbacks — Jarrett Guarantano and J.T. Shrout — entered the transfer portal. Shrout has since transferred to Colorado, while Guarantano landed at Washington State.
Hooker will face competition from Harrison Bailey, who started the final three games for the Vols last season, and Brian Maurer, who started four games as a freshman in the 2019 season, along with incoming freshman Kaidon Salter, a four-star recruit from Texas.