Volunteers star quarterback Hendon Hooker will miss the rest of the college football season with a torn ACL, Tennessee announced in a statement.
Hooker went down with the injury during the fourth quarter of a 63-38 loss against South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium. The potential NFL draft pick limped back to the locker room after needing assistance getting off the field.
The redshirt senior helped revive a failing Volunteers football team and transformed Tennessee (9-2) into the No. 9 team in the country and a College Football Playoff contender.
“Hendon’s incredible journey has been defined by faith, perseverance and strength,” Tennessee said in the statement. “Obstacles have never stood in the way on his path to greatness.”
Hooker cemented himself as one the best Tennesee QBs of all time by putting up Heisman Trophy-worthy numbers in 2022. The senior notched 3,135 yards with 27 touchdowns. He also averaged an 89.6 quarterback rating — the second-best in college football.
Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker (5) is assisted off the field after suffering an injury. USA TODAY SportsBackup quarterback Joe Milton replaced Hooker on Saturday. The Tennessee senior will likely start against Vanderbilt next weekend.
