There’s no questioning that Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker is successful. However, it’s fair to wonder aloud if he is accurate.
It’s easy to cite completion percentage as a key indicator of accuracy. It’s also completely inaccurate. Tennessee’s offense pressures defensive backs with high tempo and route combinations that get receivers open, so open that they’re hard to miss.
So let’s get this out of the way. Hooker has a high completion percentage and always will as long as he’s playing in Tennessee coach Josh Heupel’s offense. There, that’s done.
No one needs to be reminded that Hooker has a penchant for sailing balls far out of his intended receiver’s reach. Everyone has seen that. It was evident against Pittsburgh last week, especially early in the game.
Why does Hooker still struggle with accuracy issues? Chris Landry of Landry Football offered his insight as a former coach and scout in college and the NFL.
“His footwork has always been on the sloppy side, which leads to poor positioning which affects his accuracy,” Landry said. “Poor positioning leads to inaccurate throws, although some quarterbacks can place the ball accurately without ideal footwork or mechanics.”
In other words, Hooker isn’t Aaron Rodgers, who can throw the ball accurately with his feet in most any position you can imagine. Most quarterbacks aren’t. Most people aren’t. Being a quarterback is one thing. Being a “natural” passer is another.
The whole subject is probably a bit touchy for Heupel and his coaching staff. He and quarterback coach Joey Halzle are judged on how good Hooker’s footwork is or isn’t. They also don’t want to throw him under the bus on days in which his footwork isn’t as good as they’d like for it to be.
“Coach Halzle talked to him a little bit about his feet and his mechanics, just a little bit,” Heupel said. “Really just his feet, getting himself in a better position rhythmically…There were a bunch of plays that Hendon made once he got into a better rhythm and into the flow of the football game.”
The Akron game isn’t going to reveal very much about Hooker and his footwork, even if it took a quantum leap since the Pitt game. The Zips aren’t going to be able to bring nearly as much pressure as the Panthers were able to. Hooker’s performance against Florida on the following Saturday will be something to keep an eye on.
