The Southeastern Conference office announced Wednesday afternoon that Tennessee redshirt senior quarterback Hendon Hooker has been selected by the league’s head coaches as the 2022 SEC Offensive Player of the Year.
Since the SEC coaches’ player of the year awards split into offensive, defensive and special teams in 2002, Hooker is the first Vol to be recognized as SEC Offensive Player of Year. Peyton Manning was the last UT quarterback to be named SEC Player of the Year, taking home the league’s top individual honor in 1997.
Hooker was also tabbed the SEC Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press in addition to picking up First Team All-SEC laurels from the AP and Coaches earlier this week.
The sixth-year senior from Greensboro, North Carolina, and captain of the nation’s No. 1 offense led the No. 6 Vols to their first 10-win regular season since 2003 and the program’s first-ever No. 1 ranking by the College Football Playoff committee when the rankings debuted on Nov. 1. He produced 3,565 yards of total offense, completing 229-of-329 passes (69.6 percent) for 3,135 yards with 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions while rushing 104 times for 430 yards and five scores on the ground.
Hooker’s 175.51 passer efficiency rating ranks second in the FBS and was achieved against a schedule ranked the eighth toughest in the nation by ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI). He claimed five wins over opponents ranked in the AP Top 25 at the time of meeting, combining for 1,817 yards of total offense and 16 touchdowns in those games. Hooker touts two victories over current ranked opponents as the Vols took down AP No. 16 LSU in Baton Rouge, 40-17, and defeated CFP No. 5 Alabama at home, 52-49, in back-to-back weeks.
The 24-year-old leads the nation with 9.53 yards per pass attempt while also ranking atop the SEC in completion percentage, passing efficiency and total offense (324.1 yards per game). Hooker’s two interceptions are the fewest of the 26 FBS QBs who have thrown 25 or more touchdowns this season, and his 27:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio leads the country.
One of the most dynamic players in college football, Hooker is a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of Year, Maxwell Award and Manning Award. He picked up his first career All-America honors on Tuesday after being named to the 2022 CBS Sports / 247Sports All-America second team.
2022 Tennessee Football Postseason Honors
HC Josh Heupel
SEC Coach of the Year – AP
AFCA Region 2 Coach of the Year
OC Alex Golesh
Frank Broyles Award Finalist
QB Hendon Hooker
All-America Second Team – CBS Sports/247Sports
Walter Camp Player of the Year Award Finalist
Maxwell Award Finalist
Manning Award Finalist
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Finalist
SEC Offensive Player of the Year – AP, Coaches
All-SEC First Team – AP, Coaches
WR Jalin Hyatt
All-America First Team – CBS Sports/247Sports
Biletnikoff Award Finalist
All-SEC First Team – AP, Coaches
TE Jacob Warren
2022 SEC Community Service Team
OL Darnell Wright
All-SEC First Team – AP, Coaches
DE Byron Young
All-SEC First Team – Coaches
All-SEC Second Team – AP
