Panthers trade up to #1

[njcoltfan]

Originally Posted by njcoltfan

Hooker signed with Virginia Tech after winning two state titles and throwing for over 6,000 yards and 55 touchdowns at Dudley High School in North Carolina. As a redshirt freshman, he played in six games as a reserve (4-57-14.3, one TD rushing). Hokies coaches started Hooker eight times in 2019 (the team won his first six starts) and he set a school record with 124 completions without an interception (99-162-61.1%, 1,555 yards, 13 TDs, two INTs passing; 123-356-2.9, five TDs rushing). He started seven of eight games in 2020 (98-150-65.3%, 1,339 yards, nine TDs, five INTs passing; 120-620-5.2, nine TDs rushing) but decided he needed a change in scenery. Hooker took over the Tennessee job early in the 2021 season (11 starts in 13 games) and ended up ranking third in the FBS in pass efficiency (181.4) and fourth with 9.72 yards per attempt (206-303-68%, 2,945 yards, 31 TDs, three INTs passing; 166-616-3.7, five TDs rushing). He threw 140 passes without an interception during the season. Hooker was an early Heisman Trophy favorite in 2022, eventually winning SEC Offensive Player of the Year and being named a third-team Associated Press All-American. After throwing for 3,135 yards (229-329-69.6%) and 27 scores (against just two interceptions) and rushing for 430 yards (104 carries, 4.1 per) and five touchdowns in 11 starts, however, he suffered a torn left ACL that ended his season. Hooker led the nation's top offense (in yards per game and points scored) with an FBS-best 9.53 yards per pass attempt. He also ranked second in pass efficiency (175.5) and seventh in completion percentage in 2022 and set Tennessee records by throwing 261 passes without an interception and recording a touchdown pass in 20 straight games. -- by Chad Reuter

Hooker seems to have had a pretty good college career, and he definitely can hit the inside of a barn

Those seem like pretty good statistics to me !! I would have no problem if Ballard drafted him.