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Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker declares for 2023 NFL Draft

Barkley-Truaxby:Barkley Truax•01/02/23•

BarkleyTruax

tennessee-quarterback-hendon-hooker-says-he-is-extremely-proud-of-their-defenses-versus-kentucky
(Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker has declared for 2023 NFL Draft, he announced with a statement on Twitter Monday night.

The former Virginia Tech transfer spent two seasons as QB1 in Knoxville, where he threw for 6,080 yards, 58 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for 1,046 yards and 10 scores and led the Vols to a 15-7 record as a starter, including an 8-0 start to the regular season.

His senior year included leading Tennessee to an improbable victory over Alabama at home, earning Tennessee a No. 1 ranking in the AP Top 25 poll and is largely responsible for the Vols’ Orange Bowl berth at the end of the year.

He’ll be remembered as one of the greatest Tennessee quarterbacks of the last two decades. Hooker was the man in Knoxville during the program’s rise back to national relevancy during that time, and his stats back it up.

A one-time Heisman favorite, Hooker will be nursing a torn ACL heading into the draft. He suffered the injury toward the end of the season against South Carolina, and judging by the timing (November), there is a real possibility Hooker misses out on his Pro Day and the NFL Combine.

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More on the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft is set to take place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event will be held at the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft will be broadcasted throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility. 100 underclassmen were approved for last year’s draft. 73 of those 100 underclassmen were granted special eligibility while 27 of them were underclassmen who had completed their college degrees.

The 2023 NFL scouting combine will take place from Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis.