The relationship between Hendon Hooker, Joe Milton is paying dividends for Vols

Hendon Hooker will enter the 2022 season with a ton of hype and rightfully so. He finished last season on a hot streak, averaging 269 passing yards and three touchdowns per game over his last three. But if you rewind to this time last year, it was Joe Milton having all of the eyeballs on him in Knoxville. Earning the starting job to begin 2021, he eventually gave way to Hooker as the Tennessee offense exploded.

Even with the two going through a quarterback battle last season and Hooker eventually taking Milton’s job, they have a solid relationship with one another — especially off the field. Tennessee quarterback coach Joey Halzle recently discussed how the two quarterbacks get along, saying there’s a “real friendship” between Hooker and Milton but they are still competitive on the field.

“It’s been great,” Halzle said. “Joe and Hendon have a real relationship, not just on the field but off it. They have become really, really close friends. They compete with each other every day. Growing up, you always want to beat your best friend, but it’s always in a positive light. That positivity and that positive energy has really just translated into our QB room. Tayven (Jackson) has walked right into that. It’s been a good environment for him.” 

Halzle says relationship between the two quarterbacks is a unique one

Quarterback can be a tricky position for head coaches to manage, especially when two feel like they have earned the starting role. Halzle thinks Josh Heupel has done such a great job building the culture in Knoxville that Hooker and Milton can be on the same roster.

The quarterback coach continued to expand on his player’s relationship as well, saying the two know something “bigger” is at stake than just a starting spot. Both want to work toward getting Tennessee wins on Saturdays.

“Kind of two answers,” Halzle began. “One, it’s extremely rare to have that kind of dynamic. But two, it really speaks to what Coach Heupel has built here culture-wise. I know I’ve said that a couple times in here already, but it’s the truth that these guys all understand that we’re all trying to get something bigger, and everyone has a role.

“Right now, you think you know what your role is, but you have no idea after that first snap what everybody on this football team’s role is going to be. Everyone’s just working the same way and working in a really positive way.” 

Hendon Hooker, Joe Milton helping with younger QBs as well

Heupel decided to take a quarterback in his 2022 class and a pretty good one as well. Tayven Jackson was a top 200 overall player on the On3 Consensus and ranked No. 10 at his position. Halzle thinks Jackson being able to learn from both Hooker and Milton will be massive for his development, saying it’s a “huge benefit” in the long term.

“That is huge for a young quarterback, because he has two guys above him that are not just in the building doing what they need to do every day, but guys who have also played,” said Halzle. “They can talk to, ‘This is what it’s like on gameday. This is how you have to prepare.’ That’s so uncommon, and that’s a huge benefit that he is getting coming in.

“He can just sit and listen to these guys talk, get stuff from them, and they are both very positive with him. They’re not beating him down. They kind of rib at him sometimes like you would with a little brother, but it’s all positive. It speaks, again, to the culture that we not only have in this building, but specifically in that room.”

Hooker will see the vast majority of work at quarterback this season, hoping to pick up where he left off in the Tennessee offense. But his relationship with his two backups seems to be on a fantastic level and something that will greatly benefit the Volunteers as Heupel attempts to bring them back to prominence.