Hendon Hooker named SEC offensive player of the year by league coaches

Tennessee redshirt senior quarterback Hendon Hooker was named the Southeastern Conference’s offensive player of the year by the league’s coaches on Wednesday.

Hooker was joined by Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. as the defensive player of the year. Georgia’s Jack Podlesny is the special teams player of the year and Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins was named freshman of the year.

Mississippi State’s Austin Williams is the scholar-athlete of the year and Arkansas offensive lineman Ricky Stromberg won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy. Georgia’s Kirby Smart was named coach of the year. 

Hooker on Monday was named the SEC offensive player of the year by the Associated Press and Josh Heupel was named coach of the year.

Hooker on Tuesday was one of four Vols that made All-SEC in the coaches vote, alongside wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, left tackle Darnell Wright and defensive end Byron Young. All four were first team selections.

The same four players were named All-SEC by the AP on Monday, with Hooker, Hyatt and Wright named first team while Young was second team.

No. 6 Tennessee (10-2) will play No. 7 Clemson (11-2) in the Capital One Orange Bowl on December 30 (8 p.m. Eastern Time; TV: ESPN) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Hooker, who accounted for 3,565 total yards and 33 touchdowns in 11 games this season, on Monday became Tennessee’s first Maxwell Award finalist since Peyton Manning won the award in 1997. On Friday he became Tennessee football’s first quarterback to be named a Manning Award finalist. The award, commissioned in 2004, was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl to honor the college football accomplishments of Archie, Eli and Peyton Manning.

Hooker was not named a Heisman Trophy finalist on Monday, with the honors going instead to Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud, TCU quarterback Max Duggan, USC quarterback Caleb Williams and Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett IV.

Vols WR Jalin Hyatt named finalist for Belitnikoff Award

Hyatt on Monday became Tennessee’s first finalist for the Belitnikoff Award, given annually to college football’s top wide receiver.

Hyatt finished the regular season leading the country in touchdowns, with his 15 setting a new Tennessee program record. He finished with 1,267 receiving yards, only 31 yards short of matching the Tennessee record held by Robert Meachem, who had 1,298 yards in 2006.

Hyatt’s 1,267 yards came on just 67 receptions, giving him an average of 18.9 yards per catch.

As the biggest deep threat the country, Hyatt finished No. 1 in the country in plays of 30 or more yards (15), 40 or more yards (11), 50 or more yards (7) and 60 or more yards (5).

Young had 14 quarterback hits, 10.0 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks in 12 games this season, finishing the regular season with 34 tackles in 12 games. Wright anchored an offensive line that gave up just 23.0 sacks through 12 games.

Outgoing Tennessee offensive coordinator named finalist for Broyles Award

Former Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh, who on Sunday was named the new head coach at South Florida, last week was named a Broyles Award finalist, given annually to college football’s top assistant coach. David Cutcliffe won the award in 1998 and was the last Tennessee assistant to be named a finalist.

Baylor’s Garrett Riley was named the Broyles Award winner on Tuesday.

The Vols finished the regular season No. 1 in scoring offense (47.3 points per game), No. 1 in total offense (538.1 yards per game), No. 3 in passing offense (332.3 yards per game) and No. 18 in rushing offense (205.75 yards per game). In 2021, Tennessee finished No. 7 in scoring offense, No. 9 in total offense, No. 12 in rushing offense and No. 39 in passing offense.

Golesh has coached tight ends at Tennessee while serving as offensive coordinator the last two seasons.