Vols QB Hooker done for season with torn ACL

Published

3 years ago

November 21, 2022

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5:18 PM ET

Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Saturday’s 63-38 loss to South Carolina and will miss the remainder of the season.

Team officials feared the worst Saturday after Hooker was injured in the fourth quarter, and the school announced the news Sunday.

“Hendon and the Hooker family appreciate all of your prayers and support,” the team said in a post on Twitter. “Hendon’s incredible journey has been defined by faith, perseverance and strength. Obstacles have never stood in the way on his path to greatness. Forever a Tennessee legend and the ultimate teammate, we know Hendo will come back stronger than ever as he embarks on a promising NFL career. Thank you, Hendo.”

Hooker, a 24-year-old senior, was one of the favorites for the Heisman Trophy for much of this season. He suffered the non-contact injury while rolling left on an option play, and his leg seemed to get stuck in the turf at Williams-Brice Stadium. Hooker lost control of the ball and immediately went to the ground. He was helped off the field and then limped gingerly to the locker room with the help of the training staff.

A two-year starter for the Vols, Hooker was a driving force in Tennessee’s turnaround under second-year coach Josh Heupel after transferring from Virginia Tech. He passed for 3,135 yards and 27 touchdowns and threw just two interceptions this season. He ranks ninth nationally in total offense (and first in the SEC) with an average of 324.1 yards per game.

A year ago, in his first season at Tennessee, Hooker won the starting job in Week 3 and finished with 2,945 passing yards and 31 touchdowns while throwing just three interceptions. He also rushed for nine touchdowns.

Heupel told ESPN earlier this month that Hooker was playing as efficiently as any quarterback he’d ever been around.

“It’s fun to watch, how everyone else rallies around him and the command he has out there of our offense,” Heupel said. “Sometimes he makes it look easy, but it’s his attention to detail, his work ethic and competitive spirit that make him so special. He’s somebody they’re going to remember around here for a long time.”

Hooker was the heartbeat of a Tennessee team that started out 8-0 and was ranked No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff rankings. But the Vols lost that next week to Georgia on the road and then Saturday to the Gamecocks.

With Hooker sidelined, Tennessee will turn to Joe Milton III at quarterback Saturday against Vanderbilt. Milton, a transfer from Michigan, started in the first two games a year ago for the Vols before Hooker beat him out for the job. Milton finished the game against South Carolina after Hooker was injured and threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Cedric Tillman in the final minutes of the game.

Sports

Sources: Sumrall the favorite to land Florida job

Published

4 hours ago

November 29, 2025

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Sources: Sumrall the favorite to land Florida job

Nov 29, 2025, 02:40 PM ET

Tulane coach Jon Sumrall has emerged as the clear favorite to be the next head coach of the Florida Gators, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Florida turned its attention away from Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin earlier this week after getting the sense through irregular communication that he is interested in other options, likely a move to LSU or remaining with the Rebels, sources told ESPN on Friday.

Sumrall is expected to make a decision on his future by Sunday morning as he considers staying at Tulane or a move to Gainesville. He also received significant interest from Auburn, but the Tigers have since shifted their focus to other candidates, another indicator that Florida looms as the clear leader for Sumrall’s services, sources said.

Sumrall, a former SEC player at Kentucky, where he later served as an assistant coach and co-defensive coordinator, is 18-7 in two seasons at Tulane. He also won back-to-back Sun Belt titles as head coach at Troy in 2022 and 2023.

Sumrall, 43, garnered outside interest after his first season with Tulane, earning a contract extension after just one season at the helm.

Tulane (9-2) hosts Charlotte on Saturday night in its regular-season finale. The Green Wave can clinch a spot in the American Conference championship game against North Texas with a win over the 49ers.

Sports

Ohio St. dominates Michigan to snap losing streak

Published

4 hours ago

November 29, 2025

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Ohio St. dominates Michigan to snap losing streak

Associated Press

Nov 29, 2025, 03:51 PM ET

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Julian Sayin threw three touchdown passes, including a 35-yarder to Jeremiah Smith on a fourth down in the second quarter, and No. 1 Ohio State beat No. 15 Michigan 27-9 in a dominant performance on Saturday.

The defending national champion Buckeyes (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten, No. 1 CFP) likely earned a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. They can keep their top seed with a win against No. 2 Indiana (12-0, 9-0, No. 2 CFP) in the conference championship game Saturday night in Indianapolis.

Ryan Day should sleep well, a year after losing The Game when his team was favored by about three touchdowns. The upset extended his losing streak in the series to four games and sparked speculation he might also lose his job.

The Wolverines (9-3, 7-2) started strong with two field goals and an interception on the first three possessions of the game, but couldn’t generate pressure when Ohio State wanted to pass.

After throwing an interception on his second snap, redshirt freshman Sayin took advantage of the time and space he had to throw.

Sayin was 6 of 6 for 68 yards with two touchdowns on third and fourth down in the first half, including a 4-yard throw to Brandon Inniss with 16 seconds left that made it 17-9 at the break. He finished 19 of 26 for 233 yards and threw for at least three touchdowns for the sixth time this season.

Sports

Ohio State-Michigan live updates: Wolverines trying for five straight

Published

8 hours ago

November 29, 2025

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Ohio State-Michigan live updates: Wolverines trying for five straight

Rivalry Week has already seen one upset that will affect a conference championship and College Football Playoff seeding. Could we see another one?

On Friday, Texas upset the Texas A&M Aggies to give A&M its first loss of the season and knock the Aggies out of the SEC championship game. Michigan is in a strikingly similar position. Ohio State is undefeated and No. 1 in the CFP rankings. It needs a win to set up a meeting with Indiana in next week’s Big Ten title game.

OSU has been largely unchallenged since defeating Texas in Week 1, and now it faces its biggest rival, which is hasn’t beaten in four years. Can the Wolverines pull another upset? It’s “The Game,” and we’re tracking the top moments and biggest plays: