What Hendon Hooker injury means for Heisman Trophy odds

Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker tore his ACL in the Vols’ brutal loss to South Carolina on Saturday.

Hooker was a frontrunner in the 2022 Heisman Trophy conversation and sat near the top of the odds board for the award at DraftKings Sportsbook. While this injury doesn’t entirely remove him from contention, the Vols’ second loss showcased his weaknesses in the same way that their game against Georgia did earlier in November.

The senior quarterback had +350 odds last week for college football’s most prestigious award, but is no longer listed on the quickly-shrinking odds board. This moves quarterbacks CJ Stroud and Caleb Williams into the top spots, followed by Michigan running back Blake Corum, who may have also sustained an injury this week.

All three players have a chance at performing in a rivalry game next week and a conference championship game in December before the Dec. 10 Heisman Trophy ceremony. Recency bias from voters may hurt Hooker’s chances without the opportunity to showcase his skills in such a matchup, although he did excel earlier this season against Alabama.

Hooker has been the starter for Tennessee for the past two years, leading the Vols to a position in the college football landscape that they hadn’t seen in years. His 2022 stats are, in a word, outstanding — 27 passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns with just two interceptions.

Tennessee faces Vanderbilt in their final game of the season. Backup Joe Milton will fill in at quarterback.