It’s not hard to understand why Hendon Hooker emerged as one of the best NCAA football players in 2022. His name has become commonplace as college athletes sign new NIL contracts. Earlier in the 2021 season, Hooker took over as the starting quarterback for the Tennessee Volunteers and hasn’t looked back as he leads the offense to impressive results.
Hendon Hooker’s on-field brilliance eventually led to NIL deals. In November, Hooker announced a deal with Gopher Inc. on Instagram, adding another endorsement deal to his expanding portfolio.
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The Gopher app provides a local marketplace for services and is provided by a company based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Customers can specify a price for any task they wish to complete, including mowing the lawn. Gopher currently serves the cities of Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill. However, with this most recent deal, it’s clear the firm has Knoxville in its sights.
On3 NIL’s valuation for Hooker is $1.1 million. Last season, his social media following increased significantly; he now has more than 146,000 followers.
On3’s information shows that Hooker has agreements with a small number of companies as part of his current NIL. He has worked with various companies including Dunkin’, Gopher Brand Athletes, Municipal, French’s, and Mercedes-Benz of Knoxville.
Will Hendon Hooker be selected in the first round?
A few weeks before the NFL draft, Hendon Hooker received rushed visits from NFL teams. Teams are doing due diligence on a player who, at 25, has a unique prospect profile. Add to this the realization that Hooker is recovering from a torn ACL that prevented him from participating in nearly every on-field test leading up to the draft.
Hendon Hooker played for Virginia Tech for four seasons before moving to Tennessee for the final two. Hooker occasionally stood out for his team, but the offense he was a part of lacked imagination and the training wasn’t the best. Hooker went long stretches at Virginia Tech and Tennessee without throwing an interception.
Some organizations will be concerned about your age and injuries. Yet Hooker is a role model, a die-hard football fan, and a player who just keeps getting better. He should still make it to the first round.
Baker Mayfield is the only starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Later in the season, Hendon could start in Baker’s place after quickly picking up some of Baker’s knowledge.
Before he suffered an injury last year, Hooker displayed all of these talents and was in a strong position to win the Heisman Trophy. He scored 32 TDs and had a 175.5 QB rating in just 12 starts.