Tennessee’s Heisman-hopeful may be done for the year. As the Vols were down late in the game against South Carolina, Hendon Hooker scrambled and suffered a non-contact left knee injury. Hooker’s leg collapsed inward, the classic mechanism for a torn ACL.
Here’s the play where he was injured:
Now Hooker is likely facing season-ending surgery and a lengthy recovery. Hooker was a potential high draft pick, but this injury would hurt his draft stock a bit. While he may be cleared ahead of week 1, he won’t be 100%. An isolated ACL tear typically takes around nine months to recover from, but 12+ months to return to full strength.
Hooker will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of any ligament damage. The worst case scenario is a torn ACL with additional ligament damage. The best case scenario would be a mild sprain with the potential to miss a few games (but this is unlikely). Despite only one loss against UGA heading into this weekend, they’re now likely out of the playoff conversation due to the likely loss to USC. Losing Hooker makes their situation even worse.
