Tennessee Quarterback Hendon Hooker Expected To Make At Least $1 Million With NIL Deals

The NCAA opened up Pandora’s Box when they allowed players to be paid for the use of their name, image, and likeness. The spirit of the rule was to allow players to partner with local businesses and make some form of compensation for their efforts. Now, national companies like WWE are getting in on the feeding frenzy. Several schools have seen groups organize specifically to lure in elite recruits with the promise of huge NIL money.

Hendon Hooker is the Tennessee Volunteers presumptive starting quarterback going into 2022. Hooker had a strong season last year, posting a ridiculous 182 QB rating and throwing for 2,945 yards and 31 touchdowns. Still, the Vols only finished the season at 7-6, only good for third place in the SEC East.

That performance is enough for some Tennessee boosters to pony up huge dollars to bring Hooker back. Spyre Sports is the collective that is trying to buy championships at Tennessee. In a recent talk with The Athletic, Spyre CEO James Clawson said the starting Volunteers quarterback should be getting paid at least a million dollars.

“We feel like the quarterback at Tennessee can make as much money as anywhere in the country. If you go out and replicate the season Hendon Hooker just had, there’s no reason why at the end of the day in deals we do and other companies do or national brands, the quarterback at Tennessee shouldn’t make seven figures a year.”

Advertising

Advertising

One million dollars is a lot of money to invest into a college football player. That kind of cash is being thrown around all over the country, causing many to question whether college football can maintain its already tenuous competitive balance. Time will tell if the gamble pays off for Spyre’s huge investment in Tennessee football.

What do you think of this story? Let us know in the comments!