Reminder on the PFF grading scale
< 50 = Backup
50-59 = Below average starter6
0-69 = Average starter
70-79 = Above average starter
80-89 = Very good
90-99 = Elite
Cedric Tillman — 76.6 (45 snaps)
Tiyon Evans — 72.2 (6)
Cade Mays — 72.2 (49)
Jacob Warren — 71.9 (15)
Jalin Hyatt — 71.4 (5)
Cooper Mays — 71.3 (49)
Hendon Hooker — 69.9 (49)
Velus Jones Jr. — 66.3 (43)
Jabari Small — 63.5 (26)
Jaylen Wright — 62.5 (17)
JaVonta Payton — 60.5 (45)
Hunter Salmon — 59.3 (4)
Javontez Spraggins — 57.5 (49)
Jerome Carvin — 56.7 (49)
Ramel Keyton — 56.3 (8)
Darnell Wright — 49.1 (49)
Princeton Fant — 41.7 (31)
First off, the elephant in the room is Hooker grading out at below 70, the baseline for an ‘above average starter’. That’s ridiculous for a guy that went 15-for-20 with 316 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. I know sometimes the PFF grades don’t match up with what you thought you watched but that one is egregious.
Hooker has steadily improved as a downfield passer and Saturday’s performance was his best yet. He was 3-of-4 on balls that traveled more than 20 yards through the air for 150 yards and a touchdown.
Hooker was credited with two ‘big time throws’ per PFF.
Most of the year Tennessee has aggressively attacked the middle of the field in the throw game, especially on those intermediate routes between 10-20 yards.
Josh Heupel clearly liked something that he saw towards the sideline against the Kentucky defense. Hooker was just 1-of-2 for 18 yards and one touchdown, the pass to Jacob Warren, on throws over the middle between 10-20 yards against Kentucky.
Hooker feasted outside the hashes on intermediate and long throws. He was 7-for-9 for 255 yards on throws that traveled at least 10 yards through the air and were outside the hashmarks.
According to PFF Kentucky blitzed Hooker only nine times—which doesn’t say much about the offensive line on a night when they gave up five sacks. He was just 2-of-6 on those occasions but did have 55 yards and a touchdown on those two completions.
When the offensive front gave him a clean pocket to throw from he was deadly, completing 14-of-18 passes for 308 yards and four TDs.
Tennessee ran play action on 11 of Hooker’s drop backs and he was 7-for-11 for 149 yards and that’s where three of his four touchdowns came from.
Cedric Tillman has excelled all year at making contested catches down the field. Two of his six catches at Kentucky were graded as ‘contested.’
On a night when Hooker faced tons of pressure the pass rushing grades weren’t surprising. Cade Mays had by far the best night per PFF, getting an 81.9 grade. Jerome Carvin (76.8) and Cooper Mays (68.1) also got passable grades.
It got ugly after that. Darnell Wright (52.1) and Javontez Spraggins (50.7) both received ‘back-up’ level grades.
On first watch it looked like Tennessee’s running backs really fell short in pass protection. PFF agreed. Jabari Small received a 46.5 grade Jaylen Wright a 21.5.
Only Cooper Mays (76.5) received an ‘above average starter grade’ as a run blocker. Cade Mays (66.2) was next. The other three offensive linemen all received sub-60 grades; Spraggins (57.2), Wright (54.8) and Carvin (50.4).
DEFENSE
Alontae Taylor — 81.7 (86 snaps)
Elijah Simmons — 76.2 (19)
Theo Jackson — 73.3 (101)
Roman Harrison — 71.1 (4)
Caleb Tremblay — 68.4 (54)
Byron Young — 65.5 (72)
Trevon Flowers — 63.8 (100)
Warren Burrell — 63.2 (77)
Tyler Baron — 62.7 (55)
Da’Jon Terry — 60.9 (31)
Matthew Butler — 60.5 (84)
Jeremy Banks — 59.4 (83)
Ja’Quain Blakely — 56.6 (48)
Jaylen McCollough — 53.6 (100)
Solon Page III — 51.3 (18)
Aaron Beasley — 49.0 (95)
Kamal Hadden — 43.5 (33)
Kenneth George — 41.0 (4)
Omari Thomas — 34.0 (40)
Doneiko Slaughter — 29.1 (7)
It looked like a good night for Alontae Taylor on first watch and PFF felt the same. He received Tennessee’s top coverage grade (82.7) and second highest tackling grade (79.0).
Watching live Elijah Simmons seemed impactful and active and his grade reflected that. Simmons received by far the highest grade as a run defender (79.4). Tyler Barron was next at 72.7.
Barron, Simmons and Theo Jackson (72.4) were the only defenders to grade out as ‘above average’ starters for their run defense.
Caleb Tremblay got by far his most playing time of the season and looked solid, which his near-70 grade reflects.
Tennessee did not have a player receive a 70+ grade as a pass rusher. Tremblay (67.5), Byron Young (64.5) and Roman Harrison (64.4) were the only players to receive ‘average starter’ grades as pass rushers.
Jackson had a very solid night in coverage. Kentucky went after him but with little success. Jackson was targeted 12 times by the Wildcats but surrendered just five completions for 47 yards.
McCollough received a 56.0 grade in pass coverage. He was targeted seven times and surrendered five catches for 64 yards. Five of those catches went for first downs.
The ‘Cats really went after Aaron Beasley in the passing game. They targeted the linebacker six times resulting in five receptions for 43 yards.
Taylor gave up 33 yards on three receptions in four targets.
Doneiko Slaughter played just seven snaps but in that time gave up two receptions for 44 yards.
Kentucky had some success pushing the ball down the field against the Vols’ secondary. Will Levis was 4-for-7 for 101 yards on throws that traveled more than 20 yards through the air.
Tennessee has had problems covering the middle of the field all season long. Mercy, was that true on Saturday. Kentucky was 22-of-33 for 240 yards and three touchdowns on balls thrown between the hash marks. Levis was 8-of-13 for 132 yards and two touchdowns on balls thrown more than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage in the middle of the field.
< 50 = Backup
50-59 = Below average starter6
0-69 = Average starter
70-79 = Above average starter
80-89 = Very good
90-99 = Elite
Cedric Tillman — 76.6 (45 snaps)
Tiyon Evans — 72.2 (6)
Cade Mays — 72.2 (49)
Jacob Warren — 71.9 (15)
Jalin Hyatt — 71.4 (5)
Cooper Mays — 71.3 (49)
Hendon Hooker — 69.9 (49)
Velus Jones Jr. — 66.3 (43)
Jabari Small — 63.5 (26)
Jaylen Wright — 62.5 (17)
JaVonta Payton — 60.5 (45)
Hunter Salmon — 59.3 (4)
Javontez Spraggins — 57.5 (49)
Jerome Carvin — 56.7 (49)
Ramel Keyton — 56.3 (8)
Darnell Wright — 49.1 (49)
Princeton Fant — 41.7 (31)
First off, the elephant in the room is Hooker grading out at below 70, the baseline for an ‘above average starter’. That’s ridiculous for a guy that went 15-for-20 with 316 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. I know sometimes the PFF grades don’t match up with what you thought you watched but that one is egregious.
Hooker has steadily improved as a downfield passer and Saturday’s performance was his best yet. He was 3-of-4 on balls that traveled more than 20 yards through the air for 150 yards and a touchdown.
Hooker was credited with two ‘big time throws’ per PFF.
Most of the year Tennessee has aggressively attacked the middle of the field in the throw game, especially on those intermediate routes between 10-20 yards.
Josh Heupel clearly liked something that he saw towards the sideline against the Kentucky defense. Hooker was just 1-of-2 for 18 yards and one touchdown, the pass to Jacob Warren, on throws over the middle between 10-20 yards against Kentucky.
Hooker feasted outside the hashes on intermediate and long throws. He was 7-for-9 for 255 yards on throws that traveled at least 10 yards through the air and were outside the hashmarks.
According to PFF Kentucky blitzed Hooker only nine times—which doesn’t say much about the offensive line on a night when they gave up five sacks. He was just 2-of-6 on those occasions but did have 55 yards and a touchdown on those two completions.
When the offensive front gave him a clean pocket to throw from he was deadly, completing 14-of-18 passes for 308 yards and four TDs.
Tennessee ran play action on 11 of Hooker’s drop backs and he was 7-for-11 for 149 yards and that’s where three of his four touchdowns came from.
Cedric Tillman has excelled all year at making contested catches down the field. Two of his six catches at Kentucky were graded as ‘contested.’
On a night when Hooker faced tons of pressure the pass rushing grades weren’t surprising. Cade Mays had by far the best night per PFF, getting an 81.9 grade. Jerome Carvin (76.8) and Cooper Mays (68.1) also got passable grades.
It got ugly after that. Darnell Wright (52.1) and Javontez Spraggins (50.7) both received ‘back-up’ level grades.
On first watch it looked like Tennessee’s running backs really fell short in pass protection. PFF agreed. Jabari Small received a 46.5 grade Jaylen Wright a 21.5.
Only Cooper Mays (76.5) received an ‘above average starter grade’ as a run blocker. Cade Mays (66.2) was next. The other three offensive linemen all received sub-60 grades; Spraggins (57.2), Wright (54.8) and Carvin (50.4).
DEFENSE
Alontae Taylor — 81.7 (86 snaps)
Elijah Simmons — 76.2 (19)
Theo Jackson — 73.3 (101)
Roman Harrison — 71.1 (4)
Caleb Tremblay — 68.4 (54)
Byron Young — 65.5 (72)
Trevon Flowers — 63.8 (100)
Warren Burrell — 63.2 (77)
Tyler Baron — 62.7 (55)
Da’Jon Terry — 60.9 (31)
Matthew Butler — 60.5 (84)
Jeremy Banks — 59.4 (83)
Ja’Quain Blakely — 56.6 (48)
Jaylen McCollough — 53.6 (100)
Solon Page III — 51.3 (18)
Aaron Beasley — 49.0 (95)
Kamal Hadden — 43.5 (33)
Kenneth George — 41.0 (4)
Omari Thomas — 34.0 (40)
Doneiko Slaughter — 29.1 (7)
It looked like a good night for Alontae Taylor on first watch and PFF felt the same. He received Tennessee’s top coverage grade (82.7) and second highest tackling grade (79.0).
Watching live Elijah Simmons seemed impactful and active and his grade reflected that. Simmons received by far the highest grade as a run defender (79.4). Tyler Barron was next at 72.7.
Barron, Simmons and Theo Jackson (72.4) were the only defenders to grade out as ‘above average’ starters for their run defense.
Caleb Tremblay got by far his most playing time of the season and looked solid, which his near-70 grade reflects.
Tennessee did not have a player receive a 70+ grade as a pass rusher. Tremblay (67.5), Byron Young (64.5) and Roman Harrison (64.4) were the only players to receive ‘average starter’ grades as pass rushers.
Jackson had a very solid night in coverage. Kentucky went after him but with little success. Jackson was targeted 12 times by the Wildcats but surrendered just five completions for 47 yards.
McCollough received a 56.0 grade in pass coverage. He was targeted seven times and surrendered five catches for 64 yards. Five of those catches went for first downs.
The ‘Cats really went after Aaron Beasley in the passing game. They targeted the linebacker six times resulting in five receptions for 43 yards.
Taylor gave up 33 yards on three receptions in four targets.
Doneiko Slaughter played just seven snaps but in that time gave up two receptions for 44 yards.
Kentucky had some success pushing the ball down the field against the Vols’ secondary. Will Levis was 4-for-7 for 101 yards on throws that traveled more than 20 yards through the air.
Tennessee has had problems covering the middle of the field all season long. Mercy, was that true on Saturday. Kentucky was 22-of-33 for 240 yards and three touchdowns on balls thrown between the hash marks. Levis was 8-of-13 for 132 yards and two touchdowns on balls thrown more than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage in the middle of the field.
