CHARLOTTE— Bryce Young and Hendon Hooker have had a lot of conversations over the years.

The two former SEC quarterbacks first met in 2022 at the Manning Passing Academy, where they connected over the pressures and expectations of playing the most visible position in the sport.

"Me and Bryce have been cool, before the draft process, going back to like the Manning Camp," Hooker shared Wednesday. "We would have long conversations about play calls, about changing protections, about what we're seeing, ID the defense, and really just playing at a high level."

A year later, they were at the airport together, traveling to the combine as two passers projected to be selected in the first two days of the draft, which they were. Young was the Panthers' No. 1 overall pick, and Hooker was taken

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