Maxen Hook, SAF, Toledo
Size:
Height: 6004
Weight: 202
Arm: 31 ½”
Hand: 9 ⅛”
Accomplishments:
First-Team All-MAC (2024, 2023, 2022) • Third-Team All-MAC (2021)
“Maxen Hook is an extremely productive safety who has a knack for finding the football and excels when in the box.”
Strengths:
Playing in the box
Tackling
Physicality
High effort
Concerns:
Playing in space
Poor feel in coverage
Tight hips
Quickness/Change of direction
Film Analysis:
Maxen Hook is a fifth-year senior from Toledo and a three-time First-Team All-MAC selection. He also earned a third-team nod in 2021 as a redshirt freshman. Over his impressive career with the Rockets, Hook has racked up 359 total tackles, including 108 in 2024 (62 of them solo). He has also totaled seven interceptions and 15 pass break-ups over his career at Toledo.
Hook thrives near the box. He's at his best when lined up over or near the ball, using his instinct for the run game to consistently make plays. Hook plays with great physicality. He takes on blocks, shoots gaps, and plays with relentless energy, making his presence felt on nearly every snap. Hook’s tackling is consistent, and his solid athleticism pairs well with his knack for being around the football. He also flashes good top-end speed, chasing down runners and making sideline-to-sideline plays. With his skill set, Hook also projects as a natural fit as a special teams contributor.
However, there are areas where Hook struggles. His effectiveness drops significantly when he’s asked to play in space rather than close to the line of scrimmage. While he rarely misses tackles, the ones he does miss often come in the open field, highlighting his lack of lateral quickness and change of direction. Although he has good top-end speed, it takes him time to reach it, which limits his ability to recover in space.
In coverage, Hook struggles as his tight hips and stiffness make man coverage a weakness, showing the need to grab and hold receivers too often. In zone coverage, he doesn't display the comfort or awareness you'd expect from a player with his experience. He often drifts into empty areas of the field and does not show the same level of instinct he shows when defending the run. Hook lacks the ball skills and range to excel as a middle-of-the-field safety.
Despite some limitations, Hook enters the NFL as a highly productive, experienced safety who excels in the box and thrives near the ball. He’s a perfect fit for a scheme that leans on his physicality, instincts, and ability to play the run, without asking him to cover large areas in space. With the right system, Hook has the tools to make an impact.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Role Specific Contributor
Exposures: Miami-OH (2024), Ohio (2024), Bowling Green (2024), Mississippi State (2024)
