Greg McElroy attempts to derail the Joe Milton hype train

In the middle of a discussion on the SEC Network about South Carolina potentially taking a big jump thanks to improved quarterback play, ESPN analyst Greg McElroy took a detour and dumped some cold water on the Joe Milton hype train at Tennessee.

Following an 11-win campaign in 2022, many are expecting Milton to pick up right where veteran Hendon Hooker left off.

“I think the hype train because he can throw it 85 yards is getting a little out of control,” McElroy said bluntly. “He’s got an unbelievable ceiling, there’s no doubt he’s got an unbelievable ceiling. But I don’t care if he can throw it 90 yards unless we have a Hail Mary situation. And guess what? If the receivers are 90 yards downfield, our O-line better be a brick wall because it’s not going to be easy.”

In other words, a strong arm alone does not make you a great quarterback. The Joe Milton hype needs a bit more substance behind it.

Milton looked quite good in an Orange Bowl win over Clemson late last season, but there are concerns about how well he’ll manage the full-time job. He has previously lost starting gigs at both Michigan and Tennessee.

If the Volunteers are to continue their strong run, it’ll be at least in part on the Joe Milton hype being well founded.

“If you can find the quarterback, that is the neutralizer,” McElroy said. “If you can just have that one guy. And it might be Tennessee. Maybe it’s Joe Milton.”

Can Spencer Rattler be the guy?

For all his doubts about the Joe Milton hype this offseason, McElroy didn’t seem to have many about the South Carolina quarterback.

Though Spencer Rattler has been very up and down, he has the skills to be a real difference-maker.

“Long story short, if you have a game-changer at quarterback, which, by the way, I really believe South Carolina has that,” McElroy said. “Now comfort level, confidence… Spencer Rattler at his best is a game-changer.”

McElroy made a comparison that Rattler can shoot for in terms of living up to this fall. If he can manage that, the Gamecocks could be quite good.

“If he can have a performance ala Stephen Garcia, like Stephen had against [Alabama] ironically enough, then that is the type of performance that you need to be able to kind of close that gap,” McElroy said. “Then when you see a quarterback break through, then the guys will all flock. So I think that’s the big thing, you’ve got to have that game-changer at quarterback.”

Milton and Rattler will get the chance to go head-to-head, looking to prove they are that game-changer, on Sept. 30 in Knoxville, Tenn.