Greg McElroy identifies Tennessee’s MVP entering 2023

Tennessee has a lot to live up to after what they accomplished in 2022. Their only chance of even coming close to those heights, though, lies solely with Greg McElroy’s MVP for the Vols: QB Joe Milton.

McElroy named Milton as the obvious Most Valuable Player on Rocky Top in a recent episode of ‘Always College Football’. He says there’s no other option for the Volunteers because of how reliant that their team, specifically their offense, is on quality quarterback play.

“The MVP? It has to be Joe Milton. It has to be,” McElroy said. “This is a quarterback-driven offense and if the quarterback is inaccurate? If the quarterback misses throws? If the quarterback is not good, especially when throwing the ball down the field? The offense will not be as good. It just won’t be.”

“This team is always going to go as the quarterback goes. With the offense that they run, if you’re quarterback has an off day? You’re going to struggle. You’re going to struggle,” said McElroy. “If the receivers have an off day? You can overcome that because you have so many. If the offensive line has maybe a difficult day? You can probably overcome that because you can use tempo and keep the defense off balance. But if the quarterback is missing throws? You’re going to have a tough time.”

The good news for those on Rocky Top is that McElroy does believe that Milton has made the necessary strides to be the replacement that they need for life after Hendon Hooker. After transferring from Ann Arbor and losing the starting job, he also believes that Milton has been humbled in a positive way.

“Joe Milton has grown by leaps and bounds in the last couple years since transferring from Michigan,” said McElroy. “I think it humbled him early in his Tennessee career when he was sidelined. But he followed Hendon Hooker, he learned from Hendon Hooker, and became a much better player as a result of that experience.”

Tennessee had one of their best seasons in program history without competing for the conference crown or national championship. However, if they want to take the next step in ’23 and reach those stages in the postseason, McElroy is certain that it will all fall on Milton’s shoulders.

“If Tennessee is going to get to the SEC Championship, knock off Georgia, maybe find their way to the College Football Playoff? Joe Milton has to be an All-American candidate,” McElroy stated.