Can Joe Milton step into spotlight in 2023, build on Orange Bowl performance

Tennessee’s year basically hinges on quarterback Joe Milton if he’s able to build off his Orange Bowl performance at the end of last year.

On3’s J.D. PicKell said as much because it’s either boom or bust for Milton. The Volunteers saw a great year for Hendon Hooker end last year due to injury, but Milton filled in seamlessly.

It seems like Tennessee could go just as far with Milton under center, if he builds off the small sample size from 2022.

“My question for them as it pertains to this SEC East race, are we getting Orange Bowl Joe Melton,” PicKell said on The Hard Count. “Is it really just reload at the quarterback position for Josh Heupel? Because Hendon Hooker was special last year, man. Joe Milton steps in and in that Orange Bowl on an enormous stage, just went to work. Joe Milton looked like one of the best quarterbacks in the country in that game. Now that’s a small sample size, that’s one game and I believe that we will get Orange Bowl Joe Milton this coming season or at least a version of that. 

“But if we don’t, that changes everything for Tennessee because they are a run first offense. But a lot of what they do goes through the quarterback, from getting them in the right play to hitting the open shot, to running the offense at the tempo they want to run it at, like they put a lot of his quarterback’s plate.”

In his limited action last year, Milton finished with 971 yards, 10 touchdowns, zero interceptions, a 64.6% completion percentage and 77 rushing yards.

Milton certainly has the capability to do what Hooker did, maybe even better. But there’s a lot of pressure on the quarterback to cover up some other team deficiencies 

“And no shade to the good folks in Knoxville, but we’re on the same page about the secondary,” PicKell said. “The secondary’s got to get better. I think it will get better. That’s probably the other major question you have if you’re a Tennessee fan. But even so, the secondary wasn’t great last year, even though the statistics were a little bit skewed. But still, why were you as successful record wise as you were last year? Because the offense and Hendon Hooker was dealing. Does Joe Milton deal in the same fashion? Is he on the same playing field as what Hendon Hooker did last year? He was in the Orange Bowl. 

“Do we get to see it because if he doesn’t, then the pressure goes back to the defense like I was just talking about. You need the defense to maybe bring a little bit more to the party than you were originally asking. That’s my question for Tennessee.”