Joe Milton on being a mentor: 'Nothing's changed'

Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton is moving back into a starting role this year after playing behind Hendon Hooker for most of the 2022 season.

Even though Milton is going from a reserve quarterback to a starter, he insists his mindset as far as being a mentor hasn’t changed.

“I did the same thing last year that I do today,” Milton said. “Nothing changed, man. I do the same thing.”

The former Michigan quarterback is a part of a talented quarterback room, which also includes freshman Nico Iamaleava. The California native was rated as a five-star recruit and the No. 6 overall player in the country for the class of 2023, according to the On3 Industry rankings. On3 ranked Iamaleava as the No. 1 overall player in the nation.

Milton believes he will be able to help Iamaleava and other young players on the team while serving as a mentor.

“I’ve been [a mentor] my whole life. I mean I’m the oldest of seven,” Milton said. “I’ve been that my whole life, so I’m comfortable with it.”

Joe Milton is entering his third season at Tennessee, after transferring in from Michigan ahead of the 2021 season.

He has played in 31 games and made nine starts so far in his college career. During his time with the Vols, Milton has appeared in 17 games and made four starts. That includes last season when the Vols beat Clemson in the Orange Bowl.

Milton has a 5-4 record as a starting quarterback, including a 3-1 mark at Tennessee. He has passed for 1,346 yards and 12 touchdowns with zero interceptions over the past two seasons with the Vols.

Josh Heupel details the ‘unique dynamic’ between Joe Milton, Nico Iamaleava

While Joe Milton is set to be the guy at quarterback for Tennessee this season, it’s clear that Nico Iamaleava is the future.

Head coach Josh Heupel recently spoke about the relationship between Milton and Iamaleava, comparing it to the previous starter and backup relationship he witnessed the last two seasons in Knoxville with Milton working behind Hendon Hooker.

“I think it’s a little bit different in the amount of time Nico’s spent here, but at the end of the day for him being very supportive, helping him on the sidelines, being able to talk about what happened on previously plays, previous series. I think that’s important,” Heupel said. “But Joe was such a great leader for us a year ago long before anybody saw him step on the field, and his growth and how intentional he was in his work was a big part of why everybody believed he’d play at a really high level when he got his next chance.”