Tennessee is betting on Joe Milton, defensive improvement in 2023

Tennessee was one of the breakthrough teams of the 2022 season as they enjoyed success like Knoxville hasn’t seen in several years. Of course, leading the way on that terrific team last fall was a dynamic QB-WR combo, Hendon Hooker and Jalin Hyatt, that has since left the Vols after a pair of successful seasons — as have many of the key guys from off the recent run.

It’s time for Josh Heupel to further prove his chops as a head coach by rebuilding and retooling the roster this offseason to maintain — if not the same level, at least something close to the success they had last year. On3’s JD PicKell spent some time on the On3 YouTube channel assessing that very question: can Tennessee stay afloat near the top of the SEC after losing its star quarterback along with a slew of other contributors?

Check out why PicKell views UT as a “tightrope” team entering this fall, largely due to the question mark at one position.

JD PicKell explains why Tennessee is a tightrope team in 2023

“We’re in the Volunteer State, coming to you live from Nashville. Just up the road is Knoxville. The Tennessee Vols, man, y’all know I am high on the Vols. I believe in Josh Heupel. He came on this very program. I believe in his vision of believing the trajectory of that team. But what is the bet that all of us are making on Tennessee if we’re picking them to do some good things in 2023? Goes back to Joe Milton.

“Hendon Hooker was that dude in 2022. The offense was rolling in 2022, but now Jalin Hyatt gone to the league, Hendon Hooker gone to the league. So you’re making your bet on Joe Milton being able to pick up where he left off — and we talked to Kirk Herbstreit about this one — but you’re also betting the defense is going to improve along with the way. The offense continues to trend upward, like you’re probably betting for Tennessee to be somewhere in the range of 40 points a game, and you’re betting that Tennessee improves like five to 10 percent.

“Well, here’s my question. Here’s why they’re a tightrope team in my mind. I believe Joe Milton’s gonna be really good, but if Joe Milton isn’t really good, well, then what happens? A lot of this offense goes through the quarterback. They’re not asking Joe Milton to be a game manager. And if Joe Milton doesn’t have the success that we think he’s going to have, well, then that defense, there’s a lot more pressure on them to perform and to hold teams to a lower point total and to be a little bit more secure in that secondary.

“So I think they’re going to be good, but you understand that tightrope gets a little bit wobbly if Joe Milton doesn’t end up being who we think he’s going to be. And the pressure goes back on that defense. That’s a lot more responsibility, a lot more weight on that defense than you would like. Tennessee, without a doubt, a tightrope team.”