Tennessee offense still adjusting to Joe Milton, life after Hendon Hooker

It hasn’t been a smooth transition for Tennessee at quarterback this season. With Hendon Hooker gone to the NFL, Joe Milton has been the Volunteers’ QB1 this season since Day 1. Nonetheless, he hasn’t always matched Hooker’s spectacular results.

In Tennessee’s narrow 20-13 win over Texas A&M on Saturday, Milton only threw for 100 yards. On Tuesday, Volquest’s Brent Hubbs evaluated Milton’s inconsistent play.

“Joe Milton is not Hendon Hooker and it’s not just the athletic ability with his legs,” Hubbs said. “[Hooker] processed very quickly, he could improvise, he can make plays off-level, if you will… He can make those plays better than Joe Milton.

“He had great football IQ and great situational awareness, as sometimes Joe Milton has lapses of that. Now, Hendon wasn’t perfect. We all know that. But but he played the game and played this offense and processed that better than Joe Milton has to this point.”

In six games this season, Joe Milton has 1,264 passing yards and 10 passing touchdowns while throwing four interceptions. If Milton continues to play at his current pace, he will finish the season with approximately 2,500 passing yards and 20 TDs.

For reference, Hooker threw for 3,135 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2022 while only throwing two picks. While Hooker’s numbers jump off the page, there’s more to the statistics than meets the eye.

Different circumstances for Joe Milton

It’s critical to note Hooker was throwing to the 2022 Biletnikoff Award Winner, Jalen Hyatt. Meanwhile, Milton lost one of his top targets, Bru McCoy, to injury in Week 5 against South Carolina. The two talented quarterbacks are facing vastly different circumstances.

“Joe does not get as much help as he needs to get,” Hubbs said. “Ramel Keyton has dropped two or three touchdown passes, which is so out of character for him. He dropped another wide open one. You have to wonder where his confidence is right now.

“Joe did a really good job taking care of the ball early in the year he’s got three picks in his last 54 throws,” Hubbs said. “Joe has got to fundamentally clean some things up. He’s got to make better decisions. His receivers have to help him more when they have the opportunity than what they’re doing right now, as well.”

Whatever changes Tennessee needs to make, it must make them now. On Saturday, the Volunteers will face off against No. 11 Alabama at 3:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on CBS.