SEC intel: Why Tennessee’s confidence in Joe Milton has continued to grow

It didn’t travel 75 yards in the air like his viral throws from the Manning Passing Academy. 

And it wasn’t the equivalent of an Aroldis Chapman fastball like the pass that whizzed through the hands of a Barstool employee this summer.

Actually, one of the top behind-the-scenes throws from Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton this preseason didn’t even travel 20 yards.

With his improved anticipation on display, Milton spotted a receiver coming across the middle of the field during a recent Vols practice and saw an opportunity for a completion despite tight coverage from a Tennessee defender. The end result? A completion of about 15 yards thanks to a perfectly-placed throw from Milton that was dropped into a spot where only the receiver could get it.

“It was a big-time throw,” one source said.

It was part of a preseason for Milton that left people around the Tennessee program with an even greater confidence in the redshirt senior as he gets ready to replace SEC Offensive Player of the Year Hendon Hooker as the Vols’ starting quarterback.

Not only has Milton improved since his first run as Tennessee’s starter in 2021, which was apparent as he threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns in the Vols’ Orange Bowl win over Clemson, but the belief internally at Tennessee is that Milton has continued to evolve since that point and even just since the end of spring practice in April.

His grasp of the Vols’ offense and overall understanding of the quarterback position is much better, which has been touched on throughout the preseason by Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel and offensive coordinator Joey Halzle.

Growth with his maturity, leadership and ability to make people around him better has stuck out this preseason too, whether it’s been coaching and rallying other players in a way he wasn’t doing in 2021 or finding ways to have success in settings like the Vols’ first preseason scrimmage despite being without a few of his top receivers.

The anticipation and accuracy are better as well, which was clear on that crossing route during the recent practice or other throws like a third-and-long completion over the middle during Tennessee’s second scrimmage that he fit into a tight window with what one source described as “an NFL throw.”

Overall, Milton has legitimately continued to stack good practices since the beginning of fall camp. As one source shared, his preseason as a whole was “really good,” including “good and efficient” performances in both preseason scrimmages.

“He’s a completely different guy … not just player, but his attention to detail is elite,” Halzle told local reporters recently. “He came back after that Clemson game and he was hungry to keep learning and keep pushing forward. He didn’t rest on his laurels like, alright, cool, I figured it out. He pushed. 

“I think he saw the success that he had and he knows what his talent can do and now his mentality is matching that as far as how much he wants to learn, how much he’s just consuming the game at all times. It’s fun to be a part of right now. It’s a special mindset that that kid has.”

It’s not just Milton doing well at quarterback for Tennessee either. While the plan is to wait until next year for him to be the Vols’ starting QB, it continues to be clear that five-star freshman Nico Iamaleava is the real deal and a special talent, even to NFL scouts who have been out to Tennessee practices.

On3 ranked Iamaleava as the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class.

“He’s really impressive and had some wow moments,” an NFL scout who attended a Tennessee practice told On3 of Iamaleava.

“He’s a dude,” a Vols source added.

It bodes extremely well for the future of the QB position under Heupel, especially paired with the continued progression from Milton heading into this season.

If his play from the preseason carries over into the season, it will lead to good things for Milton’s NFL draft outlook and a Tennessee offense that ranked No. 1 nationally in scoring last year with Hooker.

After opening the season with games against Virginia and Austin Peay, the first significant test will be a Saturday night nationally-televised matchup on the road against Florida in Week 3. For Tennessee, though, there’s clear reason for optimism at this point that goes well beyond just Milton’s ability to throw the ball 75 yards down the field.

“He’s as ready as you can ask,” a source told On3. “He’s just got to go do it now.”