Josh Heupel won't let quarterback depth affect the way he uses Joe Milton at Vandy

Tennessee went to South Carolina with a crowded quarterback depth chart. Redshirt senior Hendon Hooker, a Heisman Trophy candidate, ahead of fellow redshirt senior Joe Milton III, who won the starting job last year, only to see an ankle injury open the door for Hooker to take over.

Now, one torn ACL later, the Vols are down to Milton, who has attempted only 33 passes through seven games this season, ahead of Gaston Moore and Navy Shuler.

Moore, a redshirt sophomore and transfer from Central Florida, has completed three passes during his two seasons at Tennessee. Shuler, another redshirt sophomore, is a preferred walk-on and the son of former Tennessee quarterback Heath Shuler.

“Gaston and Navy are two guys that have been in our system for a while,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said during his weekly press conference on Monday, “Gaston in particular.”

As Tennessee (9-2, 5-2 SEC) goes to Vanderbilt (5-6, 2-5) for Saturday night’s game (7:30 Eastern Time; TV: SEC Network) at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Heupel said he won’t let the sudden lack of quarterback depth dictate his game plan with Milton’s dual-threat abilities.

“With Joe, we have to go play and find a way to win this game,” Heupel said, “so we’ll use him as needed in the run game, too. Joe has grown a bunch. You guys have seen the way he plays when he’s been given the opportunity. He has really good command of what we’re doing. We don’t change what we do. He’ll be ready to go in this one.”

Josh Heupel: Joe Milton is ‘more comfortable’ in Year 2 with Vols

Milton, playing in mop-up duty behind Hooker this season, has appeared in seven games, completing 23 of 33 passes for 573 yards and six touchdowns. He threw for 105 yards and a touchdown at South Carolina, after Hooker went down early in the fourth quarter. He had 108 yards and a touchdown the week before, in the 66-24 win over Missouri at Neyland Stadium.

He ran twice for 17 yards against South Carolina, once for 11 yards against Missouri and three times for 23 yards against UT Martin, in his most extended playing time of the season. He had one rush for 21 yards against Ball State.

“I think he’s a lot more comfortable in what we’re doing,” Heupel said. “In the run game, and in just his decision-making process, all of it, he’s a lot further ahead than what we saw from him at the beginning of last season. And the guys around him have changed, too. I anticipate him playing at a really high level.”

Milton beat out Hooker for the starting job before the 2021 season, starting in the 38-6 season-opening win over Bowling Green. He injured an ankle in Week 2 against Pitt, with Hooker replacing him and taking over the starting job.

Still, Milton opted not to transfer over the offseason and instead chose to backup Hooker. 

“You continue to invest,” Heupel said. “The guys that put the most into it usually get it rewarded back to them. You don’t know when. You don’t know how. But he’ll be prepared in a great way for this one.”

Milton was a four-star prospect out of Orlando, Fla., in the 2018 recruiting cycle. He committed to Michigan in 2017 and spent two years with the Wolverines. He appeared in 13 games, completing 86 of 152 for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns against six interceptions. He ran 50 times for 156 yards and three touchdowns.

Up Next: Tennessee at Vanderbilt, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network

Against Bowling Green last season, the first game of the Josh Heupel era, Milton went 11-for-13 for 139 yards and a touchdown and ran 14 times for 61 yards and two touchdowns. He passed for 50 yards and ran for 68 a week later against Pitt, before injuring his ankle.

“(He’s) been really consistent in preparation as the backup all season long,” Heupel said on Monday. “Yesterday he’s in the building watching tape like he normally does. And we’ll have a great plan for him and expect him to go play at a really high level and execute.”

Heupel expects the same from Joe Milton as he expects from every other player — to help find a way to win Saturday night at Vanderbilt.

“Man, this week is all about this week,” Heupel said. “That’s it. We’ll finish this off the right way. Opportunity to finish with 10 regular-season wins. Hasn’t been done here in a long time (since 2003). Put us in the best bowl situation we can be in. 

“This football team has come a long way. It’s grown, it’s competed. It’s all about this week.”