What Tennessee offensive coordinator Joey Halzle said during media day on Tuesday

Tennessee football officially kicked off its 2023 season with media day on Tuesday in Knoxville, with head coach Josh Heupel, offensive coordinator Joey Halzle and defensive coordinator Tim Banks, along with select players, meeting with reporters.

Here’s everything Halzle said during his press conference:

The importance of Joe Milton III starting Tennessee’s final two games last season

“There’s no substitution for actual playing time on the field as much as he wants up in practice as much as he does off the field. There’s nothing like standing back there with flying bullets. So like you said, obviously not a great situation the way it occurred, but the fact that he got those two games under his belt before taking it over this year, huge for his development and huge for our team to see the level at which he played. We have a ton of confidence in him from that game. 

How different of a quarterback Joe Milton III is today compared to the last two years

“He’s a completely different guy … not just player, but his attention to detail is elite. 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, all right, 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.

The run-after-catch ability for Tennessee’s wide receivers

“I think we have (run) after catch ability. You got different types of guys. You got a Squirrel (White) who’s a 10.4 guy and I might have just shorted his time. But you have elite level speed that can run around in tight defense. You got Bru (McCoy) who runs the ball like he’s a linebacker and then you got a bunch of young guys out there who are just ball in hand, lightning quick and speed. So there’s been a lot of emphasis on, all right, how do we just get these guys the ball? It doesn’t always have to be 50 yards down the field. How do we give ’em the ball, get ’em in space and let them go do their thing? It’s gonna be fun to watch.”

The leadership in the Tennessee quarterback room with Joe Milton III and Nico Iamaleava

“They’re already extremely close. I think Nico getting here in December and having those 15 bowl practices and then coming to the bowl site where he just got to be around the guys. He was new so they didn’t really know him, but he just got to be around. Everyone (was like) I like this guy, he’s a good dude, he’s just a normal kid. And now it’s almost like big brother little brother relationship with the two of them. You rarely see Joe without Nico. So, it’s been great for him to kind of see the way like a quarterback should operate on a day-to-day level. Joe’s been a great mentor to him and he’s really helped bring along his development on and off the field.”

Jalin Hyatt putting in extra work last season and what influence that has had on Ramel Keyton and this group of Tennessee receivers

“I think it has. Whenever you see someone have the success that they have on the field, whenever you can kind of like engineer that backwards and see like, all right, well why, what changed from year one to year two for Jalin? And it was completely the way he approached the game. Like what I said with Joe (Milton) and you see Ramel, it’s rare to be in this building and not see Ramel in there on the JUGS machine, catching ball, short crossers like he is in there all the time getting his stuff in and he did that. He’s done that in the past. But I think he feels an opportunity and he’s to trying to mirror what Jalin did. I have an opportunity when Jalin left, right? So he took the most of it. Well now, with some guys living the program, I think Ramel feels like he has that opportunity. He’s put in the work so he can try to take advantage of it.”

If Joe Milton III and Ramel Keyton and Squirrel White were able to build significant chemistry last season as second-team guys for Tennessee

“I think it is kind of like I said with the game reps, like there’s no substitute for it. As much as you can get out there and throw with the guys you were throwing to, it helps. You see every quarterback in the NFL changes the team, right? He gets the receivers together and starts throwing, ’cause guys have different speeds, they see things differently. So it’s absolutely an advantage that they’ve really had almost two years working together and now they’re all kind of trying to take that step up into the next role as well. So I don’t think it’s overblown, but not to say that he won’t have great chemistry with the group, you know what I’m saying, with the guys that have been here in the past. So it is a very helpful thing but it’s not just the end all be all for how it’s all gonna fit together.”

What he means when he says Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III has been great in paying attention to details

“For Joe, a lot of it is alright, not just knowing what the pass routes were. He could have told me no the pass routes were for, that’s not what (it’s about). But okay, why are we calling things in certain situations? And if he’s knowing the ‘why’ we’re doing things in certain situations — like why is this coming up as opposed to this? — it helps him understand. Where do I want t get with this ball? Where my eyes start? In the run game, he can tell you all the calls that the O-line’s making now, which helps him. Well, if this is an RPO, am I reading this guy? Am I reading that guy? What about pressure? What about field pressure, internal pressure? How are they picking up? Are they picking it up? He has a huge understanding of that now. It’s extremely detailed, which allows him to just go play free. Just go let his talent take over, ’cause he is not trying to see everything at the same time. When you understand like, I am protected or I am not, this run is locked or it’s not. Well now, you can just get your eyes in the right spot and go be a big talented guy, which he is.”

How much can be added to Tennessee offense in terms of tweaks with new personnel 

“Yeah, that’s been a big focus of our off season. We are who we are. But we’ve got some, some guys with some specific skill sets that we’re, we feel like our job as a staff is to take those skilsets and, and let them show ’em off on Saturdays. So a lot of it has gone like, alright, well what’s good for this specific guy? Not just who we are, we’re gonna do what we do. But what is good for this guy? What is good for this this guy? How do we give him a situation that benefits his skillset? And we’ll play to that as well.”

Joe Milton III saying in the past that he had a hard time putting bad plays behind him

“Yeah, a lot of that is just training the mind to (know that) anger doesn’t help you. It’s like, all right, cool, i’s a quote unquote failure on that last play. Something that didn’t go right. Just file it away, learn something from it and move on. That’s been the biggest thing for him. Like, I don’t know why I did that. Okay, cool. Let’s figure out why. Okay, that’s why this play didn’t work. Whether my eyes were in the wrong spot, my fundamentals were wrong, my play fit, whatever it was. Alright, cool, let’s learn from that and then file it away and grow from it. That’s been the thing that he’s done. That’s why he’s, you’ve heard what he said, like I couldn’t put plays behind me. Because he was just thinking about ’em instead of saying, alright, lemme learn from it. I learn from it and I move on. That’s how he’s been able to grow on that area right there.”

How different Joe Milton III will be in the run game as Tennessee’s quarterback, compared to Hendon Hooker

“He’s different, you know. Hendon played around 218ish. Joe is 235, 240. So, big guy like that, you can do a lot of fun stuff that can that can run. Obviously running the quarterback, we all understand you gotta be smart and take your times to do it. So I’m sure there’ll be times when we feel like in a certain game or certain looks okay, maybe we lean on it a little bit more. But with what we got in the backfield too, Joe do some stuff, but we’re not gonna take away from those (running backs).”

How different his job is on a day-to-day basis after being promoted to Tennessee’s offensive coordinator

“The guys I got working with me in the quarterback room, Mitch (Militello) and Jack (Lawry) are amazing. They do a great job, trust them completely, wholeheartedly. It’s mainly been, you know, now you’re running the meeting, so on the front end of it, everything has to be prepared instead of walking in, waiting to hear, okay, what we’re doing and how does this just affect my quarterbacks? That’s the main difference, is the setup for the day. I have to be making sure it makes sense for everybody. Not just taking in what I’m hearing and then making sure it makes sense for the quarterbacks and only looking through that scope. I gotta look through it through the scope of, well, is this right for the tackle? Is this good for the backs? Is this good for the receivers? Is it good for the tight ends? Not just does it affect my position, which we did as a staff. I’ve said a bunch since I’ve taken over this job, extremely communal in the way we operate and we work, but for me on the front end, I have to be more intentional about an entire offensive scope and not just a scope.”

The level of comfort he’d have if Tennessee had to rely on freshman Nico Iamaleava early in the season

“Huge confidence in him. That guy is mature beyond his years. He didn’t come in like a true freshman. He came in one wanting to learn, not thinking like I know I’m a highly graded recruit, I got it figured out. He came in understanding I want learn, I need to know. And then the way that guy just has his calmness on the field, just his demeanor. I think the guys believe in him as well, that if he’s called upon to do a job like that dude will step in and compete at a high level, a high level. So we have a ton of confidence in that guy.”

What Tennessee coaches have seen from Oregon transfer receiver Don’t Thornton since he arrive at Tennessee

“He does, to use the word, he has freaky talent. A guy that has size, that can run like that, is rare. He is rare. There are good players and then there are guys that have rare traits like that. That guy is extremely rare at what he can do on a football field. And yeah, whenever we come in, it’s completely different than what most people do. There’s a learning curve. He’s done a great job. He spends as much time with the quarterbacks as anybody. He’s always with Joe as well, like, alright, how do you want that? How do you see that? Like you see it the way I’m seeing it? So he’s once again not an older guy that’s coming in like I got it, kind of trying to be a mercenary. He’s trying to learn too and trying to do it the way we do it. So really happy with where he’s at now. It’s, you know, tomorrow’s time to go show that you got it.”

What Tennessee coaches know about Joe Milton III’s skillset and how it can be utilized in the offense compared to what they knew two years ago

“His accuracy has grown so much. His touch has grown so much because he’s dialed into fundamentally changing a little bit. You know, he had the classic thing, he has a naturally powerful arm. So a lot of times you can just get away with things. He has taken a huge growth in using his lower body, not trying to rip the ball with his upper body every time. And his accuracy has just jumped through the roof right there. Now, with that big powerful arm, he can put the ball out on the perimeters really quick. So like he gives you some ways to stretch the field, not just vertically with the arm, but laterally as well. So that guy can do anything you ask him to. And now he’s doing it at a higher consistent level and that’s why you’re gonna see the, the jump from that year one to now.”

What he hopes to see from Nico Iamaleava when Tennessee starts practice on Wednesday, where he’s grown from the spring

“I think he did a great job in the spring, just to start. You know, getting thrust into the (second team) reps, which a lot of people come in and they’re going against the other freshman. Well, he’s going in there against linebackers that have played four years of college football already because, and Coach (Tim) Banks has his entire disposal of his defense at him. So he did a great job handling that. Anytime going from spring to summer, that is a huge time. Coach Heup exactly right, to make jumps in the quarterback position. So I’m looking forward to be more defined with his eyes. I’m not trying to figure out what am I getting, how he clear a pitch, like that’s what I’m getting, this is where my eyes go and that’s where the ball goes. 

“So you just keep growing in that. And that’s really quarterback playing in general, eliminating quickly, getting the ball out of your hand with accuracy. And that all comes from understanding more your offense and more understanding of defense. Same thing I was saying with Joe, like am I protected or not? Because if you don’t know, you’re gonna watch the rush. So if you don’t have to watch the rush ’cause you know you’re protected, your eyes are up and have the right spot. So all of the intricacies of quarterback play, that’s where I’m looking to see that growth from spring to fall camp.”

Where Tennessee coaches have seen wide receiver Bru McCoy make the most strides after a year in this program 

“Yeah, he’s done a great job. He’s completely changed his body from getting here. The guy is in amazing shape. He has such an intricate knowledge of what we’re doing and how we’re trying to accomplish it now. It’s kind of like I said with Joe, it’s fun to watch him just go play now. And now a big strong fast guy is going and playing really strong and really fast. So it’s been great to see him once again not be a transfer that feels like they got everything figured out. ‘Hey coach, just tell me the plays and I’ll go play.’ Actually wanting to improve his himself, his skillset, all of that. And now you’re gonna see that once again. Like I feel like he’ll take another huge jump this year.” 

What makes Tennessee’s Josh Heupel such an elite offensive mind in college football

“Two things, and they almost sound a little bit contradictory, is one, he doesn’t stray who he is, he knows who he is, he knows who we are and he’s going to, he’s gonna push that. He’s gonna make sure that that’s the way it’s handled, but he doesn’t typecast him so much that he doesn’t allow himself to think of new things, creative things. And then also, like I was saying, being specific to players. He always asks the question, does that work for (the player)? You come up with the cool play design. I think this is a cool, alright cool. Is that the right route for him? Is he good at that? Does someone else need to go there or does the whole thing need to get canned? So he makes you think of the actual players and not just the players. He’s gonna stay true to who he is, but he’s gonna make sure what we’re doing makes sense for the guy that’s standing there on the field, ’cause if they’re not ready to do it or they’re not capable of doing it, doesn’t matter how good the design is, it’s not gonna work.” 

What Tennessee receiver Ramel Keyton does well 

“Ramel, he’s an elite deep-ball threat. You’ve seen that last year when he stepped in for Cedric (Tillman). That that guy can track a deep ball at a really high level and he’s got deceptively long speed on people, ’cause he’s a long strider. So he’s a great threat right there and he has very natural ball skills. You’ve seen him make a ton of catches off his body. He doesn’t struggle to extend his arms and catch in traffic. He doesn’t have that fear. So his ball skills and his long speed are big attributes for us.”

The process of finding three did receivers to play in Tennessee offense, then four and five

“Yeah, that’s one of the best parts about fall camp right there is everybody’s gonna get their shot and the guys that show that we can’t afford to not have ’em on the field, they’re gonna be on the field. Doesn’t matter, freshman, sophomore, junior, senior. And we will play multiple guys, like you said. We have multiple guys who we feel really, really comfortable with and confident in. You guys are gonna play play that’s gonna help us in the long run of the long SEC season.”

What he has seen from Tennessee transfer tight end McCallan Castles since the spring and what Jacob Warren needs to do

“I think it is similar to what I was saying, rarely see Joe without Nico. You rarely see (Jacob Warren) without Cali. So, Cali being older when he came in here, he had maybe less to do physically than the freshman. He’s already a very strong kid. He’s since then actually put on about 15 pounds, like looks amazing right now. But he can run. He’s a guy that can get in and out of his breaks really well and he, not to keep repeating the same thing but it’s the same question as Bru (McCoy) and Joe. It’s fun to see guys that have that kind of skillset when they get so comfortable in the offense that now they just go. And play and they play fast and they play aggressive. And that’s been since the very first time I’ve talked to you guys a couple years back. We’re gonna play fast and we’re going to play aggressive. Like that’s the non-negotiable here. So to see them being able to do it ’cause they’re actually comfortable in the scheme, it’s when it gets fun. 

The competition on the Tennessee offensive line going into camp

“You know, losing JC (Jerome Carvin) who played a ton of snaps here, whenever you lose the top-10 pick (Darnell Wright), I don’t care the position, it’s hard to replace. But I think it’s the same question with the receivers. We feel great about our young guys. Some guys that came in mid-year, we feel like we’re in a good spot. And whenever you have that kind of opening, that open competition man, it just makes for practice to be intense and physical and it really brings the best for the whole iron sharpened iron. Because whenever those true open spots like guys go, they’re trying to get ’em. So it, it makes for a great camp when we have those situations out there.”

If having limited scholarship quarterbacks limits how much Tennessee will run the quarterbacks in this offense

“Yeah, I think it always is, probably even more now. Like you say, it’s hard to keep a lot of scholarship guys in the room. We feel really confident with the guys we do have in the room. But I think there’s always been that with the quarterback. That’s always the question, right? It’s, he’s a good runner, how much you really want to run that guy? Because no matter who you’ve got, whenever you lose your starter, it it’s just hard. It’s hard to come in in the second quarter of an SEC game on the road. I don’t care who you are. You’re preparing as two all week and you’re taking all your reps and you’re mentally ready to go, but you’re coming in almost halfway through or a quarter of the way through a game that everybody else is already playing.

It’s just hard. So there’s always that balance of how much do you run versus how much is he gonna create runs on his own when he scrambles. And you factor all that in and you try to get the thing that’s, one, best for the team based on the scheme. What do we need to get to? But also allowing you to have longevity throughout the grind that is an SEC schedule.”