Joe Milton - Second-Year Surge

[vol_in_ga]

Second-Year Surge: Joe Milton III

Wes Rucker nailed this one. And I personally did not realize Milton had as many years of eligibility left as he does. His errors may have been the difference between 7–5 and 9–3, but if so let’s focus more on 2022 and 2023 than 2021, as these years are more pivotal to building long-term success than year one in which nobody had any expectations at all. For those who had written him off, as I almost had after the out of bounds play against ole miss, odds are this is our 2023 quarterback while Nico gets adjusted. So feel really good about the qb position and keep rooting for Milton alongside hooker with what will be an underrated year 3 Heupel offense on the horizon.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

If he sticks around, Joe will have a real legitimate shot at starting next year. In fact I'd say he will be the front runner going to into spring and fall camp.

 

[Alto1]

Tayven Jackson been looking good too!

 

[NighthawkVol]

“Regardless of what anyone on the outside thinks, the people inside that building believe in Milton. His physical abilities are as elite as it gets, and who’s to say time couldn’t repair some of the things that ail him? Some have already dismissed him, but his coaches and teammates haven’t, and the view from this end is that those coaches and teammates have a point. After all, they see him more than anyone, right? They know him better than anyone, right? Milton might earn his shot at redemption at some point, and the view here is the same as it’s always been: I don’t know how good Joe Milton III can be, but I’d damn sure like to watch him try. He’s a unicorn. There aren’t many like him, even in this era of advanced sports science. He has major wrinkles that need to be ironed, but experience often has a way of achieving those ends.”

 

[WoodsmanVol]

“Regardless of what anyone on the outside thinks, the people inside that building believe in Milton. His physical abilities are as elite as it gets, and who’s to say time couldn’t repair some of the things that ail him? Some have already dismissed him, but his coaches and teammates haven’t, and the view from this end is that those coaches and teammates have a point. After all, they see him more than anyone, right? They know him better than anyone, right? Milton might earn his shot at redemption at some point, and the view here is the same as it’s always been: I don’t know how good Joe Milton III can be, but I’d damn sure like to watch him try. He’s a unicorn. There aren’t many like him, even in this era of advanced sports science. He has major wrinkles that need to be ironed, but experience often has a way of achieving those ends.”

His coaches' perception of the Milt Man is vital, but his teammates' belief in him speaks thunderous volumes. I believe the Milt Man will deliver.

 

[rocketskates]

Hendo is our man this year, but next year I’d be more than happy to see Joe take over and succeed. Like anyone that puts on that orange jersey I want to see them do well. Joe seems like a good kid too.

 

[McDad]

Joe Milton is a freak of nature. His upside is almost unbelievable. That potential is what makes everyone salivate at the possibility of him getting his issues corrected. Can you imagine that man's arm strength paired with CJH's ability to scheme receivers open??? Oh my!

 

[NighthawkVol]

Hendo is our man this year, but next year I’d be more than happy to see Joe take over and succeed. Like anyone that puts on that orange jersey I want to see them do well. Joe seems like a good kid too.

After Jerry Colquitt lost the starting job to Heath Shuler in 1992, he put his head down and kept working. By all accounts, he was ready to be a star in 1994, having evolved into a completely different QB. We all know how his season ended 7 plays into the season. He was still drafted in the 6th round by Carolina, with very little film.

Point is, a guy can quietly work behind the scenes and get a chance a few years later as a different and better QB. Let’s hope that’s Milton.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

Tayven Jackson been looking good too!

He's the one I worry about. If Joe starts next year, TJ will probably enter the portal.

 

[hUTch2002]

His coaches' perception of the Milt Man is vital, but his teammates' belief in him speaks thunderous volumes. I believe the Milt Man will deliver.

If he gets that deep ball lined up then look out. People give him flack for the Ole Miss ending and it was certainly frustrating but the play before he ran out of bounds was a throw very few QBs can make. That ball was spot on but Tillman just didn’t have the legs to get up at that point. It’s not easy coming in off the bench when you haven’t seen meaningful time in several games and you’re left with a few seconds left (enough for 3-4 plays), 40 yards to go (or however many), and you need a TD to win.

 

[tbh]

Hopefully Milton finds some traction in terms of shoring up some of his weak areas. If he does that, he'll be another excellent weapon in what is appears to be an already-stacked QB group over the next several seasons.

 

[WoodsmanVol]

He's the one I worry about. If Joe starts next year, TJ will probably enter the portal.

Then TJ would be foolish to teleport. Surely, as a frosh, he's smart enough to understand Milt-3 has game experience, is steeped in the Heup system, has chemistry with the receivers, and two years time is gone. Surely, he is wise enough to know he has competition from Nico and other QBs on the roster. I cut and run just because Milt-3 starts would suggest he might have a bad case of Guarantano poutis. But I will just assume TJ is smarter than this and will work at knowing the playbook, working to be a quality QB, and more than ready when called upon.

 

[VolFreakJosh]

He has NFL arm strength and decent athletic ability.

Definitely needs to work on his accuracy which can easily be fixed.

The potential is there for sure.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

The challenge of Joe Milton is 99% mental--by that, I don't mean smarts. I mean nervous system and autonomic brain function.

When he gets into live game play, his adrenaline level seems to spike off the charts. Okay, that's fairly normal. Happens to most fellas. But Joe's mind can't seem to handle it as well as most. He gets "jittery." Not his hands, but his mind. It winds up too tight.

And that manifests itself in three bad ways:

-- He loses his touch. He starts throwing nothing but 90-mph fastballs. Whether he needs to or not. This is mainly a problem on the shorter passes. His throws come screaming in like a depleted uranium round from an M1 main battle tank. That's punishing to his receivers. Some can handle it better than others, but when Joe is only 10-15 yards from the receiver, it gets supremely hard to find the ball's handle.
-- He starts over-throwing. Too much adrenaline translates into too much juice. This is mainly a problem on his longer throws. 10% over-thrown on a 15-yard pass is only 1.5 yards, which is within many receivers' wing span. 10% over-thrown on a 50-yard bomb is 5 yards, which the receiver can't even come close to. The balls just sail past their targets.
-- He shies away from contact. Adrenaline is the fight-or-flight drug in your bloodstream. If you're a natural fighter, it's dangerously seductive. But if you're naturally hesitant to mix it up (as Joe seems to be), it causes you to not think clearly in times of threat. Which can cause you to run out of bounds, say, on the 8-yard line on the last play of the game when you're team is down just a few points and the clock is at 0:00.

You know how it is sometimes said that some young men have natural talent and "you can't teach that"? I'm concerned that perhaps this aspect of Joe Milton's being may not be coachable. I hope I'm wrong. I hope our coaching staff and Joe himself break the code on his adrenaline rush effects.

I'm just not counting on it until I see it in-game.

Go Vols!

 

[Tman44]

Then TJ would be foolish to teleport. Surely, as a frosh, he's smart enough to understand Milt-3 has game experience, is steeped in the Heup system, has chemistry with the receivers, and two years time is gone. Surely, he is wise enough to know he has competition from Nico and other QBs on the roster. I cut and run just because Milt-3 starts would suggest he might have a bad case of Guarantano poutis. But I will just assume TJ is smarter than this and will work at knowing the playbook, working to be a quality QB, and more than ready when called upon.

I almost agree with you. This has Guarantano 2.0 vibes all around. I would like to point out one very important difference. Many believe the cause of Guarantano poutis is being thrown on ones back after every snap in a most violent manner. It is a shame, but the team showed symptoms of Incompetent Coachamus back then. After a once daily treatment of Heupelis, symptoms have all but left in 98.9% of teammates studied.

 

[turbovol]

Quarterbacks need a lot more than arm strength to be good. You need smarts, good decision-making, accuracy....He's got a long way to go, and decision-making is not something that's easily teachable...

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

Then TJ would be foolish to teleport. Surely, as a frosh, he's smart enough to understand Milt-3 has game experience, is steeped in the Heup system, has chemistry with the receivers, and two years time is gone. Surely, he is wise enough to know he has competition from Nico and other QBs on the roster. I cut and run just because Milt-3 starts would suggest he might have a bad case of Guarantano poutis. But I will just assume TJ is smarter than this and will work at knowing the playbook, working to be a quality QB, and more than ready when called upon.

It is hard to project what options will be on any players plate at any point in time. This guy (TJ) may better fit another system that has a real opening. So I will not prejudge any potential move a player might make. He might do well here but better elsewhere... might not. All of these guys have the tangibles, it is the existence or timing various intangibles kicking in that make the difference. Milton is so blessed with physical skills I will not write him off quite yet either. His ability to better process game situations can just show up. Lights can come on late after actually feeling the game on the field and then hours in the QB room. TJ is a blank slate, but a guy our staff tabbed, so time to sit back and watch. The players and staff will all know the truth while we are left to guess, especially with the arrival of Nico out there.

 

[hUTch2002]

Quarterbacks need a lot more than arm strength to be good. You need smarts, good decision-making, accuracy....He's got a long way to go, and decision-making is not something that's easily teachable...

Taking out the Ole Miss last play he tended to be throwing to the right guy in most situations and he did a decent job of knowing when to run. I don’t think decision making is a problem for him from what I recall.

 

[OrangeBeachVol]

I was very shocked last season when Milton would pull up when was about to get hit. With his size and strength he can run over most DB's and take on most LB's. I think that will hurt him in Hyps system since a running QB is a part of the offense. Hope that's part of the correction process he is going thru and I agree that he has a big upside but how long coaches wait on him will determine his future here. Lots of QB talent behind him now.

 

[Volador]

Hooker is gonna need a backup. Impossible to play in the SEC and not get nicked & dinged. JMIII great asset to the Vols this year.

 

[VOLfrombama]

I sincerely hope he isn’t needed, not because of last season’s woes, but because I hope Hooker will be that good.

 

[Vol in Buckeye Land]

The challenge of Joe Milton is 99% mental--by that, I don't mean smarts. I mean nervous system and autonomic brain function.

When he gets into live game play, his adrenaline level seems to spike off the charts. Okay, that's fairly normal. Happens to most fellas. But Joe's mind can't seem to handle it as well as most. He gets "jittery." Not his hands, but his mind. It winds up too tight.

And that manifests itself in three bad ways:

-- He loses his touch. He starts throwing nothing but 90-mph fastballs. Whether he needs to or not. This is mainly a problem on the shorter passes. His throws come screaming in like a depleted uranium round from an M1 main battle tank. That's punishing to his receivers. Some can handle it better than others, but when Joe is only 10-15 yards from the receiver, it gets supremely hard to find the ball's handle.
-- He starts over-throwing. Too much adrenaline translates into too much juice. This is mainly a problem on his longer throws. 10% over-thrown on a 15-yard pass is only 1.5 yards, which is within many receivers' wing span. 10% over-thrown on a 50-yard bomb is 5 yards, which the receiver can't even come close to. The balls just sail past their targets.
-- He shies away from contact. Adrenaline is the fight-or-flight drug in your bloodstream. If you're a natural fighter, it's dangerously seductive. But if you're naturally hesitant to mix it up (as Joe seems to be), it causes you to not think clearly in times of threat. Which can cause you to run out of bounds, say, on the 8-yard line on the last play of the game when you're team is down just a few points and the clock is at 0:00.

You know how it is sometimes said that some young men have natural talent and "you can't teach that"? I'm concerned that perhaps this aspect of Joe Milton's being may not be coachable. I hope I'm wrong. I hope our coaching staff and Joe himself break the code on his adrenaline rush effects.

I'm just not counting on it until I see it in-game.

Go Vols!

And the distinction you make between “mental game” and “football iq” is particularly salient. Joe runs the offense pretty well. He just needs an injection of the Casey Clausen icewater-in-the-veins.

 

[Vol in Buckeye Land]

I was very shocked last season when Milton would pull up when was about to get hit. With his size and strength he can run over most DB's and take on most LB's. I think that will hurt him in Hyps system since a running QB is a part of the offense. Hope that's part of the correction process he is going thru and I agree that he has a big upside but how long coaches wait on him will determine his future here. Lots of QB talent behind him now.

Looks like Tim Tebow, plays like…I dunno, Beth Moore???

 

[Volfan76]

Don't see it. He might start for a few games but I see Nico taking over early if not the first game. Franchise QBs don't ride the bench long.

 

[Enki_Amenra]

I was very shocked last season when Milton would pull up when was about to get hit. With his size and strength he can run over most DB's and take on most LB's. I think that will hurt him in Hyps system since a running QB is a part of the offense. Hope that's part of the correction process he is going thru and I agree that he has a big upside but how long coaches wait on him will determine his future here. Lots of QB talent behind him now.

Weird thing to see a guy his size pull up against a 180lb db. He could be an absolute nightmare to bring down if he'd run mad.