Tennessee QB Joe Milton could be college football’s best-kept secret

“I’m not sure there’s been more excitement to watch a kid throw…than maybe Joe Milton,” Manning said, via the Knoxville News Sentinel. “Forty yards is like a little flick (of the wrist) for him; it’s just a warmup. … Just really proud of him coming in last year after Hendon (Hooker’s) injury and keeping things together and a great bowl win. A bowl win can do so much for a quarterback’s confidence, especially in his first year as a starter. I can just tell Joe is confident, and I’m excited about him having a great senior year.”

Milton has arguably the strongest arm in college football, and the Vols definitely play to his strengths. Thirty-six percent of Milton’s throws have been for 20 or more yards — more than double the 14.2 percent average of 20-plus-yard throws by the other QBs in the SEC.

He likely would be a borderline first-round QB prospect for the 2024 NFL Draft on his arm talent alone.

“His tape is filled with deep, high-trajectory missiles that effortlessly explode out of his right hand,” former NFL head coach turned NFL analyst for the 33rd Team Marc Trestman said. “Those deep passes are often on target, hitting receivers with touch and accuracy, allowing them to catch the ball in stride.”

If there’s a QB set up perfectly to have a Heisman-level season, it’s Milton.

All three of UT’s lead running backs from last season — Jaylen Wright, Jabari Small and Dylan Sampson, who combined for 2,049 yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground — are returning. So are three of the Vols' top four leading receivers, Bru McCoy, Ramel Keyton and Squirrel White.

While his arm strength is well-documented, Milton has several other traits that make him stand out in a who’s who of the top QBs in college football. The former three-star recruit has a quick release with great ability to escape the pocket and extend plays. From snap to catch, his throwing motion is one of the purest in the country.

“[Milton] also shows accuracy to all field levels and is particularly consistent on throws over the middle,” Trestman continued. “…He stands in the pocket with a strong base and prototypical over-the-top throwing motion and finish. His drops consistently time up with the route structure and depths of his receivers. And his staging of the ball is high and tight to the sternum, which minimizes his windup and gets the ball up and out quickly, leading to more consistent accuracy.”

Tennessee runs an up-tempo offense under head coach Josh Heupel that thrives on explosive plays. The Vols ranked fifth in passing yards per game and seventh in touchdown passes last season, and with Milton under center for a full year, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that once the 2023 season is over, he could have quietly had the best year of any quarterback in the NCAA.