Joe Milton - Second-Year Surge

[brockytop]

Some guys aren’t quality practice players but can turn it on “when the lights come on” while others have all the tools but simply cannot perform in games for whatever reason. Milton falls in the second amp for me until proven otherwise. However, I won’t totally discount anyone after seeing Jonathan Crompton’s transformation. Maybe Huepel can eventually have same impact on Milton that Kiffin had on JC.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

I get all of that but some in this thread seem to think Joe is going to be the man in 2023. And if he's all that 2024 as well.
That would sit Nico two seasons. I don't see that happening.

I don't recall seeing anyone say Joe Milton might win the job in 2023 and 2024. Particularly since he doesn't have enough eligibility left to play in 2024.

Joe redshirted in 2018. He played his R-Freshman season at Michigan in 2019. Played in 2020 as Redshirt Sophomore, but that's the covid-freebie year. Played last year for us, 2021, as a Redshirt Junior, but has eligibility left as if he were still a R-Sophomore. He'll play backup this year, which will officially be his Redshirt Senior season, but he will still have one year of super-eligibility left. That gives him 2023 to try to earn the starting job while a super-senior. And that's it.

In other words, anyone who talked about Joe staying on for 2023 and 2024, they would be mistaken. Can you link any post saying that?

 

[Zues1]

I don't recall seeing anyone say Joe Milton might win the job in 2023 and 2024. Particularly since he doesn't have enough eligibility left to play in 2024.

Joe redshirted in 2018. He played his R-Freshman season at Michigan in 2019. Played in 2020 as Redshirt Sophomore, but that's the covid-freebie year. Played last year for us, 2021, as a Redshirt Junior, but has eligibility left as if he were still a R-Sophomore. He'll play backup this year, which will officially be his Redshirt Senior season, but he will still have one year of super-eligibility left. That gives him 2023 to try to earn the starting job while a super-senior. And that's it.

In other words, anyone who talked about Joe staying on for 2023 and 2024, they would be mistaken. Can you link any post saying that?

Well I stand corrected. I didn't read every post but I read enough to see people are all excited about a guy who has yet to show he's the man. By 2023 after 5 years in two programs let's hope the lights are finally on for him.
It's Nico until he shows he's not ready.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Well I stand corrected. I didn't read every post but I read enough to see people are all excited about a guy who has yet to show he's the man. By 2023 after 5 years in two programs let's hope the lights are finally on for him.
It's Nico until he shows he's not ready.

Yeah, I think it's going to be a really hot competition in Spring 2023.

But that's some fun and excitement for next year. We still have a whole wonderful season of football before we get there.

Go Vols!

 

[LittleVol]

This thread has 104 replies....

The Hendon Hooker thread has 21

.

Why do people need to argue all the time?
Why?????
That's all talking about Milton, JG, or any of their like cause.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

This thread has 104 replies....

The Hendon Hooker thread has 21

.

Why do people need to argue all the time?
Why?????
That's all talking about Milton, JG, or any of their like cause.

I don't agree, Little.

I mean, you're right about JG, largely. These days, if someone brings him up as a main topic, it's usually to complain about the past.

But discussing Joe Milton is neither positive nor negative on the face of it. He IS our backup quarterback, after all. He is a current and valid topic of conversation. Folks want to know how well he will be if we need to depend on him.

As for the post count being 21 versus 104, I think that simply shows we all tend to agree about Hendon Hooker (overwhelmingly positive), while there's more room for discussion and debate when it comes to Joe Milton. No mystery there, I don't think.

It is not just folks arguing, either. It is us discussing Tennessee football. Which, if you think about it, is THE ONLY thing we do here (until we get off topic and the mods have to move threads to The Pub lol).

Go Vols!

 

[Titan&Volfan4life]

Joe has everything he needs to become successful and our coaches can teach him everything he needs to know.

His 1 HUGE problem is FEAR.

He's scared to death of getting hurt again and when he's on the field that horrid FEAR takes control of him.

That IS why he ran out of bounds on the last play of that game.

That IS why he crumbles when a tackler gets close to him.

In practice he's great with his NO CONTACT colors on because he knows he's not going to get hit so he has no fear.

Coaches can teach everything but they can NOT teach the FEAR of getting hurt out of any player.

If Milton can find a way to get rid of his horrid, controlling FEAR then he has most everything else to become a star because coached CAN teach him everything else.

FEAR=

Failure
Everyone
Always
Regrets...and remembers

I hope he can get over his FEAR and become the great QB that so many coaches have always believed he can become.

VFL...GBO!!!

 

[orangebloodgmc]

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.

Yes, I want to see him truck some defenders.
And, develop a wicked stiff arm.

 

[dduncan4163]

I haven't fully given up on Milton but I don't have any confidence he's gonna turn into a quality QB. He has all the physical tools but lacks it between the ears imo. He plays scared. He doesn't know how to put touch on the ball and he lacks awareness. At his age if you don't have it you never will.

 

[KnoxToTheBoro93]

I guess 4 years of JG wasn't enough.

Let Milton continue to be a good teammate and only play him if you absolutely have too.

He's been playing organized football for 7 years now. If he can't learn accuracy and situational awareness at this point then just accept it.

You all forget so quickly....

This is not JG and this staff is astronomically better than any staff JG ever had… like most said he will likely get his shot because he will earn it in practice and this staff Will quickly make a change if it doesn’t translate to game time unlike JG…

 

[livefaith]

Should not surprise anyone if JM3 has an impact THIS season. We run a lot of plays and most likely, he'll be called upon.

 

[SonOfGodVolforlife]

I hope Joe Milton proves all the haters wrong.

 

[dduncan4163]

I guess 4 years of JG wasn't enough.

Let Milton continue to be a good teammate and only play him if you absolutely have too.

He's been playing organized football for 7 years now. If he can't learn accuracy and situational awareness at this point then just accept it.

You all forget so quickly....

I couldn' agree more. The problems Joe has don't get fix this late into his career. I'm not trying to bad mouth him but it takes more than a cannon arm to be a SEC QB. He plays scared and we have seen this movie before. He's not JG bad but that ain't saying much. Jackson or Nico is our future next season. If Joe starts next September no way he's still starting come November. He is the same player I saw playing at Mich.

 

[dduncan4163]

I was done with Joe the moment he ran out of bounds against Ole Miss. A scared QB is a recipe for disaster. He's not JG but it's hard to throw completions or ints when you are constantly overthrowing everyone by 5 or 10 yards.

 

[djohnnyg]

I think Milton relied too much on his physical gifts in HS and college which is why he didn’t succeed.

With that being said, I believe he has the support system around him in CJH & QB talent to mold him into a quarterback that can be successful. I think he is doing the intelligent thing by taking the back seat and soaking it all in. I think CJH knows he can have a beast at QB next year and is going to try and do everything he can to cultivate it.

Honestly, I wish our fan base would stop sh*****g on him because he hasn’t complained about his poor performance and actually has been a huge positive locker room presence that has given his all for UT.

I don't believe he has "given his all for UT" when he bales on final plays of the game. He gave up and failed to give his all. Just because a guy puts on a helmet and participates it doesn't mean he is giving his all. We're not in the locker room so we don't know what kind of influence he is either. All we can judge him by is his performance on the field...and in that respect he has not given his all.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

I don't believe he has "given his all for UT" when he bales on final plays of the game. He gave up and failed to give his all. Just because a guy puts on a helmet and participates it doesn't mean he is giving his all. We're not in the locker room so we don't know what kind of influence he is either. All we can judge him by is his performance on the field...and in that respect he has not given his all.

Have you never been in a situation where your emotions got the better of you? I don't mean just sadness or appreciation of a pretty face. I mean the really strong ones, like rage, or debilitating fear, bottomless depression, uncontrollable joy, overpowering love.

Of course you have. You may or may not have the self-awareness to recall times like that, but we've all had them.

So given that these powerful motivators do exist, for all of us, perhaps you might consider that Joe Milton wasn't thinking clearly when he ran out of bounds that fateful play. That the adrenaline in his system pumped into his brain so intensely that he was scattershot in his thinking. Things were moving in stutter-step for him as it all became too much to process through the powerful fight-or-flight signals being broadcast in his head.

A fella can literally give his all for the team, do everything he can possibly do, and it not be enough. Sometimes because the challenge is too great, or the opponent stronger, but sometimes simply because the fella runs into a wall inside his own capabilities.

I don't think Joe "baled." I do think he failed on that play. But not through a lack of desire to do well for the team. There's a difference.

 

[GetYouSomeofThat]

I get all of that but some in this thread seem to think Joe is going to be the man in 2023. And if he's all that 2024 as well.
That would sit Nico two seasons. I don't see that happening.

Joe wont be here on 24

 

[beachvol23]

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!

I’ve been saying exactly the same thing!!! You nailed it! Frankly I wished he had already transferred again because he is an enigma and always will be! People, including coaches need to let it go! Nothing against the kid but he is what he is and we don’t need anymore of his erratic decisions especially as we continue improving. Everyone can say what they want and keep pumping sunshine but players on field will never respect him when his awareness totally disappears. I think he’s a cancer! I don’t hope anything for him with our team. The only thing I hope is he goes somewhere else where he can play regularly at the skill level that fits him. and there’s nothing wrong with saying that either!

 

[Woke]

I’m skeptical about joe bc of how jittery the guy gets in games but you can’t deny the arm talent.
Everybody keeps talking bout next year, honestly we’ll probably see him this year unless hooker stays completely healthy the whole season, which is unlikely.
If Hook does stay healthy the whole year, and Milton works his butt off year and keeps being a positive teammate, listening to the guys he’s one of the biggest influences in the locker room.That’s awesome.
That being said he would absolutely deserve another shot next year to prove himself and all of us wrong if he stays the course and keeps working.

I’m still on the fence about joe, I’d be shocked if he came out looking like a different player who all of a sudden got it together, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he sucked and got benched midway through second or third game.
That’s were I’m at with the guy, but in all fairness he would deserve his shot.

Why skeptical that Joe could suddenly “get it together”? Happened with Hooker why not Milton if he’s really working as hard on and off the field as his coaches and teammates say he is?

Tbh Hooker was a nobody transfer from VA Tech who didn’t wow in practice and was shaky as hell his first couple of games last year but suddenly the lights went on and so did the scoreboard.

Ok I’m skeptical too just sayin it can happen and we Vol fans need to put aside our bts and take each new season as it comes bc we’ve got the right PROVEN staff in place to actually DEVELOP players ESPECIALLY at QB.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

I’ve been saying exactly the same thing!!! You nailed it! Frankly I wished he had already transferred again because he is an enigma and always will be! People, including coaches need to let it go! Nothing against the kid but he is what he is and we don’t need anymore of his erratic decisions especially as we continue improving. Everyone can say what they want and keep pumping sunshine but players on field will never respect him when his awareness totally disappears. I think he’s a cancer! I don’t hope anything for him with our team. The only thing I hope is he goes somewhere else where he can play regularly at the skill level that fits him. and there’s nothing wrong with saying that either!

Thank you, friend. But there is a difference between us.

Think of Joe as a member of our family. He is. He is a Tennessee Vol now. And we care for all our lads and lasses. We want them all to succeed, to do well, to have happy, productive, even inspirational lives.

And to get there, they all have to grow. They have to develop. No one achieves greatness or deep satisfaction in life as they are when age 20. We all get better.

That includes Joe. He can develop. He can get better. He might even be able to break this hold adrenaline has on him, and learn calmness in the middle of the chaos of a football play.

As I said at the outset, we can't count on that. We can't know he has taken that step forward until we see it on the football field. But we can have hope that our coaching staff find a way to work through it with him.

And that is the difference in your and my views: I hold out hope for the lad, while you have given up on him. You should reconsider. Because he's a Vol, too.

Go Vols!

 

[orangebloodgmc]

Thank you, friend. But there is a difference between us.

Think of Joe as a member of our family. He is. He is a Tennessee Vol now. And we care for all our lads and lasses. We want them all to succeed, to do well, to have happy, productive, even inspirational lives.

And to get there, they all have to grow. They have to develop. No one achieves greatness or deep satisfaction in life as they are when age 20. We all get better.

That includes Joe, too. He can develop. He can get better. He might even be able to break this hold adrenaline has on him, and learn calmness in the middle of the chaos of a football play.

As I said at the outset, we can't count on that. We can't know he's made that step forward until we see it on the football field. But we can have hope that our coaching staff can work through it with him, get him to that point.

And that's the difference in your and my viewpoints: I hold out hope for the lad, while you've given up on him. You should reconsider. Because he's a Vol, too.

Go Vols!

Well spake, sir.

 

[ptcarter]

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

Do you realize we are having conversations about good quarterbacks leaving? Kinda sounding like a Bama message board.

 

[KnoxToTheBoro93]

Joe just needs a sports psychology coach and to embrace his emotions during game time… he will be his 3rd year in the system in 2023 and he could have a really good year if he learns that… if not we will have 2 good young QBs behind him that were much more proven winners than Joe in High school and I do not feel the moment will be too big for neither Nico nor TJ… as long as heup is head coach UT fans will never have to worry about Qb play again.

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

He's got sky high potential if he gets those cannon coordinates tuned in!

Hopefully he's ready to go but only needed in mop up situations this year!

 

[Adam Sandler]

Reading most of this thread, at what point does the million dollar man Nico get the keys?
I seriously doubt he's planning to sit two years

I would say mid season splitting reps with jackson and the starter by November, if joe doesn’t get it together. If joe gets it together, Nico starts the following year. But, a lot can change between now and then. We’re talking about 2023 after all.