Practically everyone who coaches quarterbacks east of the Rockies wanted Milton when he came out of Olympia High in Orlando, Fla. He stands 6-5 and weighs 245 pounds, and when he rips a deep ball, it feels as if he could hit a receiver on the moon. There were, of course, legitimate reasons that Milton had been beaten out at Michigan by
Cade McNamara, but practically every coach in the market for a transfer QB just
knew they could fix any mechanical or schematic issues.
By preseason camp, the competition wasn’t particularly close. Milton had a better arm, a bigger body and faster legs than everyone else in the QB room. Onlookers gawked as he whistled spirals to receivers. It became abundantly clear Milton was the guy, and the coaches broke that news to the other QBs in camp.
Afterward, Heupel noticed something different about Hooker at practice. He wasn’t pressing anymore. He remained engaged, but he played more freely. “I feel like he almost took a deep breath and gave himself a chance to relax,” Heupel said. “And he started growing and playing better.” Hooker felt it, too. “It was definitely a burden lifted off me,” he said.
Meanwhile, the lack of a non-contact jersey had affected Milton in the opposite way. In the controlled environment of practice, he looked like a future first-round draft pick. Against live defenders, balls started sailing over the heads of receivers.
