SIAP: Don’t look now, but QB1 for Vols is “Joe Milton’s to lose”
I live in TN, if my name wasn’t a giveaway, and talk radio this week has all said the same thing for the Vols QB depth chart: Milton is #1 and Bailey #2.
”If camp started today, Milton would be the starter”.
Not going to lie, I didn’t see that coming, at least not for this year. Good luck to Milton if that does end up being the case. It’s hard to really judge a QBs performance at Michigan when we’ve been so dysfunctional at the position.
August 7th, 2021 at 11:08 AM ^
I would not be at all surprised to see a new coaching staff unlock his potential.
The dude had a ton of potential out of high school and has all the tools to be an elite QB.
I don't disagree and I think this is a better situation for Milton. Milton may very well get there, but he's still raw and needs time/experience.
Tennessee can afford that this season, UM can't. Hopefully this goes well all around. UT has a rocky season, but Milton gets better and is solidified to be a great starter next year. McNamara/McCarthy do well/crush it this season and UM is set up for the future.
There has never been a NFL QB with 50% completion rate. This is a very telling metric. This kid Hurts in Phi... Let's see if he makes it but history says no...
There's lots of rumor that Philadelphia is trying to make a trade for Deshaun Watson.
"There has never been a NFL QB with 50% completion rate."
Earl Morrall finished his NFL career with a 51.3% completion rate, and had nine seasons with a completion rate under 50%. Two of those were with the Lions, naturally.
He had potential but he was also a sub .500 completion percentage QB coming out of high school with a handful more touchdown passes than interceptions. He is still that player.
August 7th, 2021 at 11:09 AM ^
Of course he has all the physical tools, was recruited to come there likely promised the
August 7th, 2021 at 11:10 AM ^
I always thought you lived near Hastings
August 7th, 2021 at 11:59 AM ^
(Battle of) Hastings, England?
Hastings, Nebraska (I've been there)
Hastings (on the Hudson), New York?
August 7th, 2021 at 11:14 AM ^
I hope Joe Milton develops his accuracy and decision making, timing and touch. He has all the physical tools. If he does develop those skills, good for him. Obviously, he was tired of competing here and told he would have to re-earn starting job or was told his performance put him at backup to start Spring. Whatever the reason, good luck to the young man towards realizing his talent. It would be great if UT could compete in the SEC again and give Bama and Georgia some threats.
However, if he does well and Cade struggles, oh boy will the whiners come out and blame the coaches for running Joe off despite giving him the keys and him crashing the car in 2020.
August 7th, 2021 at 12:23 PM ^
I think the more likely scenario if Cade struggles is for fans to call for JJ to start. I think we have all moved on from Milton after what he showed last year.
August 7th, 2021 at 11:14 AM ^
I hope Joe Milton develops his accuracy and decision making, timing and touch. He has all the physical tools. If he does develop those skills, good for him. Obviously, he was tired of competing here and told he would have to re-earn starting job or was told his performance put him at backup to start Spring. Whatever the reason, good luck to the young man towards realizing his talent. It would be great if UT could compete in the SEC again and give Bama and Georgia some threats.
However, if he does well and Cade struggles, oh boy will the whiners come out and blame the coaches for running Joe off despite giving him the keys and him crashing the car in 2020.
August 7th, 2021 at 11:15 AM ^
The kid wasnt perfect, especially as a 1st year starter but he can play and will be drafted. His OC has admitted to bad playcalling, he had zero receivers & his tight ends couldn't catch.
I think he should still be here.
The entire season on offense, defense & special teams was a trainwreck.
August 7th, 2021 at 11:52 AM ^
and will be drafted.
LOL, what?
August 7th, 2021 at 12:04 PM ^
The same people who were certain that Shea would be drafted
At least Shea came to play against MSU. He would not have let that abortion of a game happen last year.
August 7th, 2021 at 12:24 PM ^
Crack is whack brother. Put down the pipe.
he had zero receivers & his tight ends couldn't catch.
Cade McNamara had the same WRs and TEs.
McNamara and Eubanks hooked up right away against Wisconsin, a beautiful throw and catch. Then a beautiful throw and catch with Sainristil.
Starting at 7:09 of this video:
Then McNamara came in with Michigan in a 0-17 hole against Rutgers, and did nothing but move the ball for the rest game:
What sticks out to me about McNamera's highlights are the touch he has on a lot of those tight window throws and the instincts he has under pressure. I realize we're talking about Rutgers, but pressure is pressure. It's instinctive for most quarterbacks in the face of pressure to turtle a little bit, head and eyes go down, and tunnel vision kicks in a little bit. On a lot of these throws, Cade keeps his head up and eyes down field and throws the ball to a spot with touch so the receiver can go and get the ball with a pass rusher right in his face. That demonstrates he has a great feel for the game and can keep the offense moving when things don't go right on every single play.
Yes, Milton has a howitzer of an arm and looks great in a clean pocket. But last season, when plays or protection broke down he lost his poise and started sailing the ball and making erratic decisions. The problem with that, is that you basically need perfect execution on every play for the offense to move the ball, which we all know simply doesn't happen in football. One missed protection or bad route and you're behind the chains. McNamara showed (in limited time) last season that he has a great feel for the game and he doesn't get rattled in the face of pressure. If you pair those attributes with an adequate arm, you probably have a better quarterback than the guy that can rip a tight spiral 80 yards, but shuts down with some pressure in his face.
Now, if Milton can correct that at UT this year and start to develop his instincts and trust them, he could be a very good quarterback; and honestly I want that for him. It's a hard thing to do, but it can be done. More times than not, instincts are just hardwired in a quarterback and it appears to me that Cade has those.
Cade also gets air under the ball and allows his receivers to make a play, that in my opinion, is one of the biggest factors for success in college for a QB. Let your 4 star receivers make a play.
And remember McNamaras scouting report in high school. That he would complete many throws from weird and unorthodox angles. To me that read he can play and knew how to improvise. To the non insightful they'd have read that as bad mechanics. Cade is gonna do great this year. We finally have a home grown QB since Alright (who am still pissed he left)
A lot of fans are just way too harsh on these players, and a lot of UM fans are delusional. Milton has a lot of room to improve and will improve. It's a system effort.
Yet like a miracle, when Cade stepped under center, the play calling got better? The WR's learned to catch?
August 7th, 2021 at 10:01 PM ^
LOL where am I on your draft baord?
August 7th, 2021 at 11:18 AM ^
Well, if it’s his job to lose, he has experience in doing that.
August 7th, 2021 at 11:30 AM ^
If there's only one thing I can trust in life, it's that the Michigan coaching staff knows how to develop and find the best QB for their system (sarcasm)
August 7th, 2021 at 11:27 AM ^
Hey OP! I'm a recent transplant to Nashville. Got any favorite bars to watch the games?
August 7th, 2021 at 11:56 AM ^
I’m actually a terrible tour guide for that because I’m a homebody. I watch all the games at the house with the family because I can get pretty insufferable during games. I will say this though, middle Tennessee is about perfect for weather, food, and general chill vibes so I think you’ll love it here.
August 7th, 2021 at 12:10 PM ^
No worries! I typically watch at home as well and often display the same types of behavior you described.
Ask Izzo what he thinks about Middle Tennessee.
August 7th, 2021 at 11:31 AM ^
The baseless hype-train starts early in TN.
August 7th, 2021 at 12:19 PM ^
August 7th, 2021 at 12:27 PM ^
Well Cam did transfer before winning the Heisman. So maybe Michigan was just helping fulfill that destiny.
Yeah, not like here #CamNewton2.0
Also a departed coach that said, "I see Steve McNair in him."
Who's the clown that threw that comparison out there? Some former coach from Ohio. I can't remember, it's giving me a headache.
August 7th, 2021 at 12:19 PM ^
Choo choo, mother bitches!
August 7th, 2021 at 11:51 AM ^
Lol they must be as bad as us then. Milton is garbage and I will die on that hill. Not a college level talent.
August 7th, 2021 at 12:02 PM ^
Is it necessary to be so harsh about a guy who did his best for Michigan in the circumstances he had to deal with?
August 7th, 2021 at 12:21 PM ^
"As bad as us"? They are well behind us. Michigan isn't a national title contender but we aren't "bad." Tennessee is likely going to be bad. QBs who lose their starting job almost never transfer to better programs. I'm not saying Milton can't become a good starter, but when he lost his job at Michigan he wasn't going to transfer to a school where earning the starting spot would be more or similarly difficult.
Why the vitriol? Dude tried his best and didn’t succeed here (for lots of reasons, beyond a lack of talent). This is on par with your - ‘it’s ok to throw a baseball at a red sox player because their manager was implicated in a scandal’ in terms of stupidity.
I guarantee you Milton is better at football than you’ve ever been at anything in your life, so try to keep that in mind before shitting on a 19 year old anonymously on the internet
August 7th, 2021 at 11:56 AM ^
All this time I thought you were from Nashville, MI
August 7th, 2021 at 11:57 AM ^
Is that why I haven’t gotten any of your love letters? I’ve been wondering.
August 7th, 2021 at 12:00 PM ^
He's going to lose it. He loses accuracy the second a defender comes within 5 yards.
There appears to be a pattern here-O'Korn and Patterson were the same story. Perhaps the real story lies outside of the "player-room".
August 7th, 2021 at 12:18 PM ^
If their WR room has a few Tacopants they’re gonna be dangerous.
seriously, we know Joe is/was a great practice QB but come gametime he can’t hit anyone downfield and seems scared to take a hit when on the run. Hope he is successful but color me skeptical.
Yes but they’re called BBQpants down there
Brisketpants*
August 7th, 2021 at 12:21 PM ^
Cool.
August 7th, 2021 at 12:26 PM ^
We ARE talking Tennessee.
August 7th, 2021 at 12:38 PM ^
I think he will be solid for the Vols.
And like many of us, we can find success at another job just like Joe is doing.
He just needs the team to shoulder the pressure of winning.