The offseason talk regarding Tennessee football has centered around Hendon Hooker.
Rightfully so after Hooker burst on the scene last season to spark a trip to the Music City Bowl for the Vols in Josh Heupel’s first year on Rocky Top.
The forgotten man this offseason, however, has been former Michigan transfer Joe Milton.
Hooker supplanted Milton as Tennessee’s starting quarterback in week three against Tennessee Tech after an ankle injury sidelined Milton against Pittsburgh the week prior. Still, despite Hooker going on to put together one of the best seasons by a quarterback in program history and returning in 2022 as the unquestioned started, Milton stayed.
“There’s no reason,” Milton told the media earlier this month when asked why he didn’t transfer. “In life you face a lot of adversities and you want to fight your way through things.
“I’m having fun, learning something new every day, enjoying life, but there’s also a saying that ‘you’re an ankle sprain away from being the starter.’ (Hendon Hooker), that’s my boy. I’m going to push him to be the best, we’re going to keep fighting it out, but whenever your name is called, just be ready.”
Milton arrived in Knoxville last summer from Michigan with a lot of hype. The Pahokee, Florida native only owned a 2-3 record as the Wolverines’ starting quarterback, but everyone was aware of the big arm he possesses.
That big arm led to Milton beating out Hooker, and former Vols Harrison Bailey and Brian Maurer, to win the starting quarterback job. The big arm that flashed all throughout fall camp didn’t necessarily reflect itself in games though.
Milton rushed for two touchdowns in the opener against Bowling Green, but completed just 11-of-23 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown. Then, against Pittsburgh a week later, he left many opportunities on the field as he completed just 7-of-12 pass attempts for 50 yards before leaving the game due to injury.
“I tore two ligaments in my ankle the second game of the season on the 54-yard run (against Pittsburgh),” Milton said. “I’m all healthy now, so just getting through those injuries, facing adversity, fighting through it; you become a better man.”
Milton went on to serve as Hooker’s backup for the remainder of the season. In eight games, Milton completed 32-of-61 passes for 375 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 129 yards and two scores.
Much-maligned for overthrowing receivers, the issue that led to Milton’s inconsistencies as a passer has been priority No. 1 for him this offseason.
“We’ve worked all offseason on touch throws across the middle and pressing our vertical run game,” quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle said. “He has done a great job doing that. He’s touching up balls all over the field. We all know he’s got the absolute howitzer of an arm, so we have worked on having him touch up the ball and work windows, and working that aspect of his game, because we know he’s got the other shot in his bag already.”
For Milton, it's been just about being a better version of himself.
“Just taking a different step, learning something new, no matter what it is or if it’s from Coach Heupel, Coach Halzle or Hendon (Hooker),” Milton said. “Even Tayven (Jackson) because you never know. Somebody always has something that you don’t know and you have to be willing to learn from it.”
Milton’s relationship with Hooker has allowed him to take those daily steps.
One would think that because Hooker is the starting quarterback, the relationship between the two is more about competition than being best of friends. But within the competition, Milton and Hooker have become best of friends.
“We got really close during the season last year,” Milton said. “When we first got here, it was all about being competitive, but we knew deep down the road we would be one. So throughout the season, even when I got hurt, he was there for me. I don’t even think he did media after the game. He came and saw me to make sure I was good. We got food after that and just talked about the game. Then after that, it was just ‘are you okay?’ ‘Are you good?’ ‘What else do you need?’ ‘What else can you help me with?’ ‘Do you see this the same way I see this?’ Or ‘what can we do to fix the team?’”
The two now live together. Just them, Milton’s pitbull Blitz, and Hooker’s golden doodle Draco. Milton refers to Hooker’s mom as mom, and Hooker does the same with Milton’s mom.
“I’m just big on helping people,” Milton said. “Big on giving back. Not too many people helped me as I matured through my quarterback stages, but for me, I want to be a coach when I get older, so helping other guys, making sure they understand what’s going on and how to go about things, that’s just me as a person.”
As Milton and Hooker have become close off the field, it’s translated to their leadership and their impact on teammates. To top it off, in the era of the transfer portal, having Milton’s experience and leadership in a quarterback is as valuable as can be.
“I think that speaks to the relationship that him and Hendon have,” Halzle said. “And also the way he feels about this place, that he wasn’t in a hurry to just jump up and leave as soon as Hendon had the type of year that he did.”
“Their competitive relationship with each other has been really fun to watch because they do truly like each other and encourage each other and are each other’s biggest fans,” offensive coordinator Alex Golesh added. “Their relationship is unique. Give those guys a lot of credit. I couldn’t do that. I think most of us grown-ups got egos that couldn’t handle it.
“You’re looking for model examples for these young guys, but Hendon and Joe have done a really good job of taking ownership in it, not feeling like they’re stepping on each other’s toes. I give those two a lot of credit – that’s more than I could do at 22 years old and somebody’s in front of me. I’d have a hard time being a good soldier there, but credit to those guys, credit to Joey Halzle and how he’s managed that room and Coach Heup’s leadership in pushing that on those guys – what a quarterback is supposed to do, what he’s supposed to look like, act like, what the day-to-day looks like.”
Milton’s growth this offseason has been on display through two weeks of fall camp. According to coaches, he’s been a better decision-maker and in better command of what the Vols are doing offensively. It’s showing up in scrimmages, too.
“You guys know he has arm talent to make some really special throws,” head coach Josh Heupel said on Sunday. “In the two scrimmages, he’s had really good command and presence in what we’ve done.
“He’s taken better care of the football. A lot of things that we’ve asked from him, just growing up and becoming the mature person and player that we need inside of that room and in that position inside of this program, he’s taken some of those strides. There’s a bunch left out there for him.”
Tennessee is just two weeks away from its season-opener on Thursday, Sept. 1 against Ball State. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.
Hooker may be the one leading the offense for the Vols to start the 2022 campaign, but Milton will be ready for when his No. 7 is called.
“All it takes is one injury,” Milton said. “You just have to be ready when your name is called no matter when it is.”
