Joe Milton III Delivers In Scrimmage

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joe Milton III gave an impressive opening bid to be QB1 this fall.

There have been, and will continue to be, some murmurs around Tennessee about freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava pushing Joe Milton III for the starting job. Iamaleava delivered a strong outing in the spring game, but Milton showed enough to prove he should continue getting starting reps.

The final stats aren't eye-popping. Milton went 9/13 for 79 yards and a touchdown to wide receiver Kaleb Webb. However, the product looked different. Milton was getting the ball out of his hands quickly, flashing some of the anticipation required to play quarterback in a consistent offense. He has struggled to throw outside the numbers on timing routes, particularly against Clemson in the Orange Bowl.

It's tough to dispel bad habits, and there was slight lingering in Milton's motion during the scrimmage. But the improvement was noticeable, enough to believe he should have the issue ironed out by the time the regular season rolls around. He also made several off-script plays that reminded of his elite physical talent.

Head coach Josh Heupel leans toward starting the elder statesmen at other positions, and quarterback is no different. In the transfer portal era, it's critical to prove to recruits that they will play if they stick around. Milton will get every opportunity to win the job, and unless Iamaleava delivers transcendent performances in practice, he likely will.

That isn't a bad thing. The locker room believes in what Milton brings to the table. The chatter around the program has been confident, and people continue standing by the stance that Milton is due for a big season. He's much older and more refined than when he initially won the starting job in Heupel's first season.

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