Former Alabama QB predicts Tennessee Vols' MVP and breakout star for 2023 season
Former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Greg McElroy, now an analyst for ESPN, recently predicted who the Tennessee Vols' MVP will be in 2023. McElroy also predicted which player will have a breakout season for the Vols this fall. The former Alabama signal caller thinks a Vols redshirt senior and a transfer addition are in store […]
Former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Greg McElroy, now an analyst for ESPN, recently predicted who the Tennessee Vols' MVP will be in 2023.
McElroy also predicted which player will have a breakout season for the Vols this fall.
The former Alabama signal caller thinks a Vols redshirt senior and a transfer addition are in store for a big 2023 season.
"This team is always going to go how the quarterback goes with the offense that they run," said McElroy while discussing the Vols. "If your quarterback has an off day, you're going to struggle. If the receivers have an off day, you can overcome that because you have so many. If the offensive line has maybe a difficult day, you can probably overcome that beecause you can use tempo and keep the defense off balance. But if the quarterback's missing throws, you're gonna have a tough time. So if Tennessee is going to get to the SEC championship, knock off Georgia and maybe find their way to the College Football Playoff, Joe Milton has to be an All-American candidate. He is their MVP."
"But a breakout candidate? I'm gonna go with Dont'e Thornton, transfer from Oregon," continued McElroy. "He's probably going to be the next (wide receiver) in line or so it seems. You talk to people up there on Rocky Top, he's the next in line. He's 6-foot-5/215 lbs. And the thing that made Jalin Hyatt the Biletnikoff Award winner last year was his top end speed. 24 MPH he's hitting when he gets in the open field. Well guess what? Already on the GPS, Dont'e Thornton has hit 24 MPH."
"He was pretty good player at Oregon, but not the guy that he's going to be expected to be in Tennessee's offense. We know that they have great weapons — Squirrel White, Bru McCoy, Ramel Keyton. But if Dont'e Thornton can be the guy that really takes the top off the defense — they're playing him in the slot, Squirrel White's also in the slot, you got two super-speedy guys in the slot — it's going to create a lot of problems for opposing defenses."
It's certainly hard to disagree with McElroy's assessment. The Vols will go as Milton goes in 2023. And Thornton breaking out will certainly make it easier for Milton to play at a high level.
SEC defensive coordinator makes big statement about Tennessee Vols QB Joe Milton
An SEC defensive coordinator made a big statement about Tennessee Vols QB Joe Milton
Featured image via Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
