Josh Heupel doesn't like to say much when it comes to Tennessee's quarterbacks.

And I'm starting to think there's a reason for his vagueness that goes beyond keeping his starting quarterback a secret.

Heupel doesn't give reporters any information at all when it comes to who will start if healthy.

On Monday, Heupel was asked about the health of quarterbacks Hendon Hooker and Joe Milton.

Milton is still listed as the starter on the Vols' most recent depth chart. But when asked if Milton would start on Saturday against Missouri if healthy, Heupel refused to give an answer.

"I’m not going to speak to situations that aren’t real at this point," said Heupel.

The situation is actually very real.

Hooker started against Florida because Milton wasn't 100 percent. Hooker was then injured and had to leave the game, which forced Milton into action.

It's unclear if Hooker will play against Missouri. It's also unclear if Milton will play. And it's unclear who will play if both are healthy.

At this point, I don't think Heupel is being coy to keep the opposing defense guessing (though that's an advantage). I think this is just part of Heupel's culture. It feels like he doesn't want to look like he's lost confidence in any of his quarterbacks.

Hooker was only playing because Milton was injured. But so far, Hooker has outperformed Milton. Most fans probably agree that Hooker should be the guy (if healthy) moving forward.

Heupel, however, isn't ready to declare that Milton has lost the job yet.

I think this is ultimately good for Tennessee's culture. It's clear that Heupel cares about his players and he cares about their reputations/how they're perceived.

Heupel is essentially trying to protect his quarterbacks from a massive media storm. And so far he's doing a good job. This is a tricky situation to navigate (Jeremy Pruitt handled similar situations horribly). Heupel, though, is keeping the quarterback headlines to a minimum. That's a wise move on his part.

It's almost like he's done this before (insert wink emoji here).

That's the benefit of not having a first-time head coach leading the program.

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