2 Tennessee Vols barely sneak onto list of top 100 players in college football
On3 recently revealed their list of the top 100 players in college football and only two Tennessee Vols players were included. And not only were just two Tennessee players included, but there wasn't a single Vol inside the top 80. I guess On3 doesn't think Tennessee has much star power entering the 2023 season. On3 […]
On3 recently revealed their list of the top 100 players in college football and only two Tennessee Vols players were included.
And not only were just two Tennessee players included, but there wasn't a single Vol inside the top 80.
I guess On3 doesn't think Tennessee has much star power entering the 2023 season.
On3 listed Vols quarterback Joe Milton as the No. 81 overall player in college football. They have Tennessee wide receiver Dont'e Thornton, an Oregon transfer, as the No. 95 overall player.
From On3: Joe Milton here will draw a lot of hate. And even though it does me no pleasure to extend the benefit of the doubt to Rocky Top, Tennessee’s Trebuchet is more than capable of keeping the Vols relevant. His arm strength pops off the screen. In the past, he has had issues controlling his throws and serving up catchable passes consistently. But it appears strides have been made there. Some are still hesitant to say he’s turned the corner and put his past inaccuracies behind him, and I agree, his mechanics still have kinks that need ironing out. But if last year’s Orange Bowl was any indication, even a few biffs shouldn’t derail Heupel’s “Veer and Shoot” offense from capitalizing on Milton’s mighty arm.
Milton has yet to start more than two games in a season for the Vols and Thornton hasn't taken a snap for Tennessee. They both have a lot to prove and it's at least somewhat understandable that neither player is ranked higher (though I'd expect them to be ranked much higher by the end of the season).
The bigger issue with this list is leaving off players like center Cooper Mays or wide receiver Squirrel White. Running back Jaylen Wright probably deserves some love too (and maybe even wide receiver Bru McCoy).
Mays is one of the best centers in college football, White is a lethal deep threat, Wright showed last season he can perform at a high level against top SEC defenses, and McCoy might be the best possession receiver in the conference.
Just like last season, Tennessee is going to have to prove some folks wrong. This is a new Vols team, but I have a feeling fans are going to see a lot of the same exciting moments in 2023 that they saw in 2022.
