Anonymous SEC coach slams Tennessee Vols QB Joe Milton
Tennessee Vols quarterback Joe Milton should have plenty of motivation to excel in 2023. It seems like Milton has received nothing but criticism this offseason, despite his impressive starts in Tennessee's final two games of the 2022 season. The narrative surrounding Milton is simple — critics don't think the Florida native can be a consistent […]
Tennessee Vols quarterback Joe Milton should have plenty of motivation to excel in 2023.
It seems like Milton has received nothing but criticism this offseason, despite his impressive starts in Tennessee's final two games of the 2022 season.
The narrative surrounding Milton is simple — critics don't think the Florida native can be a consistent SEC starter due to his struggles at Michigan and his two starts early in the 2021 season at Tennessee (he wasn't perfect in those starts, but he wasn't horrible, either).
The most recent criticism of Milton comes from an anonymous SEC coach via Lindy's sports.
According to 247Sports, the anonymous SEC coach told Lindy's that he doesn't think Milton can be "the guy" for the Vols.
From Lindy's: "Hooker exceeded everybody's expectations. That was a diamond in the rough that Jeremy Pruitt got (in January 2021). Joe Milton's not the guy. They've got to find somebody else. With Milton it'll be hard to replicate offensively what they did last year…" — anonymous SEC coach.
It's easy for coaches to say stuff like that when they aren't willing to put their name on it.
I'm guessing that coach didn't see Tennessee's win against a nearly fully strength Clemson squad in the Orange Bowl.
Milton picked up right where Hendon Hooker (who tore his ACL in November) left off, completing 19 of 28 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns in the Vols' 31-14 win.
The criticism of Tennessee's quarterbacks is reaching ridiculous levels at this point.
Earlier this offseason, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr criticized Hooker as an NFL prospect because Milton played well in the Orange Bowl. Kiper's view was that Milton made it look easy so Hooker must be a system quarterback (I guess Kiper doesn't think Milton can also be a talented quarterback or that Josh Heupel can't continue to develop quarterbacks at a high level).
“What also bothers me, Joe Milton came in when Hooker was hurt, and in that bowl game against Clemson, without Cedric Tillman, without Jalin Hyatt, two top receivers, he lit up the Clemson Tigers,” said Kiper ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. “So that Josh Heupel, quarterback-friendly offense made it possible for these numbers to be through the roof.
So on one hand, there are anonymous coaches slamming Milton as "not the guy" and on the other hand, ESPN analysts are slamming Tennessee's offense because Milton looked like "the guy" in the win against Clemson.
And folks wonder why Hooker told reporters that guys at Tennessee play with a chip on their shoulder.
The best way to prove all of the critics wrong is to just keep winning.
There's nothing more dangerous than a motivated team. And Tennessee should have plenty of motivation in 2023 after the negativity they've dealt with at times this offseason.
Why Tennessee Vols fans shouldn’t be surprised that Chase Burns is transferring
Tennessee Vols right handed pitcher Chase Burns is entering the NCAA transfer portal after his sophomore season.
Featured image via Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
