Michigan QB Joe Milton Is Building Chemistry With Ronnie Bell
Had he returned home to Florida during the coronavirus pandemic, Michigan redshirt sophomore quarterback Joe Milton probably would have found a few high school teammates or local area wide receivers to throw the football to under safe precautions. But Milton has remained in Michigan, and doing so has afforded him the opportunity to throw with U-M junior wide receiver Ronnie Bell.
Milton - and in kind, Bell - have been working with former Maize and Blue signal-caller Devin Gardner (2010-14), and Gardner's "Young Go Getters" quarterback coaching/mentorship program.
"We try to keep the number of receivers limited, and a lot of the guys Joe will be throwing to [at Michigan] are at home during quarantine, but Ronnie Bell is here and he’s got some game," Gardner said. "He’s also a worker, and he has that weird smile on his face when he’s in pain, when he’s dog tired, when he’s working, and so it gives off great energy for everybody else."
Gardner spent multiple offseasons throwing to former wide receiver Jeremy Gallon and when the two finally got their chance to play for the Wolverines in 2012-13, they connected on 120 passes for 1,884 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Milton could develop a similar chemistry with Bell.
"It’s invaluable the reps [these guys are getting together]," Gardner said. "When you trust a receiver to make sure when you're not perfect he still makes the play or when a quarterback trusts you to the point when you're not open he makes the perfect throw, that builds the rapport and that’s kind of how Gallon and I got to where we were.
"We completely trusted that, 'Ok I’m not going to be perfect every time, so you’re going to save me a few times, and then when you’re not open and you’re covered up, I’m going to make sure I’ll put the ball in the only place you can get it.'
"I think that’s invaluable, and them developing that connection can pay huge dividends for the future.”
A four-star recruit, ranked the No. 172 player nationally in the Class of 2018, Milton has always had special gifts, but he's doing more than relying solely on his arm in workouts with Gardner.
“Seeing Joe throw extensively over this time, it’s very hard to say that any person in the country could have an edge over him with the talent that he has," Gardner said during an appearance on WTKA's 'Inside the Huddle.'
"Since I saw [Milton's] high school film a few years ago I always raved about how strong his arm was and all these different things he does, but we didn’t know what type of worker he was. So it has been good to see him as that worker, giving everything he’s got just like these young kids [I work with] and not expecting to be treated any differently. It’s been really refreshing because you don’t see that a ton, especially with a guy with that type of physical talent.”
Gardner has put Milton through the ringer, pushing him in physical conditioning and in individual quarterback coaching. The 6-5, 245-pound Milton hasn't always been perfect in the workouts, but he's taken to that coaching.
"When a guy has superior arm talent, it's hard for coaches to coach you sometimes," Gardner said. "Like Brett Farve … why does Farve have the most interceptions in the history of the NFL, as talented as he is? Because you get arrogant with your arm strength, you get arrogant with your arm talent, and your mechanics waiver because you get comfortable, as things just come so easy for you.
"Joe can suffer from a little bit of that, but every time redirection is given, he’s corrected it. Being coachable with that type of arm talent is a special trait that a whole bunch of guys just don’t have. That’s been really cool.
"I’ve learned that he’s a pretty good athlete."
How one might ask? Well ...
"We were competing in a drill and he beat me by one throw, and of course I’m devastated. The second he beats me, he busts a standing backflip with no hands, at 250 pounds. That’s insane. You’re not supposed to be able to do those type of things.
“It’s been really fun to watch him compete because he’s a fierce competitor.”
Milton saw time in four games each of the past two seasons, redshirting in 2018. He will compete with redshirt junior Dylan McCaffrey for Michigan's starting job whenever (if) football resumes for the 2020 campaign.
"I don’t know 100% what Dylan has been up to, but because I know the type of kid he is, I’m sure he’s working," Gardner said. "He has his dad, who is a coach and former NFL wideout, and his other brother, who is an NFL running back, who is also in quarantine I’m sure, so I’m pretty sure he’s getting his work in, there is no doubt about that. I don’t know what it is, but I’m sure he’s working pretty hard.”
The 6-5, 220-pound McCaffrey has appeared in more career contests than Milton (13 to eight), has attempted more passes (35 to 11) and has run the ball more (23 to 12) but the battle to replace Shea Patterson is not guaranteed to go McCaffrey's way.
"[The competition] favors the person who has been working," Gardner said. "As far as age goes, Dylan doesn’t have extensive reps playing in college football, and they’re the same age in this offense [Year 2], and I’m sure Coach [Josh] Gattis is doing everything in leaving no stone left unturned in terms of making sure they know everything they need to know and continuing to work with them remotely.
"At Michigan, we are probably in the best position because we have two guys who we think can really contribute, and we have seen a little bit of them. I think it's going to be very difficult for a lot of programs that are breaking in new quarterbacks.”
Jake Sage contributed to this story.
