Greg McElroy Continues Pushing Joe Milton Narrative
ESPN analyst Greg McElroy has gone on the record as a fan of Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III. McElroy cited several times that Milton showed tremendous growth during the 2022 campaign, looking nothing like the former Michigan transfer that struggled with turnovers.
Many people like what Milton could be as the 2023 starter under a Josh Heupel-led offense. Heupel and offensive coordinator Joey Halzle do an excellent job scheming around the quarterback, maximizing their physical talents while allowing them to make quick, concise reads. However, few have gone out on the edge and forecasted greatness for Milton. McElroy has on two separate occasions now. In January, he shared on his podcast "Always College Football" that he believes Milton could become a "superstar" this season.
He doubled down on that claim and then some in a recent episode. McElroy walked through several possible Heisman dark horses and spoke fondly of what Milton brings to the table. National betting outlets currently have his Heisman odds hovering around +2000; USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye, and Washington's Michael Penix Jr. highlight the front-runners.
"Joe Milton, if he can continue to progress the way he did at the end of last season from where he was at the beginning of 2021, he could be poised for a significant leap. He's already showcased just how capable he might be; he looked great against Clemson. I think he has a new lease on life, too. Being an understudy, having a better grasp of what the offense was, and getting those valuable reps at the end of game has helped him take significant strides. I think he's one of the dark horses coming into this year as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate."
McElroy highlighted that Heupel had maximized his quarterbacks at every stop; fourth-round NFL Draft pick Landry Jones became one of Oklahoma's most decorated passers with Heupel. Missouri had the SEC's most explosive 2016 offense thanks to quarterback Drew Lock's development under Heupel. The list rolls on and on, but the bottom line is clear: if you play quarterback for Heupel, you play well.
Milton has things to improve this offseason. The Orange Bowl stats read well, and he won offensive MVP against a premier program, but the scheme Tennessee ran isn't repeatable against truly elite teams. While Clemson was a strong defense, they weren't among the four best teams in college football. If they ran that style of offense against Georgia with Milton, it wouldn't have been fun to watch for Tennessee fans.
He only had a handful of real passing attempts. The coaching staff did a great job scheming in easy screen throws and boundary concepts to get Milton settled in. They let him make some half-field progressions and occasionally let him work a full-field concept with a deep pattern, but for the most part, they kept the thinking to a minimum.
Another area of focus should be anticipatory throwing. Milton struggled to hit simple timing routes, making receivers come back to the football and leaving time for defenders to get back in the frame. Nonetheless, the physical gifts are undeniable, and throwing a future bet out on Milton to have a big season isn't the worst idea, given Heupel's track record.
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