What It Means: Vols To Add Transfer QB Milton
Tennessee is expected to add high-profile Michigan transfer quarterback Joe Milton to the roster in the coming months. Milton, who has already visited campus at least once, appeared as active in the student directory on Monday morning. The news broke, and there were a lot of mixed reactions about what it means. The VR2 on SI staff dives into what the addition means for Tennessee's quarterback room moving forward.
The current situation
Before we dive into Milton, let's take a look at the current situation in Josh Heupel's quarterback room. Currently, the Vols have three scholarship quarterbacks working at practices, with Brian Maurer, Hendon Hooker, and Harrison Bailey splitting reps equally throughout the spring. Heupel has touched on the importance of each guy working with the ones, twos, and threes to develop them and to help find who will be the best fit, but we will touch on that a bit later. The X-factor, and probably the reason for a lot of the questions and skepticism raised around adding Milton, is Kaidon Salter. The coveted Freshman signee is not with the team currently, and his future remains in doubt, according to trusted sources. So, as things stand, Tennessee currently has three scholarship quarterbacks, and Josh Heupel has no choice but to move forward like that is all he has for the time being.
Potential Reasoning Behind Milton's Addition
Josh Heupel has been known as a quarterback whisperer, so if he believes adding Milton is the right thing to do, then it is probably a good thing. The first and obvious reason behind adding Milton could simply be that Heupel believes he is too good to pass on and that he at least has the opportunity to come in and be a contributor for Tennessee in 2021. There is no need to touch on Salter's situation again, but if he does not make it back, Milton would only give the Vols four scholarship quarterbacks, which is a safe number most college coaches like to carry at the position. Much like Tennessee nabbed Milton from the transfer portal, the Vols may suffer a loss to the transfer portal post-spring or leading into the fall. So, if Salter was not to return, and Tennessee lost a player to transfer before the season, without the addition of Milton, Tennessee would have two scholarship quarterbacks. This is not to say that one or both of those things could happen, but it does show the unpredictability of a quarterback room to be flipped upside down by the transfer portal. The other fact around Milton's addition is he has three years of eligibility remaining, and he will be immediately eligible with the one-time transfer rule set to go into effect.
What the Addition Means For Tennessee
First, is it an indictment of the current players in Tennessee's quarterback room? At this stage, I am still going to say no. Heupel has used this spring to evaluate and develop the quarterbacks he has on hand to his system. As previously mentioned, he has rotated each player, allowing them to work with every player on the offense. This is important in the development of any quarterback, but it is also important in terms of Heupel's install. At this stage, the quarterback position remains open, as Heupel has alluded to the fact that the Vols are going to compete hard there in June and July, and they are going to continue to make strides heading into training camp. Now, add Milton to the mix. Does he have an opportunity to be the starter? Absolutely. Is it given that he will be the starter? Absolutely not.
Each guy currently on Tennessee's roster does something different with Heupel's offense, and they have all flashed their potential throughout the spring. What Milton's addition for Tennessee means is safety. Josh Heupel can hit a potential home-run in the transfer portal by adding the best available quarterback currently in there. But, ultimately, Milton provides security to a quarterback room that has been unstable since Josh Dobbs turned pro. With Milton, the Vols add a seasoned quarterback with three years of eligibility remaining who is ready and willing to compete to earn a position. It means that if Kaidon Salter does not return or someone leaves the program and seeks eligibility elsewhere with the one-time transfer rule going into effect, Tennessee has options at the quarterback position. The most considerable criticism by most for Jeremy Pruitt was his obstinate stance on the quarterback position. Sure, some of it was out of his control, with COVID derailing a lot of Tennessee's plans for last season, but Josh Heupel is showing he will not make the same mistake.
Tennessee will have options at the quarterback position with Milton added to the fold, regardless of how the unpredictable variables swing for Josh Heupel's quarterback room moving forward.
