Anyone who watched Milton during his college career knows the legend of how far he can throw a football − and knows of his struggle to find consistency. Coaches repeatedly fell in love with his arm strength. It explains why Jim Harbaugh started Milton at Michigan in 2020, and why Josh Heupel anointed Milton as UT’s starter in 2021 before realizing Hendon Hooker was a better quarterback equipped with a lesser arm.
If chicks dig the long ball, then coaches are suckers for quarterbacks who toss a 70-yard pass as easily as they flick an apple core into a waste bin. JaMarcus Russell earned acclaim for throwing a ball 70 yards from his knees. Neat parlor trick. Not particularly relevant to playing quarterback in the NFL.
No one questions Milton’s physical tools, but he spent six years in college trying to become a complete quarterback. At times, he pulled it all together. Tennessee’s win against Kentucky last season and its first half against Alabama come to mind. Overall, though, he was a mid-tier SEC quarterback playing within a quarterback-friendly system. He supplied a career-best season in 2023, a credit to his persistence, but I believe Tennessee’s best quarterback was its backup.