There is plenty of concern about Tennessee’s backup quarterback decision. Rightly so. Things didn’t go swimmingly last season for the man that will likely be tasked to back up one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC.
There isn’t much proven depth behind All-SEC quarterback Hendon Hooker. Sure, Joe Milton III played for Michigan in 2020 before transferring to Tennessee and becoming the starting QB for the Vols in 2021. However, he got benched in both situations. Add in the Ole Miss loss last season, in which Milton indescribably leapt out of bounds with no time left on the clock, and there’s cause for concern.
Other than Milton, the Vols have four-star prospect Tayven Jackson. Jackson enrolled at Tennessee in January and has participated in spring practice, but hasn’t taken a snap in an actual college football game. Until we see him in action, we don’t know how good he will be.
It’s obvious that Hooker is “The Guy” for the Vols this season. However, he’s not the only Tennessee quarterback that has the conviction to be successful, whether he ever will be or not.
“Joe is very much ‘The Guy’ himself,” Tennessee tight end Jacob Warren said during The Vol Report. “He’s got the charisma. He’s got the confidence. He’s got the ability. He’s a smart player.”
Tennessee center Cooper Mays would have no issue with leading Milton into battle.
“For sure,” Mays said during The Vol Report. “I think everyone would be behind him 100-percent if he was in the position of starting. He’s had a really good offseason.
“Everybody knows he’s big and strong, but he’s worked a lot on his leadership qualities. Anytime somebody shows you that, you’ll have full faith in them when it comes time for the ball to be put (in)to play.”
Still, there’s that whole Ole Miss thing. It’s tough to forget.
“He knows that,” Warren said. “He’s completely aware of that. I don’t think that really changed a lot about the way we looked at him, the way we thought about him as a player. Everyday he performs at practice.”
That may ultimately be the question: Is Milton better in practice than he is in games? The Vols are only a Hooker cramp from finding out.
“There’s no lapse in confidence as far as I’m concerned, with either of them…We’re on the same page, whether I’m repping with him (Milton) or repping with Hendon,” Warren said. “It’s cool to be able to almost feel like there’s no difference.”
