Tennessee football: Five key Vols to watch for at Vanderbilt
![Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III (7) hands off to running back Jabari Small (2) in the NCAA college football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Bowling Green Falcons in Knoxville, Tenn. on Thursday, September 2, 2021.Ut Bowling Green Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III (7) hands off to running back Jabari Small (2) in the NCAA college football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Bowling Green Falcons in Knoxville, Tenn. on Thursday, September 2, 2021.Ut Bowling Green](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/078b0cc09519929272e7abecb79ac73242058f8d4d0ba7318ab2395e443d6a4e.jpg)
Scouting Report. Quarterback. r-Senior. Joe Milton III. 2. player. 839. Pick Analysis
6’5″ 245 pounds
Vanderbilt’s weak pass defense is obviously going to make the quarterback a huge part of this game. The position of the quarterback also makes him a huge part of any game. However, Tennessee football has a unique story this week with Joe Milton III, so obviously he’s going to be one of the most important players in the game.
Milton is back in as the starter after Hendon Hooker’s season-ending injury. Last year, he started the season but then lost his job after he got hurt against the Pittsburgh Panthers. Now, he’s back, and this is somewhat of an early audition for him entering next year’s quarterback race.
We know about Milton’s cannon for an arm, but accuracy and decision-making were issues last year. How much have those developed. A team like Vanderbilt, with such a horrendous pass defense, is the perfect chance for him to show just how much he has developed on that front.
As we already mentioned, Anthony Richardson just threw for over 400 yards on them. Milton actually has a similar profile in that he’s a physical north-south runner when he does scramble as a quarterback. His size allows him to do that. What will that translate to in the game on Saturday? That’s the big storyline.