KNOXVILLE - Strong arm. Great vision. Tough to bring down. Big. Everything needed to be an elite quarterback.
Can a campaign of "Milton for the Heisman - He's no Ordinary Joe!" be far behind?
What's been rumored for weeks around Big Orange Country became official on Monday, leaving the lips of first-year University of Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel exactly 68 seconds into his 19-minute, nine-second press conference.
And if Milton himself didn't meet with the media on Monday, he was repeatedly and glowingly discussed by Heupel and the three Volunteers who were interviewed.
"He's a big guy, great arm, great vision, obviously a specimen," noted senior defensive lineman Matthew Butler. "If he needs to run it, he definitely can. He has everything to be an elite quarterback."
Said senior offensive guard Jerome Carvin, whose job it will be to protect Milton: "Joe's been doing a great job. I'm excited to see him play. We're ready to rock and roll."
Then there's redshirt junior wide receiver Cedric Tillman, who expects his 6-3, 215-pound frame to be a routine target for Milton in the passing game.
"Joe's really gotten better at everything," said Tillman. "Me and Joe's chemistry has gotten better every week. Joe's got a strong arm. We're still not all the way there, but Joe and I are going to be good. All the receivers are going to be good. We've got guys who can beat you deep and we've got guys who can go up and get it."
Some might say it's too good to be true. That if Joe Milton III was the second coming of former Auburn great and 2010 Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton, he would have done more than throw four touchdowns and four interceptions during his time with the Maize and Blue. It's also worth wondering what now becomes of grad transfer Hendon Hooker and true sophomore Harrison Bailey at that position. One will be the backup. The other one will likely head to the transfer portal, though Hooker, having already graduated from Virginia Tech, would likely need an NCAA waiver to move elsewhere.
And it's true that based on raw statistics alone, the biggest thing Milton currently has in common with Newton is that both men are considered big for the position, Milton's 6-5 height and 244 pounds are certainly similar to Newton's height and weight at Auburn of 6-6 and 250.
Beyond that, much as former Auburn coach Gene Chizik and his offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn smartly built their offense around Newton's unique skill set, Heupel appears ready to do the same with Milton.
"At the end of the day, Joe's grasp of our offense in a short amount of time, his growth during the middle portion of training and his acceleration in what we are doing with his physical attributes and decision making led us to put the ball in his hands for the first game," Heupel said.
What. We. Are. Doing. With. His. Physical. Attributes.
In other words, we can't teach someone to be 6-5, 244 and (reportedly) throw the ball 75 yards in the air. But we can dang sure start someone with those qualities.
Milton wasn't all that was talked about between the players and their head coach, though the offense that "Cumberland Avenue Joe" will run did seem to dominate the conversation.
"The offense is definitely up-tempo," noted the noted defender Butler. "The receivers, the tight ends, the quarterbacks are clicking on all cylinders. It's made us a better defense, by a lot."
Added Carvin: "I love just going to line up, and seeing the defense not putting their hands down, standing up, gasping for air. As offensive linemen, we love that. It's like a shark smelling blood in the water."
This has been the players' perspective from spring practice forward. The Vols expect to play faster and harder than their opponents for a full four quarters.
Or as Carvin explained, "Just play full-speed. There will be mistakes. But play full-speed. Make full-speed decisions."
It's nothing new with Heupel. It's been his offensive philosophy everywhere he's been, as either a head coach or offensive assistant. It's a system that averaged no less than 42.2 ppg in each of his three seasons as head coach at Central Florida. It's an offense that's averaged a minimum of 500 yards a game whether he was the head coach at UCF or the offensive coordinator two years prior to that at Missouri.
Perhaps equally impressive, it's an insanely balanced offense. Heupel's worst rushing average was 193.5 yards a game at Mizzou in 2017. His worst passing average over the past five years was 257.5 yards at UCF in 2018. And last time we checked, the Mizzou numbers were largely achieved against Southeastern Conference foes.
"We'll play fast," Tillman said. "Hopefully, we'll score a lot of points. Hopefully, the fans will like it."
Hopefully, he's right.
Still, in today's college football, if you don't have a quarterback, you don't have a chance.
Said Butler of Milton in what may become the new starting QB's most important quality: "He's consistent. And he's consistently getting better. That trait's been there from the get-go."
If that trait continues to get better, the Vols just might consistently become a pleasant surprise for the Big Orange Nation throughout Neyland Stadium's 100th year of football.
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com.