Back in November, the second version of the Joe Milton era at Tennessee began. It was about two games too early than anyone wanted, Milton included. The veteran, big-armed quarterback was forced into action after Hendon Hooker tore his ACL against South Carolina, which put Milton in a spot to get his feet under him ahead of a pivotal 2023 season for his football career.
Milton dazzled in the Orange Bowl win over Clemson, showing off the improvements that he had made over the last 15 months. Working behind Hooker, Milton was limited to garbage time in the offense, but even that work was noticeably different than his first couple of starts in Knoxville.