Assessing Tennessee football's QB advantage with Joe Milton, Nico Iamaleava — against every foe

Tennessee football had better quarterback play than most of the opponents it faced last season, and it’ll need to do that again.

The Vols beat Alabama’s Bryce Young, Florida’s Anthony Richardson, Kentucky’s Will Levis, LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Clemson's Cade Klubnik en route to an 11-2 record.

Hendon Hooker won most of those quarterback battles, and Joe Milton finished off the run.

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In 2023, another set of 12 quarterbacks will face UT.

Milton, the Orange Bowl MVP, and five-star freshman Nico Iamaleava lead an ultra-talented but thin quarterback group. Walk-ons Gaston Moore and Navy Shuler round out the position.

Here’s how the UT quarterback situation stacks up against its 12 opponents, listed in order of the 2023 schedule.

Virginia quarterback on a pitch count

Virginia will have a new starter against UT in the opener in Nashville on Sept. 2.

Its options are Jay Woolfolk, a returning backup who hasn’t thrown a TD pass in his college career, and Tony Muskett, a Monmouth transfer whose only FBS game came against Middle Tennessee State.

While Milton was throwing darts in UT spring practice, Woolfolk was limited to 40 passes per practice to save his arm for the pitcher’s mound as a reliever on the Virginia baseball team.

QB advantage: Tennessee

Austin Peay returns its starter

MTSU transfer Mike DiLiello had a strong passer rating of 137.2 in his debut season at Austin Peay with 21 TD passes and 11 interceptions.

But Milton had a 204.3 passer rating with 10 TD passes and no interceptions against FBS competition. His attempts were limited because he mostly served as a backup, but he was just as good in starts against Vanderbilt and Clemson.

QB advantage: Tennessee

Florida is searching in portal

Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz has 32 career starts. He was solid for the Badgers, tossing 19 TD passes and 10 interceptions last season. Ohio State transfer Jack Miller was lackluster in his first start at Florida in a Las Vegas Bowl loss to Oregon State.

When UT landed Iamaleava, Florida lost four-star quarterback Jaden Rashada because Florida's collective could not pay money promised as part of his NIL deal.

Florida coach Billy Napier said he’s still looking in the transfer portal for another quarterback, which tells you what he thinks of his options.

QB advantage: Tennessee

UTSA has seventh-year star quarterback

ESPN.com writers recently ranked the top quarterbacks in college football. They voted UTSA’s Frank Harris No. 13 and Milton No. 18.

It’s a fair analysis from a preseason perspective.

Sure, Harris plays for a mid-major program. But last season, he was the Conference USA MVP after leading UTSA into the CFP Top 25. His 4,665 yards of total offense ranked No. 5 in FBS, and he returns for his seventh season because of multiple redshirts due to injuries and a COVID-exempt year.

Milton may turn into a better quarterback, but Harris is ahead right now.

QB advantage: UTSA

South Carolina better, but not because of Spencer Rattler

Spencer Rattler was No. 15 on that ESPN.com ranking, slightly ahead of Milton.

Rattler was unstoppable against UT (6 TD passes, no interceptions) and mediocre the rest of the season (12 TDs, 12 interceptions). And stats were comparable between Rattler and Milton against common opponents.

So what gives South Carolina the edge? It’s Luke Doty, who is a solid backup because he started six games before Rattler took over.

Iamaleava could surpass Doty as the better backup by the time UT hosts South Carolina on Sept. 30. But that’s not assured yet.

QB advantage: South Carolina

Texas A&M has talent but uncertainty

As a freshman, Conner Weigman was good in an upset win over LSU and even better in a close loss to Ole Miss. The former five-star recruit is promising. And former LSU starter Max Johnson was hit-or-miss in his debut season with Texas A&M.

They’re locked in a competition that Weigman will likely win.

Coach Jimbo Fisher and new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino must work together to answer their quarterback question. That could result in an offensive juggernaut or a train wreck.

Either is possible when the Aggies come to Neyland Stadium on Oct. 14. For now, Milton is better than both quarterbacks.

QB advantage: Tennessee

Does Nick Saban prefer Alabama quarterbacks over Vols'?

Let’s simplify this.

Would Nick Saban rather have Milton, Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner or Jalen Milroe? Those are his best options as Alabama's starter. His choice probably would be Milton.

Would Saban rather have Iamaleava, a five-star signee in the 2023 class, or Ty Simpson, a five-star signee in the 2022 class? Probably Iamaleava.

Despite Alabama having more options at quarterback, give the Vols the edge.

QB advantage: Tennessee

Kentucky got coveted transfer to follow Will Levis

Kentucky couldn’t have asked for a better replacement for Will Levis than North Carolina State transfer Devin Leary.

Leary is experienced with 26 career starts. He’s accomplished with 6,807 yards passing, 62 TDs and 16 interceptions. And he’s been tested with 15 TD passes and five interceptions in seven games against AP Top 25 teams.

However, Leary has played only one SEC team – a 24-10 loss to Mississippi State in 2021. Until he gets deeper into the SEC slate, give him the benefit of the doubt because of a strong career thus far.

QB advantage: Kentucky

UConn is worse, of course

Returning starter Zion Turner, former starter Ta’Quan Roberson and Maine transfer Joe Fagnano are in a competition at UConn, which passed for a paltry 111.9 yards per game last season.

If Milton is still the starter in this Nov. 4 game, Iamaleava could play a lot as the backup if the score gets out of hand.

QB advantage: Tennessee

Missouri could Cook or just simmer

Brady Cook has been efficient and productive. Last season, he passed for 2,739 yards, rushed for 585 yards and accounted for 20 TDs. But his performances slipped against conference opponents.

Cook could be a rising star or just a solid SEC quarterback. If he’s the latter, former four-star recruit Sam Horn or Miami transfer Jake Garcia could get a shot.

QB advantage: Tennessee

Georgia turns to life after Stetson Bennett

The chances are Georgia will find a standout quarterback among three good options, but there’s no guarantee.

Carson Beck played reasonably well as Stetson Bennett’s backup, but not in competitive situations. Brock Vandagriff has an intriguing skillset as a runner and passer, but he’s inexperienced. And redshirt freshman Gunner Stockton is talented but likely waiting for his turn.

All three were four-star recruits, but they couldn’t beat out Bennett. Until they play to that level, the jury is still out.

QB advantage: Tennessee

Vanderbilt has surprising balance

A.J. Swann has a promising future. He threw 10 TD passes and two interceptions after taking over as the starter a month into his freshman season. And Ken Seals, who has started 16 games in his career, is quietly one of the SEC’s best backup quarterbacks.

But there’s a ceiling to both of their abilities, and it’s below Milton and Iamaleava.

QB advantage: Tennessee

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. Twitter @AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.   

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football: Are these QBs better than Joe Milton, Nico Iamaleava?