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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Naturally, offensive players are going to praise their quarterback, regardless of the situation, as they’re the ones who are the beneficiaries if he plays well. But what does it say when a defensive coach has the highest regard for said signal caller?
Such is the case for Michigan football defensive coordinator Don Brown about presumed starting quarterback Joe Milton.
With it (technically) still being fall camp, the defense and offense are going ‘good-on-good,’ meaning that the ones from either side are lining up against each other at this juncture. During the season, many forget that is more of a rare occurrence, as each side of the ball has a scout team it practices against as it prepares specifically for the opponent at-hand. But for Milton and the Michigan offense, it’s not just what Brown sees on the field that has him excited about the redshirt sophomore — it’s what’s happening behind closed doors within the confines of Schembechler Hall.
“Great leader,” Brown said. “Here’s what I’ll tell you about Joe Milton: Joe and I have a great relationship. Joe will come into my office and ask me about coverage. I don’t coach him, I don’t have anything to do with him. Ben McDaniels does a tremendous job. But that’s the kind of guy he is — he’s reaching out, he’s trying to get better every day, he’s trying to be smarter with concept.”
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Of course, Brown has also seen Milton’s work ethic up close, as well as the one thing that tantalizes anyone excited about his potential: his cannon of an arm.
Though Brown is already quite adept at hyperbole, with that in mind, he gives Milton’s arm about as high of a compliment as he can give, noting that with him at the helm, Michigan should be in quite an advantageous position when it comes to throwing the ball downfield.
“He’s another one of those infectious guys, got a smile on his face all the time,” Brown said. “Ready to go to work. And I have never seen a young man with a stronger arm than this guy. He can let it rip.”
As Brown confirmed on Wednesday, Michigan is set to begin padded practices now with the Oct. 24 season opener at Minnesota coming up in a matter of weeks.
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