FSU football will have a competitive quarterback room in 2021.
FSU football fans felt like it was the end of the world when four-star QB Luke Altmyer de-committed from the Noles over a week ago.
He was one of the first recruits to commit to Mike Norvell and steadily saw his ranking rise throughout the year.
However, after commiting in February, he chose to stay in his home state of Mississippi and later committed to Ole Miss.
It was at that moment I wrote that Mike Norvell needed to go the graduate transfer route instead of trying to sign another high school quarterback for the 2021 class.
Some FSU fans believe Jordan Travis is the future for FSU football at quarterback. I respect Jordan Travis immensely, and the Noles are likely winless without Mike Norvell making the switch to him at quarterback.
The team has rallied around his success, and they have played at a different level effort-wise, compared to when others were starting. However, we’ve also seen the limitations of Travis at quarterback. His style makes him prone to getting injured, and he’s not near as effective when he’s limited and not able to use his legs as a weapon. That’s why it was important for Mike Norvell to find another proven option at the position going into 2021.
Here are three ways Milton can impact the FSU football program.
Allow Other Quarterbacks To Develop
McKenzie Milton coming into the fold will give the Noles four quarterbacks on the roster, which is where a program wants to be number wise.
Jordan Travis has real game experience, and Milton has 33 games under his belt at UCF and worked this season as the scout team QB before entering the transfer portal.
Chubba Purdy and Tate Rodemaker were freshmen in a COVID-19, which means they were not able to develop as much even though Rodemaker enrolled early and Purdy saw some game action.
Milton will likely only be at FSU football for one season, although he could apply for medical hardship. Jordan Travis needs to develop his passing game, and the two freshmen need a full year to continue developing and learning the playbook.
FSU will be in a situation where they will have two capable quarterbacks in 2021, unlike the past few years where the drop-off is off the table when a backup has to see game action.
Some fans may be afraid of one of the other three quarterbacks transferring, but that’s unlikely since two of them have virtually no experience, and I think Jordan Travis is a Nole through and through. Once Milton leaves, the job will be up for grabs between whichever of those three seizes the opportunity, and whoever they sign in the 2022 class will be able to redshirt their first year.
Playermaker
Milton completed 62 percent of his passes at UCF, throwing for 8,683 yards, with 72 touchdowns and 22 interceptions in 33 career games. He also had 285 rushes for 1,078 yards and 20 touchdowns.
That’s a ton of production and gives him instant credibility with a new group of players. Some FSU commits were already reacting to the news of him committing.
I understand Milton is coming off of a devastating injury, but he’s been cleared by doctors and has been doing football related activities with UCF this year.
It’s a calculated risk, but it’s a contact sport and injuries can happen at any time. Even if he’s not as fast, there’s still a difference between Milton and Jordan Travis. Travis depends on his legs to make plays, and when that’s taken away, he’s not near as effective as a player.
As you can see from the highlight, Milton can make plays with his arm. He’s more advanced as a passer, so those fearing him getting hurt while running again can take solace that he doesn’t have to run all the time.
He has a quick release and can make the throws necessary to make Mike Norvell’s offense as explosive as his Memphis day’s. We’ve seen the FSU offense when Jordan Travis was healthy. Can you imagine what it could look like with someone that can make all of the throws?
Leadership and Culture
I think Milton’s leadership could be one of his most attractive attributes. He’s the type of player the FSU program needs at this time. I mentioned how the team played better once Jordan Travis became the quarterback.
That happened because they believed Jordan Travis gave them a chance to win on Saturdays. After all, he could make plays.
The same goes for McKenzie Milton, except he has more experience and has been more productive in his college career.
He also brings competition to the quarterback room. He’ll push Jordan Travis and the two freshmen. I’m sure Jordan Travis was working hard, but it’s not the same when you’re the best player in the room.
The players on the team don’t know Milton, but he’ll have a chance to earn their trust once he arrives in Tallahassee. It doesn’t take players long to figure out if a guy can play or not. I suspect they’ll quickly find out Milton’s a player that will make this program better.
Final Thoughts
Mike Norvell was catching a lot of heat for losing Altmyer, and Brandon Jennings, with the recruiting class, ranked in the 30s.
One of his greatest attributes we mentioned was his ability to organize, and his approach in recruiting is no different.
The ability to land a player like McKenzie Milton less than two weeks after losing Altmyer is nothing to sneeze at.
Adding Milton instead of Altmyer could speed up this rebuild because he’ll give the Noles a chance to win more games in 2021.
He’ll be able to give more of a proof of concept when it comes to Mike Norvell’s offense. Those two things were not going to happen with Altmyer in the fold as a freshman.
One could say Norvell was lucky Milton was available, but the definition of luck is when preparation meets opportunity.
The same goes for Auburn firing Guz Malzahn Sunday afternoon. There are a few Auburn commits/targets that may find their way to Tallahassee now.
Things are looking up for FSU football fans, and it’s going to be an interesting offseason!