Michigan football QB Joe Milton is primed to start. Here's how he's improved in offseason

Joe Milton has always had a reputation for throwing hard.

But in recent months, the Michigan football quarterback has been making things easier for his receivers.

“Everyone’s got all five fingers, so there’s no fingers getting jammed out there and no one losing anything," joked offensive coordinator Josh Gattis.

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Milton's added touch has been part of his development — and one of the main reasons why the redshirt sophomore appears to be on the cusp of earning the starting job.

"His accuracy has been exceptional and that was one of the things we have talked about as far as taking RPMs off, knowing how to give a catchable ball," Gattis said to reporters on Wednesday. "Accuracy as far as ball placement was never an issue. Sometimes the issue had been in the past was whether or not those receivers could catch it that fast. He’s done a really good job in improving in that, but still maintaining his power in his arm."

Milton has received praise from teammates and coaches throughout the offseason. Gattis became the latest to compliment the strong-armed quarterback.

“If you said who’s probably one of the most improved players on the team, obviously I would like to throw Joe in that mix," Gattis said. "I don’t want to just say that from physical standpoint, because when we’re talking about improvement, improvement comes from a number of different ways. Leadership, physically and then being able to learn the offense — and Joe’s been exceptional.

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"Joe’s got special talent. He’s a quarterback that’s blessed with a tremendous skill set. Obviously with an arm and accuracy. He has every throw in the bag plus the extra club that you don’t need to carry all the time."

Milton, a former four-star prospect who signed with Michigan in 2018, is now the most experienced quarterback on the roster after Dylan McCaffrey opted out and transferred last week following the Big Ten's reinstatement.

Even then, Milton hasn't gotten much of an opportunity, playing sparingly as a backup through his first two seasons. He has completed just 6 of 11 passes for 117 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while tallying 12 carries for 47 yards and two scores.

In practice, though, Milton has always provided the Wolverines with plenty of fireworks. And that has continued this offseason.

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"Every day out there, he makes some type of 'wow' play," Gattis said. "Those 'wow' plays are not just 'wow' plays in college football, they’d be 'wow' plays on Sundays. He’s blessed with tremendous talent, with arm strength, he’s very athletic as a quarterback who can move in the pocket.

"I think that’s the biggest growth that he’s shown is his pocket presence. As a bigger guy that stands 6-foot-5, he can see over top of things and he can stand in the pocket and really deliver throws on time."

Milton spent some of the offseason working out with private quarterback coaches, including local coach Donovan Dooley and former U-M quarterback Devin Gardner. Gattis said he has noticed that work carry over into Michigan's practices and workouts, where Milton has exhibited an "increased focus" on footwork and various fundamentals.

Gattis has also noticed Milton improve his understanding of the offense and ability to read defenses, from understanding coverages to dictating pass protections.

And, of course, Milton's signature arm strength is still ever present.

"I think so far, he’s thrown three balls right at 70 yards out there," Gattis said. "When you see a ball travel like that, travel 70 yards, it’s very hard to track a ball that long, and he put pinpoint accuracy on each one of the throws. I’ve gotten to the point now where I tell the receivers, ‘Don’t stop running.’ "

Contact Orion Sang at osang@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @orion_sang. Read more on the Michigan Wolverines and sign up for our Wolverines newsletter. The Free Press has started a new digital subscription model. Here's how you can gain access to our most exclusive Michigan Wolverines content.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football OC Josh Gattis: QB Joe Milton has 'been exceptional'