Which Tennessee football receiver knows Joe Milton best? That's the Vols' real competition

Quarterback Joe Milton has a lot of best friends these days among the Tennessee football's wide receivers.

Squirrel White, despite not being able to swim, rode jet skis with Milton this summer. And he said he is the Scottie Pippen to Milton’s Michael Jordan.

Ramel Keyton went to New York City with Milton. They visited Yankee Stadium and appeared on the Times Square billboard on a trip they’ll never forget.

Returning starter Bru McCoy welcomed Milton to the lineup as his new starting quarterback. He said his relationship with Milton is “as strong as they come.”

And the newcomer, Oregon transfer Dont’e Thornton, is making up for lost time by hanging out at Milton’s apartment all summer.

With coveted spots up for grabs in a tight rotation, building a relationship with the starting quarterback matters.

“It’s been cool to see,” wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope said. “I think that’s always a good thing, when wide receivers and quarterbacks are clicked up like that.”

Since his MVP performance in the Orange Bowl, it’s been evident that Milton would be the starter this season. And in the past eight months, it seems UT’s best receivers have taken turns touting a friendship with Milton.

If there’s a competition for the quarterback’s attention, consider it friendly. But the common denominator is Milton’s eagerness to connect with each wideout in a unique way.

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Why Milton chose Keyton as Big Apple buddy

Before the 2022 season, quarterback Hendon Hooker and wide receiver Cedric Tillman went to New York City to meet with various brands for networking and educational purposes. Expenses were paid by Spyre Sports Group, the collective that pays many UT athletes for their name, image and likeness.

They were obvious choices. Hooker was a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate, and Tillman was an All-SEC performer.

This summer, Milton took the same New York City trip and chose Keyton as his travel partner. They had toiled together as backups before getting their chance to start.

After replacing an injured Hooker, Milton earned the Orange Bowl MVP. And he’s gotten some NFL Draft buzz. That made him an obvious choice for the trip.

Keyton moved into the starting lineup because of a Tillman injury. Keyton had his best season, but he hasn’t drawn preseason hype like Milton. So he was a less obvious choice to appear on the iconic Times Square billboard or ring the Nasdaq bell, which were features of the trip.

It appeared that Milton wanted to share the spotlight with a teammate who’d taken the same long path to the starting lineup.

But ask Milton about bringing Keyton along with him, and he responds with humility and points out that Keyton started before he did last season.

“I thought Ramel went crazy last year,” Milton said. “I thought he was already out there (as a starter).”

How Milton and White became a comedy team

White said he knew he had arrived as a legitimate college football receiver when he caught a 50-yard pass from Milton in the Orange Bowl.

Despite catching six passes of at least 40 yards, which led FBS freshmen, that moment stood out among the rest for White. And he shared it with Milton.

This summer, teammates said Milton and White became a comedy duo in the locker room. And their cut-up chemistry is evident at practice.

White was very shy during press conferences as a freshman. But coaches credited Milton with bringing White out of his shell. They spent the offseason playing video games, jet skiing and serving as class clowns of the offense.

They have the largest age gap among the top four wide receivers. Milton is a 23-year-old sixth-year senior. White is a 19-year-old sophomore.

But their bond traces back to White’s first spring practice as an early enrollee in 2022. His talent quickly pushed him to the second team, where Milton was looking for a speedy receiver to catch up to his deep passes.

“I believe Joe can throw it 100 yards,” White said. “He always says to keep running, so that’s what I do.”

Chemistry between Milton and McCoy is critical

Remember the famous clip of Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens tearfully defending Tony Romo?

“That's my quarterback,” Owens said.

It’s similar to how McCoy describes his relationship with Milton, minus the tears.

“He’s my friend, my quarterback and someone who knows I have his back and vice versa,” McCoy said. “(Our relationship) is as strong as they come. I love the dude, and I’m excited to go play with him.”

The chemistry between Milton and McCoy may be the most critical to the Vols’ success in the passing game.

McCoy is UT’s top returning receiver. Last season, he had 52 catches for 667 yards, second only to Jalin Hyatt, the Biletnikoff Award winner as college football’s best pass catcher.

But unlike Keyton and White, McCoy has spent most of his time at UT catching passes from Hooker.

McCoy caught Milton’s first touchdown pass in the Orange Bowl. But McCoy missed spring practice due to a shoulder injury, so their on-field rapport isn’t as polished.

“It’s absolutely an advantage when (Keyton and White) have had almost two years of working together (with Milton),” offensive coordinator Joey Halzle said. “I don’t think it’s overblown. But it’s not to say (Milton) won’t have great chemistry with Bru.

“(Game reps are) a very helpful thing. But it’s just not the end-all be-all.”

Milton has worked tirelessly at his accuracy on intermediate passes. And he knows McCoy could be a valuable target as a sure-handed physical receiver who can make difficult catches in traffic.

Just watch the final offensive play of the Alabama game, when McCoy leaped and snagged a Hooker pass to set up the game-winning field goal.

“I know (McCoy) is going to get open,” Milton said, “just because of how dominant he is and how aggressive he runs.”

Milton tutored Thornton for big-play connection

Thornton enrolled in January, and Milton immediately saw his value.

At Oregon, Thornton was a big-play threat who averaged 21.5 yards per catch. He is 6-foot-5 and touts a top speed comparable to UT’s fastest players.

Milton has overthrown his fair share of deep passes. But that’s difficult when Thornton is the target.

“It’s actually crazy how fast he can run,” Milton said. “And he’s got long arms, so jump balls are necessary.”

Thornton said some concepts of UT’s offense confused him early in spring practice. So Milton told him to call or visit his apartment at any hour to ask questions.

“From the moment I got here, me and Joe have been clicking and getting together,” Thornton said. “I’d definitely say we have a great relationship.”

Great relationship? Sure.

But does he have the best relationship with Milton among the receivers? Well, that’s quite a competition.

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's Joe Milton created bonds with Times Square billboard