NFL Draft: 3 college football prospects to watch Thursday night
McKenzie Milton
The quarterback of the “National Champion” UCF Knights McKenzie Milton made a name for himself last year in UCF’s undefeated season. The American Conference Offensive Player of the Year started 13 games as a sophomore throwing 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions with a 179.3 QBR. After finishing in the top-10 of the Heisman race last year, could he be a favorite in 2018?
Thursday night he opens the season against conference opponent UConn, who won just three games last year. They lost defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi to the New York Jets in the sixth round this year and start and have a lot of youth on defense this year.
When turning on Milton’s tape from last year there’s a lot to like as he enters his junior year. Early against South Florida, he runs through his progressions quickly and completes a check down to his running back that goes for eight yards.
Milton has a very quick release, but his throwing motion is funky, coming out almost at a 3/4 angle slot. Being 5’11 won’t help as he faces bigger opponents down the road.
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His athleticism is often on display, and he can scramble outside the pocket to make plays on his own. UCF ran a lot of options where he could pitch the ball at the last second, which he often did for big gains. These plays highlighted his awareness and intellect in the middle of chaos.
Milton wasn’t seen climbing the pocket often, and he attempts a lot of throws off balance. His feet and hips aren’t square to the sideline, leading to some miscues down the field. A lot of his throws are inside the hashes on high-efficiency plays, leading to his 67.1% completion rate.
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I expect a very good season from Milton, and he put a lot on tape last year for NFL Draft evaluators to dive into. If he can clean up his footwork and maybe adjust his throwing motion, there’s a lot to like for beyond the college football level and going into the NFL Draft.