DANIA BEACH, Fla. — When Joe Milton III takes the field Friday at Hard Rock Stadium, Tennessee’s quarterback will do so against a team he once gave a look as a high school player.

Milton, who’s stepping in for an injured Hendon Hooker to lead the Vols’ offense against Clemson in the Orange Bowl, is in his second season at Tennessee, but the 6-foot-5, 245-pounder started his college career at Michigan. Before signing with the Wolverines, though, Milton made a trip to Clemson in the summer of 2016.

At the time, Milton was early in the recruiting process heading into his junior season at Olympia High School in Florida. That June, he joined other blue-chip prep signal callers at one of Dabo Swinney’s summer camps, including the nation’s eventual top-ranked quarterback prospect, Trevor Lawrence.

“It was a great camp,” Milton recalled. “I felt like I had a great day at that camp, but I didn’t leave with an offer.”

Milton suggested part of the reason for that was he was getting ready to commit to another school. In fact, Milton recalled leaving the camp early to talk to coaches at another program over the phone. He didn’t specify whether or not it was the staff at Michigan that he was communicating with that day, but Milton later verbally committed to Jim Harbaugh’s program.

A younger Joe Milton III at a Clemson football camp in the summer of 2016.

Clemson was also set on Lawrence as its primary quarterback target for the 2018 recruiting cycle, so Milton said the Tigers were never a major factor in his recruitment. Lawrence committed to Dabo Swinney’s program at the end of his junior season, signed with Clemson a year later and led the Tigers to a pair of national championship game appearances in three seasons before becoming the No. 1 overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2021 NFL Draft.

“You could say that,” Milton said when asked if Clemson’s recruitment of Lawrence was the end of the program’s recruitment of him.

Milton, known for his plus arm strength, grabbed the starting job at Michigan in 2020 before having thumb surgery following that season. He earned the starting job upon his arrival at Tennessee, but another injury opened the door for Hooker just two games into the 2021 season.

Milton has largely been relegated to backup duties since, but he made his first start this season against Vanderbilt late last month.

His next one will come against a program he has history with, albeit brief.

“It’s nothing new. It’s football,” Milton said. “Just go play.”

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