What if ... McKenzie Milton plays for FSU Football like he did in 2017-18?
Over the next few weeks, Warchant's staff will examine several different "what if" scenarios heading into the 2021 Florida State football season.
These are not predictions that these events will happen, but a hypothetical analysis of how the Seminoles' season would be impacted if they did.
First up in this series is a look at the play of UCF transfer quarterback McKenzie Milton.
Before his catastrophic leg injury late in the 2018 season, Milton was one of the top quarterbacks in college football. After two years of rehabilitation and being cleared to play this spring, however, he didn't look quite the same. He wasn't as accurate with his passes, and he didn't look nearly as comfortable and confident in Mike Norvell's offense.
But what if the sixth-year senior gets back to his old form this fall -- after he's had another several months to immerse himself in Norvell's playbook and to develop his timing with the Seminoles' receivers?
Milton did, after all, seem to make great strides in his one month of spring practice. So there's a chance he could make an even bigger leap during the summer.
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That is the subject of our first, "What if?"
What if McKenzie Milton returns to the form he showed at UCF in 2017 and 2018?
Answering this question are panel members Gene Williams, founder and administrator of Warchant.com; Ira Schoffel, managing editor; Corey Clark, senior writer; and Aslan Hajivandi, director of digital media.
GENE: It’s hard to wrap my mind around the idea of Florida State having an elite quarterback leading the offense again. And make no mistake, Milton at his peak was certainly elite. Between 2017 and when he got injured in 2018, he threw for 6,700 yards, 62 touchdowns and just 15 interceptions. Milton’s offensive Pro Football Focus grade of 90.7 in 2017 was the third-highest among all FBS quarterbacks, behind just Baker Mayfield (94.6) and Will Grier (91.1).
So, obviously, having that elite signal-caller throwing passes for the Seminoles this fall would make a huge difference. However, how much that impacts the offense would still be dependent on many other factors, especially the play of the offensive line and wide receivers. If those two units can hold their own, then FSU’s scoring offense would probably jump into the top 30 nationally (up from No. 85 last season).
Now, what is the chance this “what if” actually happens? That's debatable. On the one hand, Milton has done it before. And based on what we witnessed in the spring, he appears fully healthy. However, it’s important to keep in mind that he is more than two years removed from when he played at an elite level. He’s also learning a new offense and probably doesn’t have the same talent at wide receiver – NFL players Tre'Quan Smith (2017) and Gabriel Davis (2017-18) were part of his receiving corps at UCF. And there are still significant questions surrounding FSU’s offensive line, which was a strength for the Knights in 2017-18.
Having said all that, if everything lines up and Milton is able to put FSU’s offense on his shoulders, I could see that translating to an additional touchdown or more per game. In a normal full season, when teams like N.C. State and Pittsburgh aren’t posting 40-plus points on the defense, a potent offense led by Milton should be worth another three wins, or more. Keep in mind that in 2019, FSU lost four games by a touchdown or less. An extra touchdown per game that year could have meant a 10-3 season.
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