Joe Milton wants to remind you all that he is part of the quarterback conversation, too.

Despite his true freshman and early enrollee status, Milton enters the Michigan program with plenty of confidence and swagger in order to compete for a spot against three other players. All of which are older and more experienced at the collegiate level than he is.

Don't let that fool you, however, as Milton exits spring practice feeling good about the progress he's made so far and where he stands amongst his peers.

"Before I got up here, I was like ‘man there’s going to be a lot of competition, but I’m ready for it,’" Milton said. "I talk to myself every day. If I had my Apple Watch on I would show you all, but I have this reminder: my reminder says, 'Joe you can do it, trust in the Lord. He’ll always have faith in you. He’ll always believe in you.' And I just say, 'Amen' after that. Like, before practice, after practice and I just do me. It just pops up. I programmed it. It was on my phone first, but I had just gotten my Apple Watch. I actually have two (inspirational messages). The second one says, 'Don’t worry about the clock, do what it does – keep going.' So it’s just like, gotta keep going no matter what happens, gotta fight through adversity. At this point in time, I’m still learning. I’m only 18… I’m not going to base my age on it.

"I just want to pick up my game better, and then I want to learn the whole system and get used to everything. Again, I just want to be coached right and then be put into the right situation. But I’m still going to compete, regardless of whatever. I’m going to compete no matter who it is, still going to compete."

The Wolverines scored a big victory with the NCAA granting Ole Miss transfer quarterback Shea Patterson immediate eligibility for the 2018-19 season. While many are penciling him in as the day-one starter, and rightfully so, others in the quarterback room will have a say on just how difficult the path for Patterson will be heading into fall camp. With Milton being the youngest of the quarterbacks, he believes having so much talent in one room is not only beneficial for competition but it also helps the quarterbacks bounce ideas off one another and to grow outside of Schembechler Hall.

Even though the group are competing against each other for one position, the friendship and respect is still there.

Milton even went as far as to say that the competition is still too close to call and it will be a four-way tie heading into fall camp.

"I’m going to start with the guys that had already been here. Like Brandon… Brandon, he’s big, he’ll love to compete, he’s smart, knows how to control the ball. And Dylan, he’s been here, learned the system already, very competitive, he can run a little, he can throw. I think Dylan can throw far, too. Shea got here with me, we started on the same page. Me and Shea have been going back and forth since he first got here, when I first (saw) him. But like me and Shea, we go back and forth, but it’s like a better … like we better each other, no matter what goes on, and in practice and out of practice. We’re always competing. Like on the plane ride up, we were talking about plays, like in the two-minute drills. So, I mean, it’s just to better each other."

"I think right now, after spring ball… I think it’s like a 4-way tie," Milton said. "I don’t know if anybody’s leading right now. Because like, I don’t want to hype myself up over nobody else, but I think it’s a tie right now."

Adding:

"It’s a 4-way tie. Competition’s going to be strong in the fall. So, just gotta fight for it."