Georgia Tech Football: Five Breakout Players - CB Chris Milton

Previous Roles

Chris Milton joined the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in 2011 as a highly ranked athlete out of Charlton County High School. He was the 29th ranked athlete in the nation and the 32nd ranked player in the state of Georgia. He chose Tech over offers from Louisville, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wake Forest, and many others. In high school, Milton played quarterback, running back, returner, punter, safety, and cornerback. It's safe to say he could have ended up just about anywhere in terms of positioning in college, but defensive back was the end choice, and it's proved to be a good one so far. After redshirting his first year, Milton has appeared in every single game since 2012. He made his biggest impact on special teams in his first two seasons with an interception returned for a touchdown against Elon in 2013 being his highlight on defense. Milton made six starts at safety in 2013, but he switched to cornerback in 2014 and started all 14 games there alongside D.J. White. While Milton had some lapses in coverage at times because of inexperience at the position, he steadily got better throughout the season, and his fantastic athleticism made up for it with some impressive plays. Milton had a very memorable pick-six against Clemson, and an awesome game against Mississippi State in the Orange Bowl to end his season on a very positive note.

New Roles

In Milton's second season as a starting cornerback, many are expecting him to continue his improved level of play to be an elite corner in 2015. His athleticism is easily his best attribute, and it's something unteachable at this level. He can do just about anything you can ask for on the football field, and once he continues to learn footwork and tendencies, there's nothing holding Milton back from being a top-tier cornerback in the NCAA. He has the ability to make big plays at any time, and if Milton can be more consistent in man coverage, it will make the Georgia Tech defense that much better. With another fantastic corner on the other side of the field, Milton could help create a duo on the outsides that most teams don't have the benefit of having. Another factor that is fun to think about is Ted Roof having the luxury of some lockdown coverage in the secondary. Roof loves to get aggressive and bring the house as often as possible, and he'll be much more comfortable doing that knowing he can depend on his two corners. As Milton improved throughout the season, you saw Roof bring the pressure more often. Unlike the typical breakout player, Chris Milton is already established as a starter on the Georgia Tech roster, but he has a good opportunity to be a much more familiar name to people in 2015.