The Buckeyes might have a new quarterback to someday fill the shoes of Terrelle Pryor. And yes, this quarterback is even being compared to the Ohio State starter.
Braxton Miller, the top recruit in the nation according to Scout.com, has OSU on his radar as one of his top schools. The junior out of Huber Heights, Ohio, has been making waves in the recruiting world since his freshman year.
The 6-foot-2-inch quarterback has received offers from USC, Alabama, Cincinnati, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Florida, so the Buckeyes will have to hold their breath as they wait out his decision.
A press conference has been set for Thursday at noon for him to announce his decision, according to Jay Minton, Miller’s coach at Wayne High School.
Miller wouldn’t be the first of his family to become a Buckeye. Cousin Dee Miller played wide receiver for OSU back in the 90s and also spent a short period of time in the NFL.
According to Kevin Noon of BuckeyeGrove.com, it would be a big surprise if Miller doesn’t choose the Scarlet and Gray.
“I really would be shocked if he didn’t end up committing to Ohio State,” Noon said. “The Buckeyes have not made it a secret that he is their top recruit at quarterback and have not offered another player at the position to this point. People may want to talk about other schools in on him, but barring some sort of major falling out, he will be a Buckeye before it is all said and done.”
Although Miller has made major strides during his high school career, his senior year still might determine the type of player he will become.
“Players mature so much from their junior year of high school to their senior year of high school,” Noon said. “Until we get a chance to see a little bit more of Miller in action we really can’t paint him into a corner.”
Many scouts are comparing Miller’s game to that of Terrelle Pryor, which Noon considers an unfair assessment.
“It is very hard to compare the two and almost unfair to either athlete,” said Noon. “There is no way to say that Miller is anywhere near the type of scrambling athlete that Pryor is or was. Miller is definitely not going to be mistaken as a true drop back passer, but his style of dual-threat is different than what Pryor has brought to the table.”
Bringing Miller to OSU could help coach Jim Tressel to entice top wide receivers to commit based on his status as one of the top quarterbacks.
Miller has said OSU is his top school, but regardless of where he goes, he will still be one of the top players to watch come fall 2011.
