For the first three-plus years of his career at The Ohio State University, Braxton Miller was a quarterback who some people felt could by a Heisman Trophy candidate in his senior season of 2014. However, as fate would have it, Miller has not taken another snap as an official quarterback since the summer of 2014.
Leading into what became a National Championship season in 2014, Miller suffered an injury to his throwing shoulder and a second surgery coupled with the development of J.T. Barrett and success of Cardale Jones at quarterback forced him to switch to wide receiver. Now, Miller is trying to make it in the NFL as a wide receiver.
“I love it,” Miller said of the switch at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine. “I’m just thankful to play football again, just out here playing, what I love to do. Put everything in God’s hands and that’s what I’ve been doing, just working, perfecting my craft. I want to be one of the best, period. That’s what I’ve been doing since I’ve switched my position.
“I’ve been a receiver since the day I switched. That was before camp, so that was like July. I’ve been a receiver since then.”
After losing the 2014 season because of a shoulder injury, Miller fully committed to switching from quarterback to wide receiver, and although there were some learning moments, he made an immediate impact in a win over Virginia Tech in the 2015 season opener.
Miller caught three passes and turned them into 79 yards and one touchdown, and rushed for 61 yards and a score in a 42-24 win over the Hokies. For the season, Miller gained 341 yards and scored three touchdowns on 26 catches and added another 260 yards and a score on 42 carries.
“(I’m) just making sure I’m on top of my routes with the outside routes and everything, just making sure the way I work, making sure my body is good too with maintenance and everything,” Miller said. “Whatever you do, you work at it and you perfect that craft, so anything’s capable of happening. The way I work, anything, everything’s on the good side.
“Reading defenses, how you can point out things before the play even starts, and that’s what the team’s always surprised about. I know it all from just playing quarterback. It ties into receiver a lot.”
Part of his preparation for the transition from Ohio State to the NFL, Miller accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl, where he was considered one of the most impressive players on the field because of his raw athleticism and ability.
And by going to Mobile, Alabama, Miller felt he accomplished the goal of getting recognized as a legitimate wide receiver prospect.
“That’s what I wanted to do,” Miller said. “That was my goal, just to show everybody I was capable of doing whatever any receiver in the country can do, and that’s what I wanted to do. I was going to make sure my name was in the mix of all that good talk that’s going on. I wanted to prove that, and that’s what I did.
“There’s a lot of things you’ve got to prepare yourself for going to the next level, so it’s not about who’s the fastest, who’s the strongest. It’s about perfecting that receiver position. There’s a lot of things that tie in with it. There’s a lot of things. I’ve done my homework. It’s not about athleticism, not about speed, not about strength.”
And although there are questions about his durability because of multiple injuries to his shoulder and his abilities as a wide receiver, Miller believes he could make a team very happy if they spend a first-round pick on him in the 2016 NFL Draft.
“Do I think? I know, for sure,” Miller said.
