Hello: Jack Miller

GURU RATINGS

Naturally, none of the gurus have Miller ranked at the position he's going to play in college - offensive line. As recently as last summer, he was a 6-4, 230lb tight end (that also seems to be when his father passed away, for which we offer our condolences). Notre Dame looked at him as a 3-4 DE, and he seems to be very versatile:

After transferring from St. Edward's High School in Lakewood, Ohio, where he started at defensive end his sophomore season, the 6-foot-4, 270-pounder started at both defensive end and offensive right tackle during his junior season at St. John's High School.

"Cincinnati offered me to play defensive end. Illinois, North Carolina and Pitt offered me to play center or guard. Northwestern and Boston College want me to play defensive tackle," said Miller. "I'd say I have about 17 or 18 offers."

When he talked to TomVH, he confirmed that Michigan wants him on OL, and divulged his measureables:

TOM: Where does Michigan see you fitting in?

JACK: They'r recruiting me for offensive guard, or center. I'm comfortable on the offensive side, and I really like the idea of playing offensive line for them.

TOM: Oh, wow. What is your height and weight right now, then? I think there's some varying numbers out there.

JACK: Yeah, I'm at 6-foot-4, and I weigh 270-pounds right now.

There's precious little about his actual game available, so here's ESPN's breakdown:

Offensive tackle is an option, but he seems like a better fit on defense. While he is solid at the end position it is hard to believe that he will not grow into a defensive tackle. He already is a fairly big kid and displays the frame to pack on more good size and will likely grow into a fulltime interior player sooner then later.

Most of the talk is about his defensive abilities (fairly polished, a number of pass-rush moves, but limited top-end speed), but we'll skip to the offensive part:

Offense is an option. He is a physical run blocker who gets hands on, but needs to watch his pad level. Miller is a good sized and physical kid who offers some versatility. He needs to keep developing aspects of his game, but we feel he should settle in well as a defensive lineman.

So I guess they really don't like him on the offensive line, though they only looked at him as a tackle, not a guard.

He evaluated his game (defensively only) in a free Scout article (H/T: UMGoBlog):

“Defensively, I bring a lot to the table,” Miller told Scout.com. “My technique is really what helps me. I can rush the pass real well, and I can stop the run. I’m a bigger, heavier defensive end which helps stopping the run. I can apply a lot of pressure to the quarterback.”

He also decided to quit basketball in order to focus on football.

OFFERS

His first offer didn't come until, February from Ball State (that's also when he visited Ann Arbor for Michigan's first Junior Day of the year). By the time he committed to Michigan, however, he had racked up enough offers to prove that he's no MAC-level prospect. Boston College was his other finalist, and he also turned down offers from most of the Big East, and Michigan's Big Ten brethren Illinois, Michigan State, and Northwestern, along with Stanford.

STATS

Aside from his self-reported 12 sacks, I couldn't find any junior stats on Miller. A common name mixed with a non-glamour position makes him tough to research.

FAKE 40 TIME

Rivals lists his 40 time at 4.78 seconds, which is pretty FAKE, especially if he's truly at 270 pounds. I'll give it four FAKEs out of five.

VIDEO

Ohio prospect = Scouting Ohio Video reel. I wish they'd improve their site design, though.

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

Since other schools seemed to be primarily recruiting him for defense, it's obvious that Miller has yet to specialize on the offensive side of the ball. That means, on top of the obligatory redshirt year for offensive linemen, it'll probably take him a little longer to settle in.

If he can focus on his work in the weightroom in the years that he doesn't see the field, he could develop into a very solid offensive lineman at the next level. By his redshirt junior year, the potential is there for him to become a regular contributor at guard or center, though I don't think he'll ever really challenge for top all-conference honors. He has the potential to be a solid, though never spectacular, Big Ten lineman.

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

Yay! Michigan finally landed an offensive lineman in a class that has a dire need for them! Miller should be just the first of four or five OL in this class. A couple more inside guys, and a couple outside guys are all likely to end up in the class.

At this time, Anthony Zettel and Tony Posada are looking like the most likely options that are already holding offers, but there are several other realistic prospects for the Wolverines. There's still a long way to signing day, so we'll have to wait and see how it all shakes out.

ETC

Michigan is clearly pursuing a tight end in the class of 2011, with a number of offers out. Miller told Tom that he just so happens to be good friends with one of the Wolverines' top targets at the position, OH TE Ray Hamilton. Could Miller help bring his buddy into the fold?