Barxton Miller will remain at Ohio State. (Bradley Leeb-USA TODAY Sports)
Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller appeared to confirm once and for all that he’s remaining with the Buckeyes for his final season.
Rumors sprouted like weeds during the past few month speculating that Miller might seek to leave Columbus as a graduate transfer after receiving his undergraduate degree in December.
With talented quarterbacks J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones also on the Ohio State roster, Miller was considered the one who might go elsewhere to avoid the logjam at the position.
Not so, he told The Columbus Dispatch in an interview from coach Urban Meyer’s office. The fifth-year senior, who missed last season after undergoing shoulder surgery, said he never entertained the idea of a transfer from his home-state school.
“I look on the Internet and I see things forever on my timeline — Instagram, Twitter — that had me transferring to all types of different schools and stuff like that,” Miller told The Dispatch. “It was kind of a big controversy at the time but, you know, I had to keep my head on straight.
“Schools reached out, they reached out hard, and I kept my head where it needed to be, and I stayed smart with my situation.”
Miller considers himself to be “the best athlete in college football” and expects to be ready to contend with Barrett and Jones for the starting job in fall camp starting in August.
“God put me on this Earth … to be an athlete, and the first thing in mind is being a quarterback, and just be smart about what I do,” Miller said.
Miller told The Dispatch that there’s no pain in his throwing shoulder after two surgeries and that range of motion is the last part of his rehab process.
“I’m from Ohio, this is my home state,” said Miller, a two-time Big Ten Player of the Year. “This is where I started and this is where I’m going to finish it.”
The Buckeyes are expected to open the season ranked No. 1 in the country after winning the first College Football Playoff championship in January. It remains to be seen whether Miller, Jones or Barrett will line up behind center for the opening snap against Virginia Tech on Sept. 7.
“I know who I am as a person. I know who I am as an athlete,” Miller said. “As it stands right now, I know I am the best athlete in college football. If any competition wants to come my way, I’ve just got to be smart about things and just stay looking forward.”
