Make no mistake about it: Braxton Miller is at wide receiver full-time.
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said as much Monday evening as the defending national champion Buckeyes wrapped on their very first practice of fall camp.
"He's full-time. He's full-time," Meyer said during his press conference. "I don't want to say I completely left it up to him, but I just want to see how he pushed and he's a full-time receiver. That position, to play it right, not just to play it, but play it right, is like any other position. In fact it might be more complicated."
Donning a jersey — Miller swapped out his traditional black, non-contact No. 5 he wore for his last four seasons for a red No. 1 — Miller went through drills and spent his entire day with the wide receivers group. He's now a full-time member of wide receivers coach Zach Smith's meeting room.
How did Miller fare at his new position, though? Well, the reviews were mixed.
The first four periods of Ohio State's practice — roughly 30 minutes — were open to the media. The team primarily just went through stretching and warm-ups, but did break off into position groups toward the end of the availability.
Miller looked crisp and quick in his movements, as expected. He seemed to have a decent set of hands though he did drop one pass that was lobbed his way. When the media was shut out, though, that's when things likely ramped up a couple notches.
When asked how Miller looked in his first day at his new position, Buckeyes quarterbacks J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones offered some of their thoughts.
“You tell me, did you see him? Fast," Barrett said in response to a reporter's question about Miller. "But we already saw that playing quarterback so now he’s out there playing receiver it’s like it’s just a different element to him that you don’t get to see playing quarterback. When he’s out there making moves, he broke a couple people off today.”
Added Jones: "He looked like this was his first time playing receiver. Of course he's going to show speed, of course he's going to show quickness and catch the ball, but there's more than that in playing receiver. Understanding the depth of routes, getting in and out of breaks and things like that."
The transition for Miller won't be easy. It's going to take some time for him to adjust to his new spot on the field and all of the responsibilities that come with the transition.
But make no mistake about it, Meyer and Co. are excited for the potential Miller brings.
"The whole thing is, get the plan and then execute the plan," Meyer said. "That involves your split, your release and that's what's different for Braxton. Before it was quarterback and the comment he made to me, quarterback you gotta worry about everyone's world. At receiver you gotta worry about your world. Nervous? No. I don't see him nervous. I see him a little bit unsure, but you turn around and get to play, which we gotta fight through that quickly."
