CHICAGO — Braxton Miller is headed to Houston.
The two-time Big Ten Player of the Year and quarterback turned wide receiver was drafted 85th overall by the Houston Texans Friday in the 2016 NFL Draft. He is set to join DeAndre Hopkins and Notre Dame's Will Fuller—who the Texans took in the first round—for new quarterback Brock Osweiler in Bill O'Brien's offense.
Miller didn't publicly announce his intentions to switch positions until last July, but wowed at the Senior Bowl practices and NFL Combine with the rare combination of athleticism and speed that helped him terrorize defenses for three years as a quarterback.
A pair of shoulder surgeries forced Miller to re-evaluate his future in football and though his final season at Ohio State provided some brilliant highlights at his new position, the former quarterback at times felt forced into the offense. He finished his final collegiate season with 26 catches for 341 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed for 260 yards and one electrifying touchdown that served as SportsCenter fodder for the next week.
Miller remains a work in progress at wide receiver, but his physical talents are hard to overlook as evident by what he did in his Ohio State career and elsewhere. His seven major Big Ten awards are more than any other player in league history.
Miller is the second Ohio State wide receiver taken in this year's draft, after the New Orleans Saints took Michael Thomas 47th overall. He joins former teammate John Simon on the roster in Houston.
Ohio State fans will miss his magic.
