Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1400830
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 1 6 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M C am Miller is the kind of player who puts in the work. That's the quality that stands out to Cavonte Camp- bell, who trains Miller at 9 Figures Sports Academy in Jacksonville, Fla. "He calls me after workouts like every day asking me what I'm doing because he's trying to get some work in," Camp- bell said. "I'm always like, 'Dude, didn't you just get done with workouts? Go rest or something!' But it's that kind of attitude that will bring him the success he desires in the future." Miller, a 6-foot, 180-pound corner- back from Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, will be bringing his workaholic attitude to Penn State af- ter announcing on July 26 that he in- tends to sign with the Nittany Lions. The three-star prospect had offers from about 20 programs, including Miami, Central Florida, West Virginia, Rut- gers and Duke. Penn State cornerbacks coach Terry Smith spearheaded Miller's recruitment. "Miller played a lot of safety in his junior season, both one-high and two- high, and he definitely had his highlight moments," said Adam Gorney, national recruiting director for Rivals.com. "The high three-star athlete could play cor- ner or safety, does an excellent job of stepping in front of passes and luring quarterbacks to make the wrong deci- sions. "I don't think he's a super physical hitter, but he has good speed — not great — to make plays on the back end, and what he does best is read plays and then react to go get the football." Campbell said Penn State has landed a technician with great speed and ex- plosion who cares deeply about the in- tricacies of the game. "Cam's best quality on the field is his attention to detail," Campbell said. "Of course he's explosive, sudden and has great speed, but it's his attention to de- tail that will set him apart from his peers as he progresses into college." The nation's No. 45 cornerback trav- eled to Penn State twice in June, includ- ing an official visit, and he also made a stop at Virginia Tech before deciding. He joins a secondary class with the Nittany Lions that also includes safe- ties Tyrece Mills and K.J. Winston, and cornerback Jordan Allen, as well as two athletes with the potential to see action as defensive backs if needed in Mehki Flowers and Cristian Driver. Campbell said that while Miller's physical skills are impressive, some of the qualities that have elevated his game are the kind that can't be easily quanti- fied. "Cam is the special kind of player FBS schools look for because he has intan- gibles that can't be taught," Campbell said, "everything from a willingness to be coached, a professionalism about perfecting his craft and a humble at- titude toward life in general." ■ Detail-Oriented Approach Sets Florida CB Apart RYA N S N Y D E R | S N Y D E R 4 2 0 8 8 @ G M A I L . C O M Miller chose the Nittany Lions over Miami and West Virginia, among other schools. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM COMMITMENT PROFILE CAMRON MILLER The Nittany Lions got another one of their preferred targets when Cam Miller, a three-star cornerback from Florida, picked the school on July 26. The 6-foot, 180-pound athlete from the Jacksonville area may be a bit of an enigma to Penn State fans, but he's a highly athletic player with a high ceiling. STRENGTHS Athleticism: Sometimes it's as simple as finding the best athlete on the field and giving him a new home at the next level. Miller was the quarterback in a triple-option offense as a junior. He's got very good speed — reportedly somewhere in the high 4.4-second range — and great movement skills. He also has been putting on weight this offseason with the goal of reaching 190 pounds before his senior year. Closing burst: The phrase "plays faster than his time" applies well to Miller. While he's got a good speed profile, he seems so much faster on film because of his explosive closing burst. Either as a runner or a safety filling the alley, he can get to top speed quickly out of his transi- tion and get to the ball. Hip flip: There is nothing sticky about Miller's movement skills. The best part is that all of that speed and bouncy athleticism can be redi- rected in any direction, at any point. Miller has developed quite good independent movement skills for his upper and lower body as a quar- terback rolling out on play-action plays. This will allow him to turn and run with just about any receiver in man coverage as a cornerback. AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT Man coverage: Can Miller stay with a man in bump-and-run coverage and not lose position throughout the route? The physical abilities are there, but the technical ones are a ques- tion. In general, his skills at the corner position are a complete unknown, but he'll play much more man coverage going forward than he has at safety. Tackling: The one concrete thing we can see from the film is that Miller is a willing, albeit risky, tackler. He doesn't necessarily miss, but he doesn't wrap consistently. PROJECTION Boundary cornerback: Miller has great size, and could easily add another 10 to 15 pounds, making him a prototype boundary corner at 6-0, 195. With his length, movement skills and burst, he could excel in both man and zone coverage. Star cornerback: There's no reason that Miller couldn't be a solid option as a slot cor- ner. He could play boundary corner on early downs and then, in obvious passing situations, slide over to cover the slot on third down. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N