Braxton Miller: Move to WR is a win for everyone involved

Nov 30, 2013; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Braxton Miller (5) runs the ball for a touchdown in the second quarter against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

I could have sworn that the next time I would write about Ohio State’s Braxton Miller, it would be to talk about his time as a member of the Buckeyes in the past tense.

Not only was I wrong, but Miller made one of the most impactful position switch decisions in all of college football this year (I don’t know if there’s an official category for that yet…), and it could be a win for everyone involved…especially Miller.

We’ve already examined the breaking news aspect of this decision, but let’s take a closer look at what this transition to receiver means for Miller, for Ohio State’s title chances, and for his NFL prospects…

How the switch benefits Miller

Braxton Miller, no matter what position he’s playing, is one of the fastest players on the field. If you didn’t already know that, let’s have a quick reminder…

Miller’s ability in space, his speed in a straight line, and his quick feet are going to provide the perfect canvas for a wide receiver coach to work with. We all knew he was a great athlete, so playing the quarterback position was a natural fit because of course, you want the best athlete on the field to have the ball in his hands as much as possible.

For Miller, the added benefit to his skill set is having a rocket arm, but we’ll be seeing less of that and more of the rest.

Ohio State lost it’s top deep threat in Devin Smith to the NFL last season. As wild as it’s going to be, we’ll get the opportunity to see J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones (is there any doubt that both are going to throw passes for the Buckeyes this season?) throwing bombs to Braxton Miller.

We’ll still be able to see Miller in the backfield some this season, but it’s going to be a treat watching him line up at receiver as well as punt returner, which he said in the report on SI.com that he will be doing.

Miller’s going to highlight himself as a major asset in the Ohio State offense, and he’s going to do it without having to be the guy controlling everything in the huddle. He’ll be able to freely do what he does best, which is make plays with the ball in his hands.

Next: Benefits to Ohio State