Boise State’s new linebacker could be a versatile weapon. ‘He’s got a maturity about him.’
This year has been a wild ride for Boise State linebacker Brock Miller.
He transferred from N.C. State for what was supposed to be his final year of eligibility and moved across the country to a city he’d never visited. He’s diving into a new playbook full of unfamiliar terminology, and trying to ingratiate himself to his new teammates while COVID-19 continues to alter the college football landscape.
And he somehow found time to get married.
“It’s been a crazy 2020, and it’s definitely been a learning process, coming to a new school and trying to learn the system and learn the culture,” Miller told reporters this month.
Miller committed to Boise State in January after having started 11 games for the Wolfpack in 2019. At N.C. State, he lined up as a boundary linebacker in a 3-3-5 scheme — a role he said was similar to the Broncos’ STUDs — and at weak-side linebacker in a 4-2-5 scheme.
The Port St. Lucie, Florida, native’s familiarity with different positions and formations and his experience in games against the likes of No. 1 Clemson have already stood out to his new coach.
“He’s got a maturity about him,” Boise State coach Bryan Harsin told reporters. “He’s going to come in here and work, he’s going to do his part and he’s going to build trust with coaches and players on the team.”
Miller’s ability to rally the troops reminds Harsin of another transfer from a Power Five program in quarterback Montell Cozart, who left Kansas to join the Broncos in 2017 for his final year of eligibility.
“Montell was a great addition to this team and was a great leader,” Harsin said. “He was a guy you want on your team. I wish we had Montell for four years, and I wish we had Brock for four years.”
Miller has been lining up at a lot of positions in camp. He has worked at middle and weak-side linebacker and come off the edge as a pass rusher. He has even lined up at nickel in a couple packages.
“I’m just kind of playing wherever the coaches tell me, and I’m loving it,” Miller said. “I’d love to rush the quarterback and I think I’m pretty good in coverage, so that’s definitely somewhere I can be used.”
Miller joins veteran linebacker crew
At 6-foot-4 and 234 pounds, Miller has the size to cover receivers and tight ends and help against the run. He’s joining a position group full of established veterans, and his versatility should pay dividends, especially in the era of COVID-19 where players have to be ready to fill in if a teammate tests positive and misses a game.
Miller joins seniors Riley Whimpey and Benton Wickersham and redshirt junior Ezekiel Noa, who was the Broncos’ leading tackler last fall when he was lost to an injury. Whimpey led the team last season with 83 tackles, and Wickersham ranked No. 3 with 63.
“Brock Miller has been a great addition, not just as a football player because he is very athletic, but he fits with the group and he has the right mindset,” Boise State defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding said during a media call. “That’s starting to show up on the field.”
Whimpey has helped Miller acclimate to the playbook and his new environment, even though he and Miller are competing for playing time. The gesture is not lost on Harsin.
“Riley has brought him in and done what seniors on this team should do, and that’s help him develop,” Harsin said. “Even if he’s competing at your same position, that’s what you do.”
For Whimpey, it’s simply a matter of helping the defense get better as a whole.
“(Miller) is tall and lanky, he’s able to get on and off blocks fast, he’s quick and he can get out and cover guys in the open,” Whimpey said.
A new team — and a wedding, too
A married man himself, Whimpey has also been a good resource for Miller as he navigates life off the field. The two live in the same apartment complex and have even been on a couple of double dates.
Miller’s wife, Ana, is a former college volleyball player. They got married in July in Ana’s hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, and she moved to Boise not long after.
As it has with almost every other facet of life, COVID-19 complicated planning the wedding. But whether it was condensing the guest list to ensure social distancing or following a long list of CDC guidelines, Miller said Ana took it in stride and did the heavy lifting.
“To the very last day, we were trying to get things in order,” Miller said. “My wife definitely had her hands full.”
No matter how crazy the past year has been, Miller said having a season gives him and his teammates the chance to make the most of what’s left of 2020.
“These eight games give us a chance to end the year on a better note than it started,” he said. “I’m just going to focus on these next eight games and try to finish the year strong and use the adversity we’ve all experienced to get better, not only as a football player but as a person.”
