Indiana Taps Into Ohio For Another Football Commitment, Getting Tight End Ryan Miller

Ryan Miller is from Kenston High School in far northeast Ohio, and he's a 6-foot-6 tight end who can also play in the slot. He's got great route-running ability and will benefit from time in Indiana's weight room.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana has been the frontrunner for Ohio tight end Ryan Miller for a while now, but the big-time offers kept coming his way. Still, when it came time to pull the trigger, the smooth 6-foot-6 standout stuck with the Hoosiers.

Miller committed to the Hoosiers Wednesday, and announced his decision on Twitter. He had nearly two dozens other offers, most notably from Auburn, Tennessee, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Cincinnati and West Virginia, where he had just taken an official visit last week.

"First off I would like to thank God for blessing me with such an amazing opportunity to continue my athletic and academic career at the next level. Next, I would like to thank my wonderful parents for always supporting me throughout this process as well as making all the sacrifices they have made for me. I would also like to thank all my coaches and teammates for pushing me to be my best, and helping me reach this accomplishment.

"Lastly, I would like to thank all the schools that have recruited me throughout my high school career. With that being said, I am extremely excited to announce my commitment to Indiana University. #LEO #HOOSIERS

Miller has been impressed with all the good things that have been happening at Indiana during the Tom Allen era. He loved the idea of playing for Allen, the national coach of the year in 2020, and throughout the entire recruiting process, he always came back to that.

"That has a lot to do with it, especially after last year," Miller said. "All the big wins and even a close one against Ohio State. Coach Allen is an amazing coach and person. I can't wait to play for him.

"Indiana's been in the lead for a while, I took a West Virginia visit last week and it made me think a little, but it came down to Indiana. When I went to Indiana for my official visit, it just felt like home there."

Miller is a multi-sport athlete who won a 2018 Division III state football championship at Kenston High School, in the far northeast corner of Ohio, and he's an outstanding baseball player, too. He's tall and rangy as a receiver, with good speed, and can be used in many roles.

"I can split out, line up at wing or on the line. They do everything with their tight ends at Indiana," Miller told the Willoughby (Ohio) News-Herald. "I definitely excel at being out in space with my route-running. I'm good with blocking, and once they put me on their weight training there, the blocking will get even better."

Miller is listed as a three-star recruit in the 247Sports composite ranking, and is ranked as the No. 34 tight end in the country. 

He is the eighth player to commit to Indiana this season, and the third from Ohio, joining Hoover, Ohio linebacker Isaiah Jones and Powell, Ohio offensive lineman Carter Smith. 

Related stories on Indiana recruiting

  • CARTER SMITH: Ohio offensive tackle Carter Smith is the seventh commitment in Indiana's 2022 recruiting class. CLICK HERE
  • JOSH HOOVER: Indiana got its first offensive commitment in the class of 2022 on Tuesday night when Rockwall-Heath (Texas) quarterback Joshn Hoover committed to the Hoosiers. CLICK HERE
  • ISAIAH JONES: Linebacker Isaiah Jones of London, Ohio committed to Indiana on Sunday. Jones is 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, and received substantial interest from Minnesota, Cincinnati, Duke, Wake Forest and several MAC schools. CLICK HERE
  • TREVELL MULLEN: Four-star Florida cornerback Trevell Mullen, the younger brother of Indiana All-American cornerback Tiawan Mullen, committed to Indiana on Sunday after his official visit to Bloomington. CLICK HERE
  • DASAN McCULLOUGH: Four-star athlete Dasan McCullough, one of the top players in the Class of 2022, has de-committed from Ohio State and will join Indiana instead. His father is Indiana running backs coach Deland McCullough. CLICK HERE
  • KAIDEN TURNER: Arkansas linebacker Kaiden Turner loves what Indiana's linebackers do, and he's thrilled to commit to the Hoosiers and join that outastanding group. CLICK HERE
  • RICHARD THOMAS: South Florida defensive end Richard Thomas has committed to Indiana, keeping the Florida-to-Bloomington pipeline alive for Tom Allen and his Hoosiers. CLICK HERE
  • INDIANA SCHEDULE: Here is the complete Indiana football schedule for the 2021 season. CLICK HERE

Published
Tom Brew
TOM BREW

Tom Brew is an award-winning journalist who has worked at some of America's finest newspapers as a reporter and editor, including the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times, the Indianapolis Star and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered college sports in the digital platform for the past six years, including the last five years as publisher of HoosiersNow on the FanNation/Sports Illustrated network.