Former Ohio State Quarterback Jack Miller Impressing Coaches, Teammates At Florida

Miller finds himself in a battle with Anthony Richardson to be the Gators’ starting signal-caller this fall.

It’s not unusual for a former Ohio State quarterback to find success after transferring from the program. Just ask Cincinnati Bengals signal-caller Joe Burrow, who lost the starting job to Dwayne Haskins, then led LSU to the national championship, won the Heisman Trophy and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Jack Miller is hoping to follow a similar path after losing a three-way battle to classmate C.J. Stroud last fall, as he transferred to Florida at the end of the regular season and now finds himself in a competition with redshirt sophomore Anthony Richardson to be the Gators’ starting quarterback.

“There’s a reason Jack’s here,” first-year head coach Billy Napier said during his press conference on Tuesday afternoon. “I think Jack comes across as a guy who has been in competition before. He’s played in games before, and he does come across like it’s not too big for him. He’s comfortable. He’s able to handle the good and the bad.

“I think he can make a mistake and be the same guy the next play, so there is some steadiness there that I appreciate. Certainly, you can see the ball comes out of his hand (well), he’s got arm talent and he’s accurate. So far, he’s picking it up pretty quick, so I think we made a good decision there and we’re glad Jack’s on our team.”

It’s not just Miller’s coaches that he’s impressing, either, as redshirt junior running back Nay’Quan Wright and fifth-year senior offensive tackle Richard Gouraige spoke highly of him during their respective media availabilities this week.

“He didn’t come in and think, ‘Oh, I was at Ohio State and this is how they ran their program,’” Wright said. “He came in and bought in. He’s a great teammate for me. He comes in and laughs. He actually takes mental reps when he’s not in, so I like that about him.”

The 6-foot-3 and 215-pound Miller has even stayed after spring practice to work on routes with fifth-year senior wide receiver Justin Shorter, who is Florida’s presumed No. 1 wide receiver.

“He’s a dog, man,” Gouraige said. “I love his work ethic. I just love what I see from Jack Miller, even though he’s a young player. He’s ready to play, as well. If he gets a shot, I know he’ll do great things.”

Richardson is certainly the favorite to win the job, as he appeared in eight games for the Gators last season and completed 38-of-64 passes for 556 yards and seven touchdowns with six interceptions. He also carried the ball 51 times for 401 yards and three touchdowns.

But Miller also brings some in-game experience to the table, completing seven of his 14 passing attempts for 101 yards in four games for the Buckeyes last season, despite being third on the depth chart behind Stroud and sophomore Kyle McCord.

“This season’s going to be very interesting,” Wright said.

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