Ferentz on Miller

I always find the last recruit interesting. Mike Elgin, Brandon Myers, Mike Elgin are a few that jump to mind. They don't always work and usually there is some projection involved, but imagine the satisfaction, for coaches and player, when it does.

Tanner Miller is the last man in this year, to coin a phrase. He's a 6-2, 195-pound safety prospect from Mid-Prairie. He is a terrific athlete, with 4,100 career rushing yards, all-conference credentials in hoops and a Class 2A 400-meter hurdles title.

When I talked to him, I didn't have to bring up the names of last recruits. He knew them all. He knows this comes with something to prove and I think Iowa found the perfect guy in that regard. Miller is ready to dig in.

Links -- Here's a story from the hometown Kalona News. . . . Here's some signing day video from KCRG.com. . . . Here's the story I wrote when Miller committed just a few days before national signing day. . . . Here's a Miller feature from during the season from the Kalona News.

Bio -- From UI sports info: High school honors - - Earned first team all-state honors as a junior and senior . . . named first team all-district as a sophomore and was District Most Valuable Player as a junior and senior . . . Career - - earned four varsity letters as defensive back and running back . . . helped prep team post 19-5 record in final two seasons, reaching state quarter-finals as a junior before falling in first round as a senior . . . team captain as a senior . . . holds school records for rushing yards in a season (2,050) and career (4,100) and touchdowns in a game (six) and a season (32 as a junior) . . . also earned four letters in track as sprinter and hurdler and three letters in basketball . . . won state title in 400-meter hurdles as a junior.

Personal - - Born 12/15/91 . . . Exercise Science major . . . member of prep Honor Roll with 3.56 GPA . . . earned academic all-State recognition and was two-year member of National Honor Society . . . parents are Raelyn and Brian Miller . . . high school coach was Pete Cavanaugh.

Ferentz on -- On the late offer to Miller: "You read my notes on that. You've got Myers, Elgin and Reisner in the same category. So we're hoping Adam was similar. We hope we end up with the same thing.

"Tanner got on our radar a little bit late. We had him this past weekend. Phil Parker was impressed with him. Really liked their meeting. I think they had a good, nice extensive meeting.

"And we just kind of feel like he fits the profile of what we're looking for in the back end. We've had a lot of success at the safety position. And I think he's got a lot of similar attributes.

"And if he can pan out to be as good as the guys that we've had, they're similar to that, start with Greenwood. Sash was more highly recruited. Greenwood and Pagel. Paschal, we beat Hofstra to get him. Miguel, it wasn't a shootout, one of those deals. But they played really well for us back there. And Myers is still playing. So we're hoping it's the same kind of story."

On what happened to open up a scholarship for Miller (totally cryptic, no clarity): "Part of that we talked about some of the transition that we've had with the juniors leaving. And, you know, so we just found a little room and it worked out to be a good thing."

See.

On whether an incoming safety could break into the lineup next year: "I think it's possible because we don't have a lot of depth right now. We feel great about our experience at both starting positions and they won't be out there again this spring. They both had offseason surgery. Like they did a year ago.

"So when you guys come out to the scrimmage, April 17th, it's going to be the same old thing. Geez, don't look very good. Hopefully we'll look better when fall rolls around. But I think it's very possible. We're going to need some guys to get involved in the two deep, and we'll see what kind of competition we have this spring.

"The guys that are healthy are going to have a great opportunity to get some quality work and show what they can do. And then we'll see what the young guys can do when they get here. But that is something that we're hoping maybe we can get a little bit of help there."

Safeties Tyler Sash and Brett Greenwood had shoulder surgeries last month and are out for spring practice.

Projection is fun -- Iowa is bringing Miller in as a free safety. I think that could be a really great fit. He's big, strong and fast. Could be in the mold of a Derek Pagel, a bigger safety who ended up in the NFL draft after walking on at Iowa.

Anyone remember Dustin Avey, a former Iowa State safety who was a member of the Cyclones team that broke through in Iowa City in 1998? Avey was a fantastic 400 hurdles athlete in high school and ended up being a standout safety at ISU. I bring this up for those wondering how 400 hurdles might translate to football.

Miller could end up redshirting. Should be some good competition between Miller, Hitchens and Don Shumpert for possibly playing next year. I think one will. At least one.

I think this is a Scott Dochterman interview from Prime Time League hoops. Might be wrong on that, though.

I'm thinking Miller is in this somewhere. Kind of cool. I'm more and more amazed at the amount of strength and conditioning operations available to kids these days.