For the first time this offseason, Braxton Miller confirmed he is staying at Ohio State and will enter camp next month to compete for the starting quarterback position.
Speaking with the Columbus Dispatch from Ohio State head football coach Urban Meyer's office, Miller said what many believed he would, that he is staying put.
"I'm from Ohio; this is my home state," the two-time Big Ten Player of the Year told the newspaper. "This is where I started, and this is where I'm going to finish it."
Miller also addressed the transfer rumors that swirled around the offseason seemingly non-stop, connecting him to some of the biggest college football programs in the country. After graduating in May, Miller could have transferred without penalty, and his ability and track record would have made him practically an instant-starter.
"Schools reached out," Miller told the Dispatch. "And I kept my head where it needed to be, and I stayed smart with my situation."
After missing the entire 2014-2015 season with a shoulder injury, J.T. Barrett led the Buckeyes to a one-loss season before breaking his ankle in the regular season finale. Meyer then turned to Cardale Jones, his third-string quarterback, who won the Big Ten Championship, Sugar Bowl and the National Championship.
Now that all three are healthy, they are bound for highly competitive competition to be the week one starter.
"I know who I am as a person. I know who I am as an athlete," Miller said. "As it stands right now, I know I am the best athlete in college football. If any competition wants to come my way, I've just got to be smart about things and just stay looking forward."
"He's a great kid who is a good student who does things right," Meyer told the Dispatch. "He has always loved Ohio State. That's why when I heard this [transfer] stuff, I was like, 'Where is this stuff coming from?'"
