Johncarlos Miller making a splash in Texas Tech's spring session
The harsh reality of collegiate athletics is young athletes having to give up their home domains for new adventures, sometimes thousands of miles away. When Johncarlos Miller was at Elon, the distance from his native city of Greensboro, North Carolina was a 19 minute drive.
Taking the next step in his college football journey to Texas Tech has expanded that distance to 1,461 miles, just over 20 hours on the road.
When he went portalling, Miller said he was looking for a new home and a place that could develop him into a better football player and man. He seems to have found that in West Texas.
“My recruitment process, it was very new to me, because coming out of high school, I graduated in 2021 which was like the COVID year,” JC Miller offered to the media Wednesday. “Didn’t have any camps, official visits, things like that. The recruitment process was very new, hectic, that same week I hit the portal at my last college, I was preparing for finals and doing final exams while coaches were calling my phone. It was all a blessing and a very eye-opening experience.”
Miller, listed at 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, arrives at Tech with two years of eligibility left and has been turning heads since arriving on campus. With a foot injury sidelining fellow tight end transfer Jalin Conyers, Miller has seen an even healthier amount of reps throughout spring.
Miller defined his role at Elon as more of a pass-catching tight end, but noted his comfort with run blocking, which is critical in the versatile offense that is expected to be rolled out.
“I’m definitely getting more reps here, getting a chance to improve my technique here like better opportunities,” Miller said of his continued development in run blocking. “Not that many at Elon but I was definitely still a good blocker. They still ran counter, split zone things like that. I’m definitely getting more reps at like those base blocking concepts.”
Miller garnered a bevy of schools’ attention when he entered the portal, listing Florida, Oklahoma State, West Virginia and South Carolina as some notables that contacted him after his entry. What won Miller over, however, and what continues to win him over now that is in Lubbock is his growing connection with tight end coach Josh Cochran.
“He’s a great guy, but you go through the recruitment process and every coach is always nice and then you get to their school and they just push you aside,” Miller said. “Coach Cochran tells me after every conversation that he loves me and I believe it. Anything I need I know I can call him. Anything I have questions about I know he’ll have an answer, and if he doesn’t, he’ll get me to the person who does. I’m originally from North Carolina, very far from home and don’t really have any family west, coach Cochran has really helped me become comfortable in the situation and guide me.”
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On the field, Miller was a valuable piece of Elon’s offense for two seasons, garnering 52 receptions and 658 yards on his way to seven touchdowns. It’s Miller’s freakishly athletic frame and movement that have made him a hot name throughout the offseason.
Head coach Joey McGuire credited him with a touchdown in the Red Raiders’ first day of spring camp. He was named Lifter of the Week during winter workouts.
To understand Miller’s ability on the football field, looking back on one of his key games as a Phoenix would be a good start. Taking on FCS No. 5 Delaware, which was one of FCS’ top football teams a season ago, Miller put on a five reception, 101 yard clinic. As Miller continues to make the transition to Power 5 football, there was one play in particular that showcased what he can add to the Red Raiders’ revamped air attack.
“Right before half I caught like a 75-yard bomb,” Miller detailed. “Then I was like wow, this pass-catching thing is lovely. Especially running vertically, a lot of linebackers can’t keep up with me. I really haven’t had a chance to open it up, safeties either. You guys are gonna see.”
