Ontario's Bodpegn Miller seeing recruiting skyrocket, gets visit from Ohio State Buckeyes

ONTARIO — Nearly five months ago, Ontario junior quarterback Bodpegn Miller's life changed forever.

And it has been a whirlwind every since. It was at a Prep Redzone Ohio showcase where he was tested for the first time and put up some insane numbers. He ran the shuttle in 4.37 second, the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds and broad jumped 10-feet-7-inches.

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It was soon after many college football coaches around the country started calling. Then, at the Best of the Midwest Combine, Miller ran a 4.40 in the 40 and that was when the scholarship offers started rolling in.

So, far, Miller has taken visits and/or received offers from schools ranging from Division II to Division I in the Big Ten, Big 12, Ivy League, Mid-America Conference and Athletic Coach Conference.

Schools on that list include: Youngstown State, Ohio University, Rutgers, University of Toldeo, Western Michigan, Colorado State, Harvard, Ashland University, Kent State University, University of Penn, Yale, Cornell, Miami (OH) University, Old Dominion University, Iowa State, Columbia University, Howard University, Northwestern University, Boston College and The Ohio State University. He has not be offered by OSU ... yet. And there are plenty more schools that will follow suit.

"It feels awesome," Miller said. "As a kid, I grew up a Buckeye fan and I always wanted to play Division I big-time football and the simple fact that I get that chance and see coaching coming out to see me makes it feel like all of my hard work is paying off. I just have to continue to prove myself."

On Wednesday morning, Ohio State University safeties coach, Matt Guerrieri, paid a visit to Ontario High School to get some tape of Miller going through several drills. And while a formal offer did not follow, Miller walked away happy knowing he was on the Buckeyes' radar.

Over the last five months, Miller has been receiving mail at home and at school, fielding calls from coaches all across the country and trying to keep track of it all is getting to be a full-time job.

"It exploded," Miller said. "I doubted myself at times and kept asking myself if all of that work I was putting in was worth it. It feels amazing and I appreciate every single offer that comes in. I take every single one of them seriously. The fact that they see something in me makes me just want to work that much harder."

But all of that attention kind of puts Miller in a world he never expected nor knew despite earning second team All-Ohio, first team All-Northwest District and Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors as a quarterback in 2023 when he threw for 2,328 yards on 156-of-252 completions with 19 touchdowns while also running for 1,003 yards on 132 attempts and 17 TDs leading the Warriors to their first league championship since 2004.

"I am the type that doesn't thrive off of attention so it is kind of uncomfortable to me," Miller said. "Every time I get mail or someone praises me, I don't really know how to handle it. It feels great inside and that is where it will stay because my dad is always telling me to stay humble. Instead of talking about it, let my actions do the talking and that is how I will approach everything that the future has to offer."

It is a mature way to handle all of the attention he has received in recent months where it seems like a new scholarship offer rolls in on a daily basis and weekends are spent visiting schools all over the country.

And most see Miller as an athlete rather than a straight up quarterback despite the 6-foot-4, 180-pound junior already owning nearly every single-season and career passing record at Ontario. Some coaches see him as a wide receiver, others as a cornerback and even a safety.

Which is perfectly fine with Miller.

"I honestly will play anywhere and everywhere as long as I am on the field," Miller said. "If a coach believes in me enough to play me at a certain position, I am going to embrace that. They have my best interest in mind and believe that is where my ceiling is the highest and if it will make me help the team the most, I trust that. I am fine with changing positions. It will take a lot of hard work and dedication to learn a new position."

No matter how much attention comes his way, Miller is singularly focused on helping the Warriors compete to the best of their ability in the 2024 season. With track season winding down, Miller is on the cusp of breaking the 400-meter dash record once his hamstring gets back to 100%, he will likely start hitting up some 7-on-7 camps over the summer months where he may try his hand at receiver a few times just to get some of that on his tape.

All the while, he will continue to stay humble.

"It is easy for heads to get big and to develop a mind set that you don't need to work hard any more because you have those offers," Miller said. "But that won't be me. I am going to stay humble and continue to try and separate myself because at the next level, everyone is really good."

And soon, Miller will be in that category.

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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Ontario quarterback Bodpegn Miller gets visit from Ohio State Buckeyes