It didn't take long for Ohio State coach Urban Meyer's initial suggestion that Braxton Miller's move to wide receiver didn't necessarily preclude him from continued action at quarterback to lose its teeth.
Meyer declared the star senior a "full-time wide receiver" on the Buckeyes' first day of fall practice Monday, according to Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch. That was evident enough from this photo by Bill Bender of The Sporting News, which shows Miller wearing a red practice jersey, while quarterbacks Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett wore black:
Miller, a two-time Big Ten Player of the Year as a quarterback from 2012-2013, is moving to the Buckeyes' H-back role, which could make him not only a threat as a receiver but as a rusher as well. Former Florida Gators star Percy Harvin played in the H-back role in Meyer's offense at UF, and had more rushes than receptions in his Florida career. Miller's move to wide receiver could also help the Buckeyes overcome the loss of Devin Smith, who was chosen by the New York Jets at No. 37 overall in the second round of this year's NFL draft.
Meyer reiterated Monday that he doesn't plan to announce a starting quarterback between Jones and Barrett before the Buckeyes open the season against Virginia Tech on Sept. 7.
The Buckeyes coach had a nearly impossible quarterback quandary in the offseason when Miller was still in the mix. But Miller's removal from the quarterback battle doesn't make the Jones-or-Barrett decision an easy one.
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