Richland Source
North Central Ohio's Independent Local News
COLUMBUS — Aaron Eckert knew Bodpegn Miller was a special athlete, but Ontario’s football coach wasn’t sure just how special.
His answer came Tuesday morning when the ultra-athletic Miller picked up a scholarship offer from Ohio State.
“In January he had no offers. I’m looking at a kid who is pushing 6-4, is athletic as all get-out and can do anything on the football field,” Eckert said from the sidelines of a seven-on-seven passing scrimmage at OSU’s training facility early Tuesday afternoon.
“I was thinking, ‘If this kid isn’t a Division I athlete, then what does that look like?’ ”
Miller’s recruitment collected momentum in the spring. It went nuclear after a breakout performance at a one-day OSU camp late last week.
“Last Thursday we came to a camp and he had a workout with (Ohio State offensive coordinator and receivers coach) Brian Hartline before the camp started and did well,” Eckert said.
“Bodpegn doesn’t play receiver, so they coached him up on a couple of things. They said they would let us know at the end of the camp what they thought of him.”
The rangy Miller dominated in the one-one-one portion of the camp. He caught all six passes thrown his way during drills against some of the top defensive backs in attendance.
“Hartline made a beeline for him afterward and said, ‘That was the most impressive thing I’ve seen at the camp,’ ” Eckert said. “They were very honest with him and said it would be in his best interest to come back down (Tuesday) for our house seven-on-seven team.
“In the first game he had another miraculous catch, kind of falling away from it. Hartline came over and said, ‘I think you’re one of the best in the country and here’s an Ohio State offer.’ ”
That was music to Miller’s ears.
“I grew up an Ohio State fan, so this is a dream come true,” Miller told Richland Source Tuesday afternoon. “All the glory to God. I’ve been blessed.
“I’ve believed in myself and knew I could do it. I just had to show them who I am.”
Aside from his obvious physical attributes, Miller boasts a high football IQ. The dual-threat quarterback threw for 2,328 yards and 19 touchdowns last fall while completing 62 percent of his passes and rushed for 1,003 yards and 17 TDs on 132 carries.
“(Hartline) said he loved my abilities,” Miller said. “Not only that, but I have a good mind. I can pick up things.”
Ontario shared the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference championship with Shelby last fall and advanced to the second round of the Division III, Region 10 playoffs. The Warriors fell in the quarterfinals to eventual regional runner-up Tiffin Columbian.
Instead of playing basketball, Miller spent the winner months in the weight room and added 15 pounds of muscle to get up to 180 pounds.
He ran track in the spring and, despite nursing a nagging hamstring injury, qualified for the Division II state meet in the 200 meter dash and as a member of Ontario’s 4×200 and 4×400 relay teams.
Miller finished sixth in the 200 (22.60 seconds) and teamed with Aiden Fox, Jace Young and Landon Foltz to finish fifth in the 4×400. His two podium finishes did nothing to hurt his football recruitment.
“He just popped differently in track. As a tall kid and a long-strider, his first 10 yards are super-special,” Eckert said. “We didn’t really know how special until we came down to the Ohio State camp last Thursday.
“They had him hooked up to a machine that measures your 10-yard sprint, your 20-yard sprint, acceleration and miles per hour. He ran 22.97 miles per hour.
“We knew that was fast, but we didn’t know how fast. Later in the day a podcast came out from (Ohio State Rivals.com recruiting reporter) Jeremy Birmingham and he said the best they’ve ever seen was 23.17 or something like that. Bodpegn was nearly as fast as the fastest kid they’ve ever hooked up to that machine.”
Straight-line speed only tells part of the story.
“His measurables are off the charts,” Eckert said. “This morning he broad-jumped 10-5, which is two inches off his personal best. He ran anywhere between 4.40 and 4.51 in the 40 and his shuttle was 4.2. And those times were verified by Ohio State.
“Everything is there. He’s legit. He’s got the measurables and he’s picking things up at a really high pace.”
Even though he’s been offered a scholarship from one of the premier programs in the country, don’t expect Miller to boast about it. Eckert said his unassuming star is not one to pound his own chest.
“Bodpegn is one of those guys who works super-hard. He’s a grinder and doesn’t always put himself out there all the time,” Eckert said. “He’s a team guy and just goes about things the right way.
“It’s easy to pull for a kid like that.”
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