Updated MAY 19, 2015 4:35p ET Gene Smith reiterated his belief Braxton Miller will be in scarlet and gray this fall when the Buckeyes begin defense of their national championship. “I am pretty confident,” the Ohio State director of athletics told reporters in Rosemont, Ill,, during a break in Big Ten athletics director meetings (via BTN.com) Tuesday. “Any kid could flip. In my conversation, which was well before spring ball started and he was rehabbing, he was committed to coming back. He was taking courses and coming back. I don’t have any reason to believe he won’t be back.” Miller is a two-time Big Ten MVP who was expected to be a Heisman Trophy contender last season until a shoulder injury ended his season in August. After taking a medical redshirt, the quarterback has one year of eligibility left and can use that at another school (with some restrictions) because he has completed his undergraduate work at Ohio State. Smith also expressed some concern over that rule, calling it “flawed” because it regularly has been used in situations outside of its original intent, which was to provide players with another option if their school does not offer a specific graduate program. Aside from that, he said many of the transfers do not end up completing their grad school work, which presents another concern. “Let’s quit the facade and say they have one more year of athletic eligibility,” he said. “How do we facilitate that and not damage a graduate program? I don’t know the answer to that.” Smith initially told ElevenWarriors.com he had no reason to believe Miller would transfer. (H/T BTN.com)
Continue Reading: OSU AD still expects Miller to stick with Ohio State for final season
