By BRANDON HURLEY
Sports Editor
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Tyler Miller’s trust felt at home with the program he came to know best.
Greene County’s highly-regarded offensive tackle won’t have to travel far once college classes begin a little less than two years from now.
The Class of 2020 three-star recruit (24/7 Sports), announced his verbal commitment to Iowa State University Thursday morning on Twitter, ending a fierce, but fairly short-lived recruiting cycle.
“I was able to develop a good relationship with the coaches,” Miller said. “I felt comfortable with the direction they are going. It just felt right.”
The Division I, Power 5 football team was near the top of the list from the get-go, and was the first school to offer the junior a scholarship.
Miller said ISU hit on his academic wants and needs as well. He’s going to study agricultural technologies once he enrolls on campus in Ames during the fall of 2020.
“After talking with coach (Mitch) Moore and my parents, it felt like the right time,” Miller said. “It felt good.”
The 6-8, 285 pound lineman also held Division I scholarship offers from Minnesota, Nebraska, Cincinnati, Purdue and UCF. Miller had made unofficial visits to the University of Iowa as well as Notre Dame a few weeks back. FCS school South Dakota State offered the tackle a scholarship as well.
Miller makes his college announcement on the heels of his Class 2A first team, all-state selection 2A by the Iowa Print Sportswriter Association. He anchored an Greene County offensive line that was key to an 8-2 record this past fall.
Miller’s college choice came down to the experiences he’ll get in Ames as much as the opportunities he’ll receive at a rising Big 12 program.
“They do such a great job building a man, and not just a football player,” Moore said. “They look at everything that goes into a young man’s life and they try to better him for the future. I know Tyler will be a better person for having gone to Iowa State.”
The three-star recruit (24/7 Sports) paved the way for one of the most dominant offensives in all of 2A. The Rams’ eight wins were the most in Greene County school history, rolling up 4,049 total yards and 48 touchdowns, in 10 games.
Miller helped protect quarterback Brent Riley and a passing offense that threw for a school record 2,266 yards and 23 touchdowns. Greene County also ran for 1,783 yards and 25 touchdowns on the ground, tallying a 6.3 yards per carry average, which was tied for the 10th-most productive average in the state.
The 24/7 Sports composite website has Miller rated as the 57th-best offensive tackle prospect in the nation and the fifth-highest rated tackle in the state of Iowa. He’s ranked as the 597th-rated recruit overall in the country.
An athlete like Miller, with that much talent, that much potential, has quite the opportunity ahead of him these next five years, Moore said.
The Cyclones are 7-4 this fall, compiling a 6-3 Big 12 record, placing third in the final standings, the best finish in program history. Miller is making a good choice latching on to a program like Iowa State, Moore said.
“(Head coach) Matt Campbell, in my opinion, is one of the best offensive line gurus in the country,” Moore said. “ (O-line coach) Jeff Myers does a great job of developing athletes. There’s a tremendous upside at Iowa State.
Miller’s next level decision considered much more than the Cyclones’ growing prestige, Moore said. He really fell in love with the entire staff.
“(Campbell) never sold him as coaches, they sold the people in the program as a whole,” Moore said. “He’s a guy that feels really comfortable (in Ames), and Tyler could feel that.”