Matt Miller was in town last night, doing what he does: scoring touchdowns and confusing defenses by lining up in an assortment of different positions. Miller, who is one of the most highly recruited prep football players in the state’s history, scored three touchdowns in Helena Capital’s 39-0 win last night over Flathead at Legends Stadium. He returned a punt for a touchdown and ran for two more on offense, even though he’s technically considered a receiver.
At 6-4 and 215 pounds, college scouts believe Miller could play receiver or defensive back at the next level, or he could beef up and make a fine outside linebacker. He’s been timed at 4.5 in the 40, though he’s only expected to get faster in his senior year. Rivals.com lists him as the top recruit in Montana and throughout the Rocky Mountain region. Interest has come from Notre Dame, Oregon, Arizona State, North Carolina, Stanford, both in-state universities, a host of Ivy League schools and others. And that’s if he chooses football – he’s also a prized basketball recruit.
Last night was my first chance to see him in person on the gridiron. I watched him play basketball at Glacier last year when he opened up the second half with a baseline, two-hand dunk off of an alley-oop that actually was thrown a bit behind him. He’s particularly a treat to watch in football, though, mostly because you never know what he’s going to do or even where he’s going to line up. Last year, he racked up 932 receiving yards, 663 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. He’s also a beast on defense.
There’s not a whole lot left for Miller to accomplish in high school, except for one more state championship. He already has three and if he leads the Bruins to a fourth straight this year, it would be the first time that’s happened in Class AA since Missoula did it in 1943-1946. I know a lot of Griz and Bobcat fans are rooting for Miller to stick around, but it seems unlikely. Miller’s offers are coming from across the nation and it’s always fun to see how a Montana boy fares against the country’s biggest schools. Either way, let’s enjoy his senior year of high school.
Here’s a nice profile of him in the Helena Independent Record.