Ohio State’s fifth-year senior football player Braxton Miller announced on July 23rd he will switch from quarterback to wide receiver for the 2015 season. This decision wasn’t made lightly by the former two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Chicago Tribune Silver Football winner. Concurrent shoulder injuries (and subsequent surgeries) caused him to lose his starting quarterback job last season. And with redshirt sophomore J.T. Barrett, and redshirt junior Cardale Jones filling in admirably in his absence, it was bound to create a heated position battle in training camp.
Miller’s decision will make head coach Urban Meyer’s job much easier when he needs to choose a starting signal caller come September. However, there other factors are at play as well. Here are the reasons why Miller’s position switch is in his and the entire Buckeyes team best interest….
Miller’s Shoulder Injuries Affected His Throwing Mechanics
When Miller announced his decision to move to receiver, he cited his previous injuries as the main reason. He first injured his throwing shoulder at the end of the 2013 season and had surgery that offseason. Then as the 2014 season opener approached, Miller re-injured the same shoulder at the end of preseason practice. He went under the knife again and missed the entire season. He applied for a medical redshirt with the NCAA to gain an extra year of eligibility for this season.
As Miller began training earlier this summer, he noticed that his accuracy, strength and mechanics weren’t what they used to be. Miller decided that it wasn’t physically in his best interest to remain under center.