Miami Hurricanes 2020 Player Profile: DT Jordan Miller

Miami redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Jordan Miller did not enter the Hurricane football program with the lofty high school recruiting ranking that many of his teammates did.

Miller was ranked the No.86 prospect at defensive tackle and the No. 192 prospect regardless of position in the state of Florida according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings coming out of Sandalwood High in Jacksonville in 2018.

Former head coach Mark Richt and former tight ends coach and Jacksonville-area recruiter Todd Hartley offered Miller late in the 2018 cycle and Miller committed to Miami over Virginia, Georgia Tech, Georgia Southern and Florida Atlantic less than a week before signing day.

Miller’s lack of premier offers and Miami finding him so late in the 2018 cycle led some to believe it may be an uphill climb for him to contribute for the Hurricanes. He took a redshirt season in 2018 to re-make his body to better fit Manny Diaz’s defense and played in all 14 games as a reserve during the 2019 season, where he made 12 tackles.

Entering the 2020 season, Miller could be in line to earn the first significant playing time of his Hurricane career.

Miami is seeking another starting defensive tackle to play alongside senior Jonathan Ford after Pat Bethel graduated. Miller and junior Nesta Jade Silvera will be the players with three years experience in the Hurricane program competing for that spot.

Redshirt freshmen Jalar Holley, Jason Blissett Jr. and Jared Harrison-Hunte will also figure into the competition for playing at defensive tackle.

One advantage Miller has over all of those players is his size. Miller is listed at 6-foot-4, 329 pounds on Miami’s website, 30 pounds heavier than any player competing for time alongside Ford, and 19 pounds heavier than Ford himself.

This leads many to believe that Miller will have a significant role on early downs for Miami’s defense in 2020 as his size will compliment Ford’s nicely against the run.

Miller’s highlights, while minimal because of a lack of playing time, show a player who interior offensive linemen struggle to block who can find the running back in the backfield and help make a tackle for a loss.

Regardless of whether Miller starts or is used in a reserve role behind Ford, Silvera or one of the redshirt freshmen, this will be his first true opportunity to outperform his 3-star recruiting ranking and make a legitimate impact on the Hurricane defense.