Former Wake Forest OL commit high on Vols, has visit scheduled
Former Wake Forest commit Triston Miller will visit Tennessee on March 3 for its second Junior Day, the 3-star offensive tackle told VolQuest.com.
The Charlotte (N.C.) Country Day School prospect has seen his recruitment spike in the last month, picking up offers from the Vols, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Purdue and West Virginia, among others.
Tennessee is suddenly a real factor for Miller after new OL coach Will Friend visited the North Carolina school a couple times in January. Friend later hit up the offensive tackle “totally out of the blue" one day, delivering some surprising news.
“Coach Friend had told me to call him one night and I really didn’t expect to get an offer or anything,” Miller said.
“I thought he’d just tell me they were interested, but when he said they were offering I was stunned. I was pretty excited about it. ... I would love to play in the SEC. That’s been a big dream for me for awhile. I’ve seen Tennessee have players like Malik Jackson and Alvin Kamara have really good careers and success in the NFL so far.”
The 6-foot-5, 270-pound tackle currently holds a dozen offers, but he’s in no rush to end his recruitment now after being committed to Wake Forest for less than two months. He verbally pledged to the Demon Decons on Dec. 13, but backed in early February following a run a new offers.
“I'm taking it slow," he said. I’m looking for an opportunity to play big-time football and measure myself up against the best talent in the country."
Miller has a busy spring upcoming, with visits planned to Georgia Tech (Feb. 24), Tennessee (March 3), West Virginia and UVA (April 7). The Cavs are currently recruiting him the hardest, but Tennessee has upped its communication in recent weeks, telling the right tackle he’s high on the Vols' board.
“They said they were going to target more athletic lineman and I feel like that fit that role pretty well. I’m a lineman who can move, but still get people off the ball with strength,” he explained.
“They like my aggression.”
Miller moonlights as a talented basketball player for Charlotte Country Day, comparing his game to longtime NBA stalwart Zach Randolph. He's a banger, he explained, noting that his skills translate well from the hardwood to the gridiron.
“My background in basketball really helps me out with my athleticism in football,” Miller said, also noting that he played against Tennessee forward Grant Williams several times as a freshman and the two have maintained contact.
“I’m a strong rebounder and my low-post game is pretty good.”
Since picking up his Tennessee offer, Miller has spoken with Friend and received a direct message from head coach Jeremy Pruitt, but most of his contact has been with offensive coordinator Tyson Helton.
“I’ve mostly talked with coach Helton lately,” he said. “He sends me motivational stuff and just checking up on me with how school and the day is going.”
Pruitt sent Miller a DM telling the offensive lineman, “That I’m really looking forward to getting you up to Tennessee,” and the offensive tackle said he can’t wait to checkout the school in two weeks.