Plenty of speculation has swirled all offseason long that Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller might transfer away from Columbus, despite the fact that head coach Urban Meyer keeps asserting that he's going to be a Buckeye come fall.
Well, add another voice to those who insist Miller is sticking around.
Ohio State athletics director Gene Smith told the website Eleven Warriors that Miller told him that the senior QB won't be going anywhere.
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"My conversation with him was well before spring ball. He's working out in the weight room and we got into a conversation and I just asked him, I said, 'You good? All these rumors out there, you good? You need some help if you want to transfer?'" Smith told Eleven Warriors. "He said, 'Mr. Smith, I'm not going anywhere. I love it here.'"
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Many believe Miller could transfer because of the high-profile quarterback competition that's going to be the focus of the college football world this summer. Miller was a two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year before missing all of last season with a shoulder injury. J.T. Barrett took over and was fantastic for the Buckeyes, breaking a ton of school and conference records and leading Ohio State to a 11-1 regular-season record. But then Barrett injured his ankle in the regular-season finale, meaning a third quarterback, Cardale Jones, took over for the postseason, and all Jones did was lead the Buckeyes to wins over Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon en route to a national championship.
It all makes for an intense competition between three guys who could all start at most any other school in America. That fact has led many to realize that Miller, who has earned his degree, could transfer and be immediately eligible to start at a number of other places.
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But Meyer has insisted all along — Eleven Warriors pointed out that Miller hasn't spoken to the media since August — that Miller's intention is to stay.
Miller was still in recovery mode from a torn labrum in his shoulder and didn't play in Ohio State's spring game. Barrett was similarly still recovering from his ankle injury and did not play in the spring game, meaning that there hasn't been much headway made in who will start for the Buckeyes come the Sept. 7 opener at Virginia Tech.
But, if Smith's feeling is correct, Miller will be a part of that competition.