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A commitment that stretched over 19 months finally came to an end on Wednesday, as Tyler John Tyler wide receiver Damion Miller signed with the Texas Longhorns on National Signing Day.
WR Damion Miller is officially a Longhorn. Miller ranks 152 on the ESPN 300. pic.twitter.com/El1V02JEhW
— Longhorn Network (@LonghornNetwork) February 1, 2017
The longest-tenured pledge in the class originally committed to former Texas tight ends coach Jeff Traylor back in June of 2015 and then remained a member of the class for the duration of his recruitment.
At times, other schools like Texas A&M and Ole Miss looked like possible threats to flip the 6’1, 193-pounder, but Miller grew increasingly firm with his commitment and stuck with Texas despite the coaching change.
Miller took his official visit to Austin on January 20.
A consensus four-star prospect, Miller is ranked as the No. 152 player nationally, the No. 24 wide receiver, and the No. 23 player in Texas, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
"The football player they're getting is a guy whose ceiling hasn't been met yet," John Tyler’s head coach Ricklan Holmes told Bleacher Report in 2016. "Who they're going to get, they're going to be happy with for the next four years. He's going to bring a mentality to that receiving core where once he steps out that locker room and goes to the practice field, guys will understand why he's there. There won't be a question."
One of Miller’s greatest attributes is his athleticism — at the Dallas The Opening Regional camp in Dallas last March, he ran a 4.49 40-yard dash, a 4.26 shuttle, and posted a 36.9-inch vertical leap.
Catching passes from Houston quarterback pledge Bryson Smith, a one-time Texas target as a slot receiver, Miller had 41 receptions for 922 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior, in addition to making 40 tackles and recording two interceptions on defense.
Because of his speed, the East Texas product profiles as a deep threat once again in college, aided by his ability to track the football. As a potential red zone threat, Miller has the leaping ability and ball skills to become an effective target in that area and over the middle or outside in traffic.
Like most high school wide receivers, Miller could stand to work on his route running, but many of his actions look natural and there’s no doubt about his baseline athleticism.