Arizona State went head-to-head with its in-state rival in order to earn the verbal pledge of 2023 two-way player RL Miller and won that battle.
The Northern California product, who heralds from San Francisco's Sacred Heart Cathedral high school, is being recruited for the centerpiece of the Sun Devil defense by linebackers coach Chris Claiborne. On defense, Miller notched 101 tackles (7.0 for loss) along with 13 pass breakups, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles playing at the outside linebacker and cornerback spots. But on the other side of the ball, as a wide receiver, Miller grabbed 62 catches for 1,076 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns.
ASU identified the three-star recruit as a potential difference-maker, with two of its starting linebackers exhausting their eligibility this season. Over the last four seasons, Merlin Robertson and Kyle Soelle have been consistent at stopping the run and disrupting the passing game with their open-field coverage skills. They will be difficult to replace, even with a promising linebacker corps already in Tempe behind them.
So what does Miller offer the Sun Devils?
Playing three different positions at a high level almost always means one thing: athleticism. Whether it’s exploding out of his stance out wide or using his first step to gravitate toward the ball while tracking the running back’s lane through the line of scrimmage, Miller reacts quickly and gets into position before his opponent. Often, Miller is simply able to finesse with his size and speed and take advantage of the benefits of being the point man for the defense.
The athleticism becomes even more impressive when considering Miller’s measurables. A 6-3 specimen weighing 185 pounds, Miller has a great build to execute the tasks ASU demands from its linebackers. Plus, he will only become more chiseled when indoctrinated into a full strength and conditioning regimen once he arrives on campus.
Already, his tape is filled with moments where his height dwarfs the intended target behind him, and his size blocks the opposing field of view. At this point, Miller can either completely eliminate throwing angles or bait the quarterback into sailing an easy interception his way. One quarterback attempted to do the latter in 2021… and Miller returned it 60 yards for a touchdown.
You can see the mix of frame and athleticism make its mark when Miller plays receiver, too. He swifts in and out of his cuts with little loss of acceleration. He zones off the defensive backs from the ball when contesting jump balls on a sideline seam. He dances away from tacklers in traffic, and those who manage to land a hand on him are easily shaken off. While Miller may not be used in such a versatile fashion at ASU, his fluidity bend around players, and toughness to barrel ahead are traits that will most certainly translate to playing linebacker full-time.
When suiting up at linebacker, Miller balances his play with poise and physicality. He puts down ball carriers hard and with authority but doesn’t sacrifice technique or discipline. He squares up and hits with his shoulders first with good form while trapping his opponents’ legs. When taking on blockers, Miller has shown he can overtake them with pure power or by out-leveraging them.
When coming off the edge, Miller is relentless in his pursuit and is not easily deceived. His gears turn fast and are able to apply pressure on the read-option, forcing the offense to operate on a quicker clock than it is supposed to. When he does find the ball, his long arms search to create turnovers before the play concludes.
