2021 Countdown to Kickoff: 8 Days (James Miller)

Written by Evan Orris

The 2021 Countdown! Only 8 days left until the Hoosiers travel to Iowa City to take on the #16 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes. Today we will profile James Miller, the redshirt junior linebacker.

James Miller

Tampa, Fla.

Redshirt Junior

6’2”/223 pounds 

The linebacker position for the Hoosiers could be as dangerous as the secondary this season. IU returns five players who received extended action last season. The group is led by Michah McFadden who received AP third-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten honors. He will be joined by Cam Jones as the starting linebackers. But the most important piece to the puzzle could be Miller. If any injuries occur, he could shine in extended playing time.

The redshirt junior was ranked the No. 27 inside linebacker nationally by ESPN coming out of high school. He decided to commit to Indiana over teams such as Florida State, Colorado State, and Iowa. After appearing in three games and starting in one of them, Miller would ultimately redshirt for the season. 

In his redshirt freshman year, the year reprieve seemed to be the right move for Miller. He came out firing on all cylinders in 2019. He appeared in all 13 games that season and even started a game. He would total 31 tackles, 4.5 tackles for losses, and a half-sack while sharing the team lead with two forced fumbles.

Last season Miller’s production took a hit in the box score, but he was still a solid contributor to a winning Big Ten program. He only started once, but in eight games he managed to collect 24 tackles, one quarterback hurry, and one fumble recovery.

This season Miller will look to compete not just with the starters for playing time, but also Thomas Allen—who should be back from a season-ending leg injury—and Aaron Casey (15 tackles, 3.0 TFL, one sack). Miller will continue to hunt for playing time and prove his worth any chance he steps on the field.