Richt tries to find more time for Miller

ATHENS, Ga. - If you had to pick the star of Georgia's defense on looks alone, Brandon Miller would be an easy choice.

He's 6-foot-4, 257 pounds, with a bodybuilder's biceps and a wide receiver's waist.

He was a wide receiver at Miller County High School. He also was a defensive end.

And he played some linebacker, a little safety, cornerback, nose guard in an emergency and - well, you get the idea. On a 25-man team at a Class A school, Miller had the perfect stage to showcase his athleticism.

But the school wasn't too small for recruiting services, three of which ranked him as one of the top two defensive ends in the country. He was a recruiting coup for Georgia, which had good reason to believe he would follow in the footsteps of another Colquitt native.

Colquitt's Charles Grant played defensive end for the Bulldogs before moving on to the New Orleans Saints.

"He came home this summer," Miller said. "I can't even describe the car. It was one of those big fancy cars."

The way recruiting services were raving about Miller three years ago, he probably could have imagined himself in a fancy car, financed by an NFL salary. It might take a bigger imagination for that now, but after a mediocre college career, the senior linebacker is at least making strides toward a strong finish.

"He's playing awesome," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "I love that kid."

"This year more than ever, he's playing with that passion. The coaches notice it. The players notice it. I'm just happy that's happening."

Miller has played so well the last couple of weeks, Richt wishes he could get him on the field more. As a strong-side linebacker, Miller usually comes out in Georgia's nickel package, which includes five defensive backs.

"That's why I'm trying to get to defensive end," Miller said with a smile. "I'm trying to get there some way. I'm trying to stay on the field."

As weak as Georgia's pass rush has been at times this season, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to give him a shot at defensive end against Tennessee on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.

Miller also should be a factor on special teams. In fact, that's where this year's turnaround started.

Richt demoted him to the second team after Miller had little impact in a loss to South Carolina. Miller responded with outstanding special-teams play against Western Carolina. Last Saturday against Ole Miss, he had six tackles and an interception.

"I just wanted to be the best linebacker and the best leader," Miller said of his comeback after the demotion. "I'm not going to sit on the sideline and just watch."

Fellow linebacker Dannell Ellerbe hasn't been surprised by Miller's improved play.

"I knew he could play like that," Ellerbe said. "I guess something had to click with him."

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.