Morton junior Cameron Miller’s love for football has grown.
Part and parcel of that process has been a growth in proficiency and a growth in size for the 6-foot-6, 315-pound left tackle. Miller has developed so much, come so far, he’s in position to be another in the stream of the Governors’ high-level college prospects.
Not bad for someone who didn’t begin playing football until his freshman season.
“He’s made steady progress from year to year,” Morton coach Mac Mishler said. “He played one game on varsity as a freshman. Last year, he was more of a rotational guy on defense and played some of the JV games. This year, he’s taken that next step as a junior. He’s done a really nice job for us, that’s for sure.
“He had a long way to go. We knew that coming in. Football was a new thing for him when he started with us as a freshman. Every year, he’s taken a big step forward, and this year is no exception. He’s had a really great season so far. He’s going to be a big anchor for us up front the rest of this season and next season.”
Miller, who moved to the Region from New Jersey before high school, described basketball as “my first sport, my first love.” He began playing basketball when he was 3 years old and joined his first team in second grade. Along the way, he received numerous inquiries about football.
“People always said I was huge,” Miller said. “Ever since I played basketball in my district in New Jersey, they’ve been begging me to play football. But I just never wanted to play.”
Miller eventually gave it a try, though.
“I hated it,” he said. “But as you keep playing, it gets better. You get better and better at it. Then you just come to love it.
“I didn’t really care about football at first. I was just playing to play it until last year. During the offseason before last year, that’s when I really started taking it seriously.”
Mishler said that was evident in Miller’s approach. Miller’s dedication and diligence in the weight room increased. On-field results have followed.
Miller, who was 6-2 as a freshman and 6-4 last season, has also caught the attention of standout junior linebacker Jalen Arnold.
“Dawg,” Arnold said of Miller. “He’s a beast. He’s hustling, for sure. He’s glue in the second level, and I don’t like that because I play second level. But I like the way he hustles down the line and gets to the next level and attacks that next guy. He’s sticking on a block and taking the guy down the field 30 yards. He shows a lot of aggression. He can get nasty.”
But Miller shows finesse too.
“With basketball, it’s helped him because he’s very athletic for his size,” Mishler said. “He has really good footwork for his size.”
After playing basketball in each of his first two years at Morton, Miller doesn’t plan to play during the upcoming season.
“It’s tough, but something had to get dropped,” he said. “I stopped playing basketball and started taking football seriously. It’s been working out so far.”
Miller said he feels the football team “needed me” this season, and that responsibility has helped things “click” for him.
Mishler agreed.
“Football was a struggle for him at first,” Mishler said. “He had to really learn how to play the game. Once he became comfortable, that’s when he really started to enjoy what he did. That happens with kids in every sport when it’s new. It takes a while to adjust.
“When it finally started to click last year, it really became his new thing. You saw that in how he went about his business. He’s really become a very solid football player, and he has a really big future for it.”
Indeed, Miller received his first scholarship offer late last month from Marshall. He has visits scheduled to Western Michigan this weekend and Illinois next week.
“It’s very new to me,” Miller said. “It’s just so fast and quick.”
Miller’s recruitment is in its infancy, and he’s a long way from making any decisions. But when the time comes, he figures to have no shortage of options.
“The potential is there,” Mishler said. “The physical gifts are there. But his work ethic and potential are through the roof. He’s a great kid. He’s going to be a really good one. He does fit the mold for certain Big Ten programs and what they look for. He’s going to be that next big guy up, a big-deal recruit at the end of the day, and I’m excited for him.
“He has a big offseason ahead of him and a big summer ahead of him between that junior and senior year. I would expect the interest to continue to grow. He’s fairly new to football, and he’s going to get more and more interest as his film gets better every week. It’s going to snowball.”
