Want to attack every day with the latest Georgia football recruiting info? That’s what the Intel will bring at least five days a week. The play sheet for this edition calls for a chance to chat with Buford, Ga., junior offensive lineman Harry Miller.
To put it simply, he’s one of the most impressive young men we ever will write about in Sentell’s Intel.
Harry Miller ranks as the nation’s No. 109 prospect in the class of 2019, according to the 247Sports composite. He still has a firm grip on the valedictorian spot at Buford High School. (Please read that opening paragraph again. That is about as uncommon as it gets.)
He played all night long against No. 3 Stockbridge in an epic Georgia High School Association state playoff game last Friday night. He played in his usual starting spot on the Buford line, but he also took about 50 percent of the snaps at defensive tackle.
Miller made a beeline for Georgia line coach Sam Pittman the last time he was on the field at Sanford Stadium for a recruiting visit. It looked to be the sort of genuine connection that leads to a commitment down the road.
Wolves coach John Ford also calls him a modern “Renaissance man” when it comes to his all-around prowess on and off the football field.
Those are quite a few entry points to launch a profile arc on Miller, but I’m going to pass on each and every one.
When I think about Miller from now on, I will recall Bill Withers, several well-played chords and what he would do to impress a pretty girl.
“What am I playing her with that?” Miller said. “Are you talking about a pretty song? That would be Ain’t No Sunshine by Bill Withers.”
He has a Gibson, a Fender Stratocaster and a nice acoustic Yamaha guitar. Miller is leaning on that acoustic right now. That has meant a lot of Johnny Cash.
Here’s the best part: Buford coach John Ford said that Miller has taught himself how to play guitar by watching videos on YouTube.
“I like to be a well-rounded person and just be the best guy I can be,” Miller said.
He just might bring those guitars to UGA with him when he packs up to college. He just might.
“I really like Coach Pittman and I really like Georgia,” he said. “I would say they are in my top 2, and I just want to keep building a relationship with those coaches and want to get back soon.”
What Harry Miller says after a big ballgame
The well-rounded edges stand out with Miller. When his No. 2 Wolves escaped Stockbridge with a comeback win, he knew exactly what that entailed.
“We knew playing this [Stockbridge] offense and this defense, that the game was going to be fought on the line,” he said. “So this whole week of practice we were like this is about being a man and putting our cleats in the ground and just going forward and beating the guy across from us.”
Stockbridge led 14-3 at the half. The Wolves fought back on the run. It was a steady 1-2 punch of power and zone plays on the ground.
The Buford junior probably lined up for 100 snaps in that game. That is also very rare air for a lineman in a matchup between the No. 2 and No. 3 teams in Georgia.
“We created a mentality this whole year that we are going to lean on each other. We might bend but we are not going to break,” he said. “I knew at halftime that we were going to rally and we were going to rally and we were going to bring this thing home.”
He relished in the win but also with just the right amount of overall perspective.
“This feels great but it feels like it is not enough,” Miller said. “We’ve got two more weeks to win this whole thing and that is what we have got to do.”
Miller said his top 2 has basically been a revolving door.
“It is different every week with just what you are seeing with football and recruiting and academics and rankings,” Miller said. “It is always around Georgia, Ohio State, Clemson and then Michigan. Those are kind of rotating at the top. Those are really the schools that I am looking at right now.”
Here’s a nugget that will endear Miller to his future college strength coaches. He hits the weights every Saturday morning after a game. Even after a big playoff game.
“We get to the gym, and we hit chest and back and triceps,” Miller said. “We get after it every Saturday morning.”
Ford said that’s just Miller being Miller.
“He is a Renaissance man and a worldly guy,” Ford said. “You can talk about anything from theology to political theory to music to movies with him. He is educated on all topics. As special as he is on the field, he is equally special off the field.”
What does Harry Miller like the best about UGA?
Miller says the answer to that question is all about a feeling.
“I just love the attitude,” Miller said. “We [his high school team[ adopted the ‘keep chopping’ mentality and we are always talking about how iron sharpens iron and we are just going to have to continually sharpen that ax of ours and bring it. This is the part of our year where we have to play our best football and we just have to chop a tree down every week. We are just going to keep chopping and chopping.”
His academic transcript currently reflects a grade-point average that is north of that 4.0 scale. That’s because Miller is taking a lot of college prep and advanced placement classes. Which school does he feel is currently his best academic fit?
“I know I have been looking at that a lot,” Miller said. “Georgia is looking great academically. They are a top 15 school I think. Great business school. Great school overall. Michigan is a great school. Ohio State is a great school. I mean really everything that I am looking at has a great school. So that’s hard to look at.”
The Bulldogs see the 6-foot-4, 305-pound player on the interior of their line. That’s even though Miller is rated as the nation’s No. 14 offensive tackle for 2019.
Is that just guard? Or center and guard?
“I’m fine with whatever wins,” Miller said. “Whatever wins the football game.”
He’s aiming to make his decision prior to his senior season. Miller said he would like the chance to also get recruited by Stanford. Naturally.
“I stay in touch with Ohio State a lot, and I really love the coaches at Ohio State,” he said. “Really my top four are the ones that I stay in contact with a lot.”
What will eventually lead him to his decision? Does he know that yet?
“I think it is just about a culture,” Miller said. “I love Buford’s culture because it is a tradition of just winning and being a great program. That’s really what I am looking for. Just a tradition that wins. But also one that does it the right way and has the right guys and the right coaches to do it.”
5-star QB Justin Fields and Florida
I have received a bevy of messages from concerned readers about the latest news with Florida, Dan Mullen and 5-star Georgia QB commit Justin Fields.
There is nothing to it. Fields maintained when he made his commitment that was going to be his final decision. The work he is doing behind the scenes to round out the class of 2018 at Georgia leads me to believe that Fields is nothing but 100 percent firm to Georgia.
That’s the shortest sub-section in the history of the Intel blog. That is what that storyline deserves at this time.
Did you see the latest Before the Hedges on DawgNation?
DawgNation’s weekly show on UGA recruiting takes place every week on Facebook Live. Follow the DawgNation page here to keep up with all the latest.
The show this week focuses on the coaching turmoil in the SEC and the Auburn-Georgia rematch that is on the way for Saturday. We also share another off-the-field profile interview with 5-star running back Zamir White.
The first clip sums up the latest news with 5-star defensive end Brenton Cox. The following clip is the full Nov. 27 show.
Miss any Intel? The DawgNation recruiting archive will get you up to speed faster than Georgia All-America candidate Roquan Smith can find the football after the snap.