BOULDER — Colorado junior defensive back Chris Miller is ready to play.
It doesn't matter when, where or who. Doesn't really matter what position he assumes when the opportunity comes.
It's just that after two years of having his season cut short by injury, then enduring the current COVID-19 pandemic that has turned the sports world on its ear, Miller is simply ready to play some ball.
The details don't really matter.
"I'm excited about every game," Miller said Wednesday in a conference call with reporters. "I just want to lock in every game and play my best and show the world I can play. Any opportunity to play, I'm ready for it … Whoever we play, I'll be suited up and ready."
Since he arrived three years ago, Miller has been considered one of the Buffs' most-talented defensive backs and was pegged as a future standout cornerback. But thanks to a couple of injuries, he has yet to play a full season, giving CU fans just a taste of that talent.
After a redshirt year as a true freshman in 2017, Miller played in six games with two starts in 2018 before being forced to the sidelines for the remainder of the year. Last season, he played in four games before being sidelined again. With four career starts under his belt, he has 20 tackles, an interception, a pair of pass breakups and a quarterback hurry.
Now, heading into his junior season under new head coach Karl Dorrell, Miller has been asked to expand his repertoire and play safety, a position at which the Buffs are sorely lacking in experience.
"I always talked to Coach (defensive coordinator Tyson) Summers about wanting to do more when I could," Miller said. "He called me one day and told me he wanted to see me at safety. I've just been doing it, learning the plays. The communication is the same for corners and safeties, except the safeties make the calls. Now I have that responsibility and I think I love it."
At 6-0, 190 pounds and blessed with a physical style of play, Miller might actually be more suited for safety. He might also see some time at the star hybrid spot, and will likely also make sure he's maintaining his cornerback skills.
The most important thing is that he actually gets on the field.
"I'm learning to play everything I can," Miller said. "As a safety you have to know what everybody does. I know all the positions."
Miller is part of a secondary that is not heavy on experience. The latest depth chart has two sophomores — K.J. Trujillo and Tarik Luckett — atop the group at cornerback; another sophomore, Mark Perry, as No, 1 at star; and Miller as the No. 1 strong safety. The most experience in the group belongs to starting free safety Derrion Rakestraw, who has 11 career starts.
But the flip side of that lack of experience means the competition for playing time in camp will no doubt be intense. At corner, transfer Nigel Bethel and junior Mekhi Blackmon — also a starter last year before being sidelined by an injury — will be competing for the top spots, while junior college transfer Jaylen Striker and junior Isaiah Lewis will be competing at safety.
"I think there's a good group of us that's hungry and competitive," Miller said. "Everybody's played, so everybody knows what it's like to go out there and everybody's excited to just get back to football. I think that's going to be a rising competition because everybody's played, young or old."
There's no doubt Miller's coaches are expecting big things from him. Earlier this summer, Summers said Miller's versatility could make him one of the most impactful players on defense.
"Chris is a guy that's very talented," Summers said. "He has size, he's got a lot of God-given ability in his ability to move and run, and he's in year two of the system. What you're seeing in him is a tremendous amount of growth and maturity over the last six to eight months … I think you're going to see some great things out of Chris this year."
While much of the coaching staff is new in Dorrell's first year, there is some continuity on the defensive side of the ball where Summers is back for his second year in Boulder. While there will be some tweaks to the defense, many of the basics are expected to stay the same.
That's good news for Miller and his cohorts.
"Everybody in the defense room that's played, we were all excited to have Coach Summers back," Miller said. "I think he's a great DC. All the new coaches have brought a lot of new knowledge and we've loved that."
Now, Miller and his teammates will continue to participate in summer voluntary workouts, then hope the tentative schedule that calls for the beginning of mandatory workouts in late July and fall camp in early August holds true.
"We don't know anything that anybody else doesn't know," Miller said of the seemingly daily news that comes with the pandemic. "We're just keeping our heads down. We're going to work like Sept. 5, we're going to be playing. That's all I can say and do, and just hope that's what happens."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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