Derrick Miller can see himself in Iowa’s defense

Saturday was an opportunity for O’Fallon (Mo.) John Burroughs class of 2019 athlete Derrick Miller to experience Iowa football in-person after picking up an offer in June, and the Hawkeyes did not disappoint.

“They lived up to (expectations) pretty well,” Miller said. “It was a pretty wild atmosphere, a lot of fans were there, it was packed and I loved it. I can definitely see myself playing in the defensive scheme at Iowa. The game day experience felt pretty surreal and was a pretty good thing to take in.”

Saturday’s visit also gave Miller a chance to further develop his relationship with the Iowa coaching staff.

“Before the game they took us down on the field for pre-game and I got a chance to talk to Coach LeVar Woods, who recruits here in St. Louis, and Tyler Barnes,” Miller said. “They were pretty excited to see me up there and they expressed how glad they were I was able to come up. We had good, healthy conversations.”

Miller was joined by his father and brother in Iowa City and they reflected on the visit during their drive home.

“We just talked about the whole experience,” Miller said. “We went through each activity we did throughout the day, starting with the breakfast to how the fans came in and slowly packed Kinnick Stadium and how the student section was wild.”

The trip to Iowa was Miller’s second college game visit of the season after he saw Notre Dame defeat Miami (Ohio) the weekend prior. The Fighting Irish have not offered yet, but have been watching the St. Louis junior.

“They did not talk about that, but I feel pretty good about them offering soon,” Miller said. “(The coaches) just explained that he was very happy for me to be up there and that they are keeping a very close eye on me.”

The 5-foot-11, 160-pound Miller is listed as an athlete, but most schools project him to cornerback at the next level. So far this season he has recorded 19 tackles, three interceptions and seven pass break ups from that side of the ball.