Miller ready for summer tour

It's not a requirement to be an outdoorsman to recruit Helena (Mont.) Capital three-star athlete Matt Miller.

But it sure doesn't hurt.

Miller, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound do-it-all prospect, spends a lot of time fishing, hiking, boating, water skiing and horseback riding. It's just part of your nature when you're a young man growing up in Montana, and it seems almost every school that has offered him a scholarship – all 11 of them – has a coach that's recruiting him with similar background.

"It's kind of funny how that's been working out, but I guess when you recruit a guy from Montana, you have be able to relate," Miller said. "And it's easy to get to know and talk to a coach that can talk about things like fishing for trout and walleye."

So far four of the schools on Miller's long list have made solid impressions. He's already taken an unofficial visit to Boise State, and has plans to start a trek on June 18th that will first take him to Arizona State, then Stanford and finally Oregon. Only Oregon has not offered him in that group.

"I would probably put those four across the board even," Miller said. "After I see the places, then I'll be able to relate them a little bit better."

Miller has already visited Boise State. He really liked what he saw while he was visiting.

"What jumps out to me is the atmosphere they have," Miller said. "The work ethic they posses is amazing. The whole football program is a well-oiled machine. I talk about every week with Brent Pease. He talk about fishing. He's an outdoors guy that played at Montana, so there's a connection there, too."

Arizona State's efforts are led by Matt Lubick, another guy with ties to the state. The Sun Devils also have two Montana players also on their roster.

"I really like ASU," Miller said. "I can't wait to go check it out and meet Dennis Erickson face-to-face and see if I get a good impression. I also really like coach Lubick. He knows a lot of my family since he's a Montana guy. I also like how ASU has two guys from Montana on their roster, so I would feel comfortable being around those guys."

Stanford will be another stop on the summer tour for Miller, and Cardinal assistant Tim Drevno has done a tremendous job of getting Miller's attention.

"He's a character," Miller said. "He's a great guy that I just love talking to. He fishes a little, too. He's just a great guy to be around. Plus, the academics at Stanford are one of the best in the West. They're also an up-and-coming program on the gridiron, and they have been getting a lot of big recruits lately."

Oregon has told Miller they really like him, but Miller said the Ducks are "limited in scholarships" this season and have been a little less aggressive about offering. He said the Duck coaches are still doing their research on him, but that won't stop him from making a summer visit.

Miller isn't sure when he is going to make a decision. He said in an ideal situation he would like to have a decision made before the start of his football season, so he could focus completely on it. But he also said he's not going to rush it.

"If I'm not 100 percent sure, then I'm not going to rush it," he said.

"It's been pretty good to get a lot of the attention, and I enjoy getting to meet a lot of people. But it's stressful getting all the calls. I'll be happy when I finally make a choice and get it off my shoulders."