2016 3* RB Malik Miller (AU commit 6/11/15)

[Ronin 2]

Anyone else watch his hudl and think fullback? Glad to have his commitment but honestly don't see SEC rb from his highlights.

Rudi Johnson says Hello! He made one heck of an SEC RB!

I agree, Rudi was awesome. Rudi also seemed to be a good bit more fluid than MM. Not trying to hate on the kid, but his highlights just looked like him running through a lot of arm tackles of kids half his size.

I can't tell what kind of speed he has from the highlights video. He certainly isn't the fastest kid on the field but he doesn't have to be. He does seem to have good vision and be decisive so if he has good speed and can block he could be a RB for Gus.

[chimesAU 89]

Anyone else watch his hudl and think fullback? Glad to have his commitment but honestly don't see SEC rb from his highlights.

Rudi Johnson says Hello! He made one heck of an SEC RB!

I agree, Rudi was awesome. Rudi also seemed to be a good bit more fluid than MM. Not trying to hate on the kid, but his highlights just looked like him running through a lot of arm tackles of kids half his size.

I can't tell what kind of speed he has from the highlights video. He certainly isn't the fastest kid on the field but he doesn't have to be. He does seem to have good vision and be decisive so if he has good speed and can block he could be a RB for Gus.

I definitely don't think a rb has to be the fastest guy on the field, but MM doesn't seem to be very fast...at all.

[Rednilla 5,391]

Does anyone else think of Carl Stewart when seeing this guy?

[Tigerfinz 1,362]

Does anyone else think of Carl Stewart when seeing this guy?

Yes. Can't wait to see him run the wheel like Carl too!!

[chimesAU 89]

Does anyone else think of Carl Stewart when seeing this guy?

I can definitely see that.

[AU80cruiser 1,102]

This kids is a stud. He will show a lot of people this year that he is a RB through and through. Yes he has a frame that would work as FB, but he deserves the ball a lot more than that. This is a great pick-up by AU and I hope it is a great start to a pipeline through MA. They pulled off the 3A tri-fecta this year (football, baseball & basketball) and if I am not mistaken, that is a repeat in football and baseball. There are a lot of athletes coming through MA and they are very well educated there. These are the type of kids that I love to see going to AU.

War Eagle Malik!!! Can't wait to see you sporting the great O&B!!!

It was a 3peat in football.

[ellitor 33,092]

Does anyone else think of Carl Stewart when seeing this guy?

That has been the prevailing analogy on various AU boards.

[AUbritt 611]

Anyone else watch his hudl and think fullback? Glad to have his commitment but honestly don't see SEC rb from his highlights.

Rudi Johnson says Hello! He made one heck of an SEC RB!

I agree, Rudi was awesome. Rudi also seemed to be a good bit more fluid than MM. Not trying to hate on the kid, but his highlights just looked like him running through a lot of arm tackles of kids half his size.

I can't tell what kind of speed he has from the highlights video. He certainly isn't the fastest kid on the field but he doesn't have to be. He does seem to have good vision and be decisive so if he has good speed and can block he could be a RB for Gus.

I definitely don't think a rb has to be the fastest guy on the field, but MM doesn't seem to be very fast...at all.

I don't know his 40 time (as if that really mattered).

But he looks fast enough to be an effective running back in Gus's offense IYAM. I think he's got good quickness and good vision. He hits the initial hole hard, then seems to have great awareness of the second level defenders. He seems either to set up his blocking on them well, or just run them over. He's like a reverse safety. I remember Ronnie Lott would make receivers and running backs scared to get to the second level back in the 80s for the 49ers. I feel like Malik is the kind of runner who will really make defenders reluctant to tackle him as the game wears on. It's a certain physicality and a mentality. He looks like he wants to hurt you and that he's more than capable of doing so.

I also think he shows good hands as a receiver.

Oh, and you know you can always count on me not to be a smartass.

[McLoofus 35,182]

Oh, and you know you can always count on me not to be a smartass.

WDE forever, AUbritt

As for "fullback vs running back", maybe we should think about a guy like Peyton Hillis. Yes, he was a "fullback" for Gus at Arkansas... with 947 all purpose yards and 7 touchdowns as a sophomore, all while sharing the backfield with Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. He had over 2,500 all purpose yards in 4 years at Arkansas, with most of them coming- as britt hints at- through the air. And he ended up doing okay for himself on Sundays. Mario Fannin was a "fullback" for Gus, too, right? He would've hung around in the league for a bit, too, if not for injuries. If Miller can do what they want him to do on this level, then I think he and we will all be less concerned with how he's listed on the depth chart.

[chimesAU 89]

I'd be absolutely fine with having another Eric Smith.

[AUbritt 611]

Oh, and you know you can always count on me not to be a smartass.

;)/>

WDE forever, AUbritt :)/>

As for "fullback vs running back", maybe we should think about a guy like Peyton Hillis. Yes, he was a "fullback" for Gus at Arkansas... with 947 all purpose yards and 7 touchdowns as a sophomore, all while sharing the backfield with Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. He had over 2,500 all purpose yards in 4 years at Arkansas, with most of them coming- as britt hints at- through the air. And he ended up doing okay for himself on Sundays. Mario Fannin was a "fullback" for Gus, too, right? He would've hung around in the league for a bit, too, if not for injuries. If Miller can do what they want him to do on this level, then I think he and we will all be less concerned with how he's listed on the depth chart.

WDE right back at ya, buddy. Good post. I'm very interested to see how Gus and Rhett end up using Malik.

[Rednilla 5,391]

Does anyone else think of Carl Stewart when seeing this guy?

That has been the prevailing analogy on various AU boards.

Ah, well there you have it. Glad to know I'm not alone in at least one of my thought progressions.

[amsterjam 107]

I'd be absolutely fine with having another Eric Smith.

Absolutely, minus the off the field antics though.

[AuburnNTexas 7,143]

I know Gus doesn't usually give the fullback a lot of carries but I think that is as much because the people he has had playing Fullback weren't very good runners just very good blockers. Gus has shown that he adjusts his offense to his people. You have a guy who can run at FB and it just adds one more dimension to Gus's Offense. Anybody remember a Fullback at Auburn named William Andrews?

[douggwilliams 61]

Or Tommy Agee

[JFDTiger80 790]

I know Gus doesn't usually give the fullback a lot of carries but I think that is as much because the people he has had playing Fullback weren't very good runners just very good blockers. Gus has shown that he adjusts his offense to his people. You have a guy who can run at FB and it just adds one more dimension to Gus's Offense. Anybody remember a Fullback at Auburn named William Andrews?

Chandler Cox knows how to tote the rock too. He played some QB in HS.

[TexasTiger 12,851]

I know Gus doesn't usually give the fullback a lot of carries but I think that is as much because the people he has had playing Fullback weren't very good runners just very good blockers. Gus has shown that he adjusts his offense to his people. You have a guy who can run at FB and it just adds one more dimension to Gus's Offense. Anybody remember a Fullback at Auburn named William Andrews?

Different offense.

[ellitor 33,092]

JMO but I don't see a running FB or HB a part of Gus's O. It never was through his whole career including high school and I dob't see that changing. I think there is a greater chance they are involved more as receivers than runners. Just my .02

[McLoofus 35,182]

JMO but I don't see a running FB or HB a part of Gus's O. It never was through his whole career including high school and I dob't see that changing. I think there is a greater chance they are involved more as receivers than runners. Just my .02

Peyton Hillis had 60-65 attempts 3 out of his 4 seasons at Arkansas, so 5 carries per game would seem to be the ceiling. He had fewer receptions, but more receiving yards than rushing yards (TDs were more or less a wash). So that we don't lose the forest for the trees, these guys will have a chance to get touches. Factor in receptions, and Hillis went over 100 touches in 2 of his 4 seasons at Arkansas (and had 75 his freshman year). Again, let's not get hung up on nomenclature. Guys like Miller and Pettway (and Smith, and Fannin, and Hillis, and...) won't get stuck blocking for the Robinsons and Thomases and McFaddens all the time. They'll get their names called over the loudspeaker, too.

[ellitor 33,092]

JMO but I don't see a running FB or HB a part of Gus's O. It never was through his whole career including high school and I dob't see that changing. I think there is a greater chance they are involved more as receivers than runners. Just my .02

Peyton Hillis had 60-65 attempts 3 out of his 4 seasons at Arkansas, so 5 carries per game would seem to be the ceiling. He had fewer receptions, but more receiving yards than rushing yards (TDs were more or less a wash). So that we don't lose the forest for the trees, these guys will have a chance to get touches. Factor in receptions, and Hillis went over 100 touches in 2 of his 4 seasons at Arkansas (and had 75 his freshman year). Again, let's not get hung up on nomenclature. Guys like Miller and Pettway (and Smith, and Fannin, and Hillis, and...) won't get stuck blocking for the Robinsons and Thomases and McFaddens all the time. They'll get their names called over the loudspeaker, too.

I never saw Hillis as a HB is that really what he played or was he the tail back who did not get many touches because of the guys in front of him? That's how I saw him. Genuine question.

[McLoofus 35,182]

JMO but I don't see a running FB or HB a part of Gus's O. It never was through his whole career including high school and I dob't see that changing. I think there is a greater chance they are involved more as receivers than runners. Just my .02

Peyton Hillis had 60-65 attempts 3 out of his 4 seasons at Arkansas, so 5 carries per game would seem to be the ceiling. He had fewer receptions, but more receiving yards than rushing yards (TDs were more or less a wash). So that we don't lose the forest for the trees, these guys will have a chance to get touches. Factor in receptions, and Hillis went over 100 touches in 2 of his 4 seasons at Arkansas (and had 75 his freshman year). Again, let's not get hung up on nomenclature. Guys like Miller and Pettway (and Smith, and Fannin, and Hillis, and...) won't get stuck blocking for the Robinsons and Thomases and McFaddens all the time. They'll get their names called over the loudspeaker, too.

I never saw Hillis as a HB is that really what he played or was he the tail back who did not get many touches because of the guys in front of him? That's how I saw him. Genuine question.

Fair question, and I wondered the same thing. But everything I saw had him listed as a FB, even in the NFL. And your question got me to researching, which yielded the below info. Spoiler alert: even this guy can't decide if Hillis was a "fullback" or "running back". The answer would seem to be C.

Here’s what I write about him on my piece on the best running backs in Arkansas history:

“In college, Hillis took a backseat to McFadden and Felix Jones in terms of rush attempts. Although his contributions didn’t headline the box scores, they were no less important. His 52 knockdown blocks in 2007, for instance, paved the way for a school record 3,725 rushing yards. Hillis’ versatility was showcased with 151 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns in a 2007 upset of eventual national champion LSU.”

He and Pierce are likely the best athletes – in terms of combination of speed, power and balance – of the bunch.

http://thesportsseer.com/2013/08/14/whos-the-best-fullback-in-arkansas-razorback-history/

[McLoofus 35,182]

And I'm not trying to turn this into a Hillis thread. Purely interested in him as an example of what a guy like Malik Miller might do in Gus's offense, even if not listed as a traditional RB.

[aujeff11 6,243]

I hope Malik can become another Eric Smith on the field. Dude was a beast and very versatile.

[AUIH1 1,515]

I hope Malik can become another Eric Smith on the field. Dude was a beast and very versatile.

As long as he is not the same beast off of the field that Eric Smith was. As others have posted, if we are going to only take one RB and Miller is another Eric Smith, we need to seriously recruit and sign another RB.

wde

[aujeff11 6,243]

I hope Malik can become another Eric Smith on the field. Dude was a beast and very versatile.

As long as he is not the same beast off of the field that Eric Smith was. As others have posted, if we are going to only take one RB and Miller is another Eric Smith, we need to seriously recruit and sign another RB.

wde

I don't think we have to have another RB this class. Alaric should be coming in next class and I bet he wont be the only one. With the running backs we have now, I don't think it is a position of need ATM.