The TCU Horned Frogs were the feelgood story of the 2022 college football season, coming into the year as massive underdogs but going all the way to the National Championship. The less said about that game against Georgia the better, but their fairytale run brought national attention to a few stars entering the 2023 NFL Draft. While wide receiver Quentin Johnston was the star skill player on that offense, running back Kendre Miller certainly turned heads with his play in 2022. Here, we dive into Miller’s profile and analyze whether he would be a good addition to your dynasty rosters.
Standing at 5’11”, 215 lbs, Kendre Miller is one of the bigger backs in this class. Unfortunately, an MCL sprain kept him out of Combine drills, and we hope to see him on the field at TCU’s Pro Day towards the end of the month. While he may not have elite speed, Miller is explosive, especially at the line of scrimmage:
just got very excited watching kendre miller highlights.
The play above shows his ability to immediately accelerate into the hole and get into the secondary. This combines well with his biggest strength – Miller has excellent contact balance. He is able to shed arm tackles with ease, and he is extremely difficult to bring down in open space:
It is no surprise that Miller ranked highly in breakaway runs (15+ yards), turning 8.5% of his carries into chunk gains (17% of his carries went for 10+ yards). What does come as a surprise, for a physical back of his profile, is Miller’s elusiveness. The former TCU man has extremely quick feet and a good amount of “wiggle”. He isn’t the type to make sharp lateral cuts across the field, but he has an impressive change of direction for a bigger running back. This adds to the other strengths we have discussed, highlighting how and why Miller is able to pick up extra yardage on every play:
Despite Miller’s size, at times, his play strength left a bit to be desired. He is much better at shedding tackles in open space, rather than powering through in traffic. Miller can be inconsistent with his pad level, and he will need to refine this aspect of his game at the next level. He certainly has the raw size to be a powerful runner consistently – but we don’t see this enough in the film.
Miller’s patience and vision have issues as well. He has plays where he waits for the right moment before bursting through the hole. However, Miller can also be too indecisive behind the line of scrimmage. He has a tendency to dance too much while plays develop, and simplifying his game could help his effectiveness.
Lastly, Miller was sparsely involved in the passing game at TCU. He only recorded 27 catches in his college career (16 in 2022 in 14 games). As fantasy managers in the PPR era, we would have liked to see a history of receiving production in college. On the other hand, TCU’s scheme simply did not involve running backs in the passing game – no other RB had more than 7 receptions in 2022. Miller showed good hands in his limited opportunities. While he may not have a developed route tree, I can see him making a positive impact on check-downs and screens:
One of my fave plays from RB Kendre Miller.
Slippery skill to make moves in succession after a shoe-top catch.
In conclusion, Kendre Miller is a well-rounded back with a lot of exciting attributes. He is explosive and elusive, and he has the contact balance to consistently break off big runs. While Miller isn’t elite at any one trait, a player of his profile can bring a lot to NFL rosters. He will need some refinement to succeed at the next level, but he has the capability to be a workhorse back. Draft capital and landing spot will dictate how high he goes in rookie drafts, but regardless, Miller will be a strong contributor when called upon.
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