Braxton Miller Rehab Update:
As part of our coverage of the Indiana-OSU game Saturday, I was able to talk to Head Athletic Trainer Doug Calland about Braxton Miller’s rehab.
Calland says Braxton works about six days a week, three hours a day rehabbing his shoulder. He’s even worked alongside Dr. James Andrews group of people down in Alabama. Braxton has range of motion back, and is doing some resistance training now. He is close to throwing foam balls and nerf balls, but is still about a month away from being cleared for any sort of “real” football throwing.
Calland adds Braxton’s attitude has been great throughout the whole process.
J.T. Barrett Recruiting Story:
Meanwhile, J.T. Barrett continues to impress. In watching him from the sideline Saturday vs. Indiana, I was struck by the fact he never got too high or too low, regardless if things were going well or poorly for him.
His teammates, like LT Taylor Decker and WR Evan Spencer told me before the MSU game, that they “looked up to J.T.” I thought it was a huge statement, coming from two upperclassmen, and pre-MSU..when Barrett hadn’t had a statement game yet. Spencer even added, “He is so mature for his age, it’s just unbelievable.”
So I asked OC Tom Herman on Friday when did he feel like Barrett had “it”.
Herman, without flinching, said it was when he was recruiting him.
J.T. Barrett was the first QB, Herman (and the Meyer regime) decided to take without having seen him throw in person. (They offered Barrett based on his high school junior year film.) But beyond that, OSU decided to take him for two reasons:
1) Herman was impressed with Barrett’s maturity. He asked him why he wanted to go to OSU, and his answer was not about the atmosphere, the coaches, the neat uniforms.
“I want to win championships and I want to play with the best players,” Barrett told Herman.
Herman added, “I thought that was incredibly articulate for a 17 year old to say.”
2) So Herman, as one final step in the recruiting process, called former NFL QB Trent Dilfer to ask about Barrett’s throwing ability. Dilfer had worked with Barrett, in person, at some Elite 11 camps, and told Herman “you will be very happy with his throwing ability if you take him.”
OSU is still smiling …
