10 Most Important Returning Jayhawks for 2022: No. 4

Rich Miller

Position: Linebacker

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 225

Hometown: Detroit, MI

High School: Martin Luther King High School

247Sports Composite High School ranking: 3-star (2019)

- No. 1781 nationally

- No. 75 inside linebacker

- No. 45 in the state of Michigan

Overview:

In high school, Rich played on 2 state championship-winning football teams. He received offers from Akron, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, and Cornell, but ultimately picked Buffalo. He played two seasons at Buffalo. In his first season, he played all 13 games mainly on special teams. In his second season, he played all 7 of Buffalo’s games mainly in a backup role. Rich entered the transfer portal shortly after his coach was announced as the new head coach at KU. He transfer to Kansas on June 1, 2021, becoming one of the first of a wave of players following Lance Leipold to Lawrence. In his first season at KU, Miller played in all 12 games, starting 9. Rich was second on the team with 79 total tackles, including 57 solo tackles.

Why 4?

Rich, like a couple of players that fall higher on this list, has a natural charisma people are drawn to which makes him a natural leader. I have seen it after games last season and at the spring game in April. He is a leader and the defense needs that charisma and leadership to improve from last season. To help Rich, the coaching staff will keep the best players from last season on the field and surround them with improved talent this season. The coaches are doing this for Rich. The linebacker group goes from having 3 linebackers playing almost every snap to now having 6 experienced players including transfers Craig Young, Lorenzo McCaskill, and Eriq Gillyard. This should lead to KU having fresher players in the game in crunch time, unlike last season when Rich and his running mates were worn down late in games. Rich will be the one starter from last season starting again in 2022. Last season he proved to be one of the big dogs, second only two Kenny Logan in total tackles. In 2022, Rich is a key piece in improving a unit that was overworked last season due to a lack of depth.

The List:

#5: Earl Bostick, Jr.

#6: Devin Neal

#7: Jason Bean

#8: Malcolm Lee

#9: Caleb Sampson

#10: Lawrence Arnold