The fullback is no longer part of Nebraska football, so maybe it’s not surprising that one of the team’s young players at the position will be looking elsewhere.
Ben Miles, a redshirt freshman and the son of former LSU head coach Les Miles, announced Wednesday evening that he’s been granted his release from NU and intends to transfer.
Thank you!
— ben miles (@BenBmiles2)
Miles was considered one of the top fullback prospects in the country out of Baton Rouge Catholic in the Class of 2017 and took a redshirt season last fall under head coach Mike Riley and running backs coach Reggie Davis.Â
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Under new head coach Scott Frost, however, the fullback no longer exists as a defined position. All of the players who played fullback under Riley practiced this spring under the guidance of running backs coach Ryan Held.Â
Miles noted the change in philosophy as the driving reason for his decision to seek a new college.Â
"I would like to thank Coach Riley and his staff for recruiting me and giving me such a great opportunity to play at Nebraska," he wrote. "Also, I'd like to thank Coach Frost and his staff. I've enjoyed learning from them through out spring ball. The program is in great hands, however it was no longer the right fit for me schematically.
"Finally, thank you to my brothers and teammates for making my time here special. I love you guys and I apologize this did not work out as planned; however the future is bright. I wish the best for this Team!"Â
Husker assistants this spring complimented the work done by some of the fullbacks in practice over the spring, but also were not shy about discussing what the role for those players looked like going forward.Â
"We always tell the guys: the guys who are going to travel are the guys who can play special teams," offensive coordinator Troy Walters said last month.Â
Miles played on the Red team during the Red-White Spring Game on April 21 and carried the ball four times for 9 yards in the second half.
Miles was the only scholarship fullback on the NU roster and he is the second player to ask for his release this spring, following quarterback Patrick O'Brien.Â
By the Journal Star's count, Nebraska now stands at 87 scholarship players, two over the 85 limit the program must reach by the end of the summer.
Nebraska football scholarship chart
Position | Freshman | RS Freshman | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | Fifth/Sixth-year senior |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
QB (3) | Dylan Raiola | Heinrich Haarberg* | ||||
Daniel Kaelin | ||||||
RB (5) | Kwinten Ives* | Emmett Johnson* | Gabe Ervin Jr.* | Rahmir Johnson* | ||
Dante Dowdell | ||||||
TE/FB (7) | Ian Flynt | Ismael Smith Flores* | Janiran Bonner* | Thomas Fidone* | ||
Eric Ingwerson | Nate Boerkircher* | |||||
Carter Nelson | ||||||
WR (13) | Jacory Barney Jr. | Jaidyn Doss* | Malachi Coleman | Alex Bullock | Jahmal Banks* | Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda* |
Quinn Clark | Demitrius Bell* | Jaylen Lloyd | Isaiah Neyor* | |||
Dae'vonn Hall | ||||||
Isaiah McMorris | ||||||
Keelan Smith | ||||||
OL (19) | Grant Brix | Gunnar Gottula* | Justin Evans* | Henry Lutovsky* | Micah Mazzccua* | Bryce Benhart* |
Landen Davidson | Sam Sledge* | Jacob Hood* | Teddy Prochazka* | Ben Scott | Turner Corcoran* | |
Jake Peters | Jason Maciejczak* | Tyler Knaak* | Ru'Quan Buckley* | |||
Gibson Pyle | Brock Knutson* | |||||
Preston Taumua | ||||||
DL (15) | Ashton Murphy | Mason Goldman* | Brodie Tagaloa* | Jimari Butler* | Nash Hutmacher | Ty Robinson* |
Keona Wilhite | Vincent Carroll-Jackson* | Kai Wallin* | AJ Rollins* | |||
Sua Lefotu* | Riley Van Poppel | Chief Borders* | ||||
Cameron Lenhardt | Elijah Jeudy* | |||||
LB (11) | Vincent Shavers | Dylan Rogers* | Gage Stenger* | Mikai Gbayor* | MJ Sherman | John Bullock* |
Willis McGahee IV | Maverick Noonan* | Princewill Umanmielen | Stefon Thompson* | Javin Wright* | ||
DB (24) | Caleb Benning | Dwight Bootle II* | Ethan Nation | Marques Buford* | DeShon Singleton | Isaac Gifford |
Mario Buford | Syncere Safeeullah* | Blye Hill | Koby Bretz* | Tommi Hill | ||
Roger Gradney | Rahmir Stewart* | Malcolm Hartzog | ||||
Rex Guthrie | Jeremiah Charles* | |||||
Donovan Jones | D'Andre Barnes* | |||||
Braylen Prude | Brice Turner* | |||||
Amare Sanders | ||||||
Larry Tarver Jr. | ||||||
Evan Taylor | ||||||
Amare Sanders | ||||||
ST (3) | Kamdyn Koch | Tristan Alvano | Brian Buschini* | |||
Class Total | 30 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 7 | 10 |
Overall Total: | 100 | |||||
*Redshirt |