Ricardo Miller Ricardo Miller ( born April 2 , 1992 ) is an American football tight end for the Michigan Wolverines football team . He was the first player to commit to Michigan ’ s 2010 recruiting class and enrolled at the University of Michigan in January 2010 . Early years . Miller was born in Hampton , Virginia but moved to Orlando , Florida with his family as a second grader . Both of his parents , Anne Reagor - Miller and Derek Miller , are retired military personnel who worked to instill " strong discipline and work ethic " in their children . Miller ' s mother noted that his coaches always said he was something special as an athlete . She described her son as a workaholic relentlessly striving to improve himself : " He ' s always in overdrive , always giving 110 percent . I ' ve never had to make him do things because he takes the initiative to do it himself . Hard work and commitment pays off , and now he ’ s learning that . " Commonly refer to as a switchout Dr . Phillips High School . Miller first gained attention as a wide receiver for Dr . Phillips High School in Orlando . He played two years of varsity football at Dr . Phillips from 2007 to 2008 . His coach told a Florida newspaper , " Sometimes , we have to keep him from working too hard . He does everything to the max . " Miller participated in the University of Michigan football camp in the summer of 2008 , where he was named one of camp ' s top five stars . After he helped lead Dr . Phillips to the championship at the University of Central Florida ' s annual seven - on - seven tournament in June 2008 , the Miami Herald touted him as one of the " impressive rising juniors " in the tournament . As a junior , he weighed 205 pounds and ran the 40 - yard dash in 4 . 47 seconds . Early commitment to Michigan . At the beginning of his junior year at Dr . Phillips in September 2008 , Miller gave an oral commitment to the University of Michigan . The " Orlando Sentinel " described him at the time as a " standout " who played " a major role " in Dr . Phillips ' strong start in the 2008 football season . A Michigan assistant coach attended Dr . Phillips ' victory over Seminole High School , and Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez called the following Monday with a scholarship offer . Miller , whose mother is a 1985 graduate of the University of Michigan , gave Rodriguez his verbal commitment on the spot . He was the first player in Michigan ' s 2010 recruiting class . Miller told a Florida newspaper that Urban Meyer was the first college coach who attempted to recruit him , but he had his heart set on Michigan . Miller received scholarship offers from 30 universities , including Florida , Tennessee , Alabama , LSU , UCLA and Notre Dame . Miller said he chose Michigan because " I felt this is where I can make my mark at the beginning of my football career and be a part of a great tradition and family . " Ann Arbor Pioneer High School . In June 2009 , after his junior year of high school , Miller moved with his family to Ann Arbor , Michigan . Miller said that he decided to move to Michigan a year early to acclimate himself to Michigan . He told the Detroit Free Press at the time , " To be able to have the chance to get used to the cold and going to the ( Michigan ) games on Saturday is something I am really looking forward to . It ’ s going to be great being up there in that atmosphere with Michigan right across the street . " Miller added , " I am going to be around the ( Michigan ) coaches a lot and very early , " he said . " I am graduating early and starting the process earlier , so it should be a good transition for me . " Miller spent the fall semester at Ann Arbor Pioneer High School . At the time , ESPN . com published a feature story on Miller and noted : " Ricardo Miller isn ' t your typical transfer student . The 6 - foot - 3 210 - pound wide receiver arrived in Ann Arbor only days before summer workouts began . His reputation as a big - play receiver preceded him ; he became a household name at Orlando ' s Dr . Phillips High School , where he had 34 catches for 615 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior . " During the 2009 football season , Miller played wide receiver for Pioneer High at Hollway Field , which is located across the street from Michigan Stadium . Miller told ESPN that playing in the shadow of the Big House inspired him : " On the days when I ' m not going 100 percent or I ' m slacking off , I ' ll just look at that big block M and that will give me the lift that I need to pick it up . " He scored his first touchdown on a 55 - yard touchdown pass in Pioneer ' s 45 - 0 win over Dexter . He caught three touchdown passes in a 41 - 6 victory over Monroe and played games against fellow 2010 Michigan recruits Jeremy Jackson ( Ann Arbor Huron High School ) and Devin Gardner ( Inkster ) . He helped lead 2009 Pioneer team to a 7 - 2 record with 23 catches for 493 yards ( 21 . 4 yards per catch ) and eight touchdowns . Scout . com rated Miller as a four - star wide receiver with " an unbelievable physical package . " Scout . com ’ s Midwest Recruiting Manager Allen Trieu said of Miller : " He has great size and has worked hard in the weight room . He is stronger and physically ahead of where a high school senior entering college should be … For someone with his size , he has good straight line speed and shows the ability to snatch the ball out of the air . " University of Michigan . Miller became an early enrollee at Michigan in January 2010 . After national signing day in early February , Miller expressed confidence in himself , predicting he could be the next Braylon Edwards : " I feel most certain I can be the next Braylon Edwards . I ' m not saying this because I ' m arrogant or cocky . I just feel that the work I put in on the field and off the field , and the type of player I already am with my height and my hands . . . Braylon Edwards was an idol to me . He ' s known for going up and getting balls and being very versatile with his route running . So with that in mind I just feel I can be the next No . 1 receiver that everybody will talk about . " He said that getting the No . 1 jersey worn by Edwards and other Michigan receivers was a milestone and " something I ' ve used as motivation for all the years I ' ve been playing football . " In addition to his talent as a player , Miller earned praise for his efforts as a recruiter for the Michigan football program . Miller told " The Detroit News " , " I felt like I was a leader of my class . And what do leaders do ? They recruit . They recruit troops . My fellow recruits are troops , and I wanted to have the best army , the best team we could possibly have . " After national signing day in early February 2010 , the " Detroit Free Press " reported : " The freshman wide receiver embraced it like no one else . He was the first member of the 2010 class , committing in September 2008 , and took control from there . By his estimate , he called 50 other players in the past two years to try to persuade them to attend Michigan , including some in the 2009 class - - a year before he could even sign his letter of intent . " In February 2010 , " The Macomb Daily " wrote that Miller " has tremendous upside and should make an immediate impact " at Michigan . ESPN . com calls him " an intriguing prospect that is essentially a wide receiver with H - back size and toughness " who " could easily develop into a 225 - pound hybrid player with a ton of versatility . " Miller redshirt ed in 2010 . He will use his first year of eligibility for the 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team .