National Signing Day 2015: Welcome to Penn State, Jarvis Miller

Penn State's first verbal commitment from the Class of 2015 is officially a Nittany Lion.

By Matt de Bear Feb 4, 2015, 9:08am EST

Welcome to Black Shoe Diaries' coverage of National Signing Day 2015. We're here to make sure that you know exactly who the newest Nittany Lions are, where they come from, and what we can expect of them. Each of these reports will include their vital information, their high school statistics, highlight tape analysis, outlook for their freshmen seasons and more. We sincerely hope you enjoy getting to know the stars of tomorrow. If you've been reading along with our recruiting coverage all year, we appreciate the support and are glad you hung around with us for the ride that was the 2015 recruiting class. If you are a new reader, welcome! We're glad you're here, and we hope you stick around for 2016!

To navigate your way to other members of the 2015 recruiting class, simply head back to our draft board and click on the player of your choice.

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Just a little less than a year ago, Jarvis Miller became the first player to verbally commit to Penn State. At the time he was a relatively unknown "jack of all trades", projected to play safety. Since committing back in February of 2014, Jarvis earned a third star, and perhaps much more notable, an offer from Michigan State. He has never wavered from his commitment to Penn State though, and is now officially a member of the Class of 2015.

The leader of 7-time B1G champions @PSUWomenSoccer Coach @EWalsh7 welcomes @Jarvis_9! #PSUSigningDay pic.twitter.com/XtzcUw8kYR
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) February 4, 2015

Stats

Hometown: Suffield, CT

High School: Suffield

Position: Safety

Height/Weight: 6'1"/200

247Composite Rank: ★★★ (0.8457)

Positional Rank: #72 Safety, #5 player in Connecticut

Commitment Date: February 15, 2014

247 Crystal Ball:

High School Stats

Year	GP	Rush Yards	Yards/Carry	Yards/Game	TD	Tackles	Tackles/Game	INT
Senior	11	1,714	13.4	155.8	21	80	7.3	6
Junior	10	1,611	11.6	161.1	17	81	8.1	1

Highlight Tape

Scouting Report

Jarvis played both ways in high school, putting up over 3,000 yards and 38 touchdowns as a running back over the last two years. Although he will play in the secondary once arriving at Penn State,you can see what makes him appealing as a defensive back prospect. He may not have the raw athleticism of more highly ranked prospects, but he has very impressive speed, especially for his size. That should translate quite effectively to what Bob Shoop wants from his safeties.

Evaluating highlight film for players from areas of the country that are not necessarily rich in talent can be difficult and misleading sometimes. Miller appears to be the real deal, though. When you can dominate on both sides of the ball the way he did, the level of competition matters a little bit less.

Immediate Outlook

PSU is not terribly deep or experienced at safety, with only Marcus Allen, Troy Apke and Malik Golden returning, as well as Jordan Lucas seemingly moving from cornerback. I would not be surprised if the staff hopes to redshirt Miller, hoping to adding size and strength, although he could certainly play his way into a support role in the defensive backfield, or on special teams.

Of all the safeties Penn State is bringing in (and players, for that matter), Miller may be one of the more versatile. It will be tough for Shoop and Huff to keep him off the field, particularly if injury issues arise. However, if things all go according to plan, Miller is the kind of player that you would rather have for an extra year, and teach him how to truly take advantage of all his athleticism. A redshirt is probably in his future.

National Signing Day 2015: Welcome to Penn State, Jarvis Miller