Bigger, stronger Miller readying for year two

AUBURN | When Izavion Miller arrived in Auburn for the spring of 2023, the junior college transfer didn’t expect to start right away.

He thought there would be a learning curve and it would take time for him to develop into a first-team SEC player.

Miller, who goes by Too Tall, ended up starting all 13 of the Tigers’ games at right tackle last season. But he was right about the learning curve, and it’s a process he’s still going through.

“I thought I did pretty good actually,” said Miller of last season. “I wasn't coming in expecting to start, but it got drilled into me soon that I needed to get it going. So I started to get it going and haven't stopped yet. Hopefully I don't stop.”

Miller was committed to Ole Miss but flipped to Auburn after the Tigers hired offensive line coach Jake Thornton away from the Rebels. Thornton saw something special in Miller and is pleased with the progress he’s made and is still making.

“He ended up winning that job out of fall camp because he had really good weight on him and he was athletic and explosive,” said Thornton. “He did battle some ankle stuff during the season but once he got healthy, i thought he performed well down the stretch, particularly well in the run game against Alabama. He showed some energy and competitiveness that we were really looking from him at that position.

“And he’s really built on that coming into the offseason. He’s got to continue to gain weight but his weight is a good weight right now. He’s carrying it well. He’s strong. He’s focused a lot on his technique. He was probably the best one of any of those guys that really self-scouted himself from last year and said, ‘OK, this is what I’ve got to work on. This is what I need to do.’ And it’s paying off for him right now.”

Continuing to add strength and weight while improving his fundamentals has been Miller’s focus during the offseason. He was around 300 pounds during the spring and is hoping to be up to 310-315 by the start of preseason practice.

“It was getting stronger. And I think I did that, but I need to put on more weight now that I got stronger,” said Miller.

That extra strength and weight is vital to Miller’s success competing in the SEC.

“You have to like constantly maul a person. Moving a person against their will is not easy every play,” he said.

Miller is one of three returning starter on AU’s offensive line this season going center Connor Lew and Dillon Wade, who moved from left tackle to left guard.

The Tigers added Mississippi State transfer Percy Lewis at left tackle and fifth-year junior Jeremiah Wright came out of spring as the starter at right guard next to Miller.

“We're going to be strong, fearless and powerful. Relentless is the word, actually,” said Miler of AU’s offensive line this season.

Auburn opens the season against Alabama A&M Aug. 31 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.