Notre Dame Film Room: 2024 Safety Oliver Miles III
Amongst a crowded safety room in 2024, El Campo (Texas) High School athlete Oliver Miles III is one of the more intriguing football players overall. Playing a lot as a dual threat quarterback, Miles has a lot of physical traits that project favorably on a full time defensive basis.
Let’s take a look at what Miles brings to the field. It is a bit of a projection, but it’s one with substantial upside.
PROSPECT PROFILE
Hometown/High School: El Campo, Texas / El Campo
Height/Weight: 6-2 / 170
IB Grade: 3.5 (Top 350 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5
Offers: Notre Dame, Nebraska, Stanford, Utah, Texas Tech, Baylor, Vanderbilt, Houston
FILM ROOM
Here is what Miles brings to the field.
Size/Frame/Strength - Miles has a nice frame that has a lot of room to grow and should adequately do so moving forward. He is tall, relatively long and has developmental potential to carry 195 to 200 pounds down the line. On defense, Miles’ power profile is something that is not evident on film, which drags his film down a bit. He runs pretty violently, including nice contact balance, so it should translate but there are just no reps of him playing in run defense. There is no telling what his impact in that department will be.
Athletic Skills - From an athleticism perspective, Miles is an explosive athlete who gets up to his top speed in a hurry. Miles is also a standout long jumper (22’8”) and triple jumper (49' 0.5”) for the El Campo track and field program. Whether it is running the football or breaking on the football defensively, Miles’ explosiveness is on full display. He also does change direction well, quickly transitioning laterally and opening his hips. When he declares downhill, he works up to top speed incredibly quickly, which helps his range big time. Playing from depth is Miles’ biggest strength right now. He’s a tangy player on the back end, which allows him to make a lot of plays on the football. Long speed is something that is a bit of a question mark for Miles. The Texas native definitely appears to be more of a short area athlete.
Instincts/Technique - From a technical perspective, Miles is a work in progress. He is asked to do so much for El Campo that there is clearly development that needs to happen from a fundamental standpoint. It undoubtedly will once he focuses on one position. Miles is an all around athlete that always seems to be in the right place at the right time. He is an incredibly proactive football player who has the play recognition to always seem a step ahead of the opposition. That play recognition pops up most as a post safety. Miles quickly diagnoses and plays the passing games at a high level. His footwork is an area of focus moving forward. As he plays safety at a more consistent rate, it should come quickly.
Coverage Ability - Smooth and explosive is the name of the game for Miles. He has taken reps at both safety and cornerback during his junior season, making plays on the football at both positions. His ball skills and body control are incredible. Miles has made a variety of plays on the football and finishing plays through contact in the air. He also has nice range working over from the middle of the field, making a variety of plays despite limited opportunities on defense. Whether a two high safety or occasionally in the middle of the field, Miles has some upside as a free safety.
Run Game - This is an area that is a complete unknown. Yes, Miles has some physicality to him. He also has nice contact balance to work through traffic, which again should project well to come to balance and strike as a tackler. The only defensive plays on film are in pass coverage, however, so it’s impossible to know his upside as a run defender.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
Miles is in need of filling out his frame, which isn’t overly surprising for a high school junior. His tackling is the biggest question mark for him, which can be somewhat negated if he is able to add good mass to his frame.
Otherwise, it’s about playing safety at a higher clip and getting comfortable doing so. Right now Miles is asked to do so much for El Campo that it prevents him from developing one area of his game. His upside is legitimate.
NOTRE DAME FIT
Miles is an incredibly intriguing safety option on the next level for Notre Dame. He brings an athletic profile that should allow him to rotate to depth a ton and make a variety of plays in coverage. When Miles can rotate down, he also has tremendous upside playing in short spaces. That allows Miles to become a versatile asset on the back end.
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