Mizzou CB commit T'ari Miller breaks out of shell during OT7 circuit

T’ari Miller already possessed the frame of a Division-I defensive back, but it became a matter of breaking him out of the shell that held those Power Four traits.

Miller played on the OT7 circuit, a 7-on-7 football league, this past year. While rostered by Hellstar, the Class of 2027 three-star starred in a safety role. As the season progressed, the cornerback, who committed to the Missouri this past Sunday, also found his voice.

“Being around other kids that weren’t from the same area and having their personalities mix together on the field and off the field doing team stuff, he ended up just coming out that shell,” general manager and coach Juice Dixon said. “When we first came into contact, he didn’t talk a lot. But as time went by, he started getting real close, asking for advice, whether it was recruiting or on the field play.”

When he first met Dixon, Miller didn’t say much. He wore his headphones as a standoffish person, but Dixon wanted more from the Miami (Fla.) Central athlete. The two started to build trust through early conversations, telling quick jokes and bonding over the sport.

“I’m the type of coach that I want to be more than just on the field with you,” Dixon said. “I want to see what’s going through your head.”

While finding his voice, Miller never lost his specs. A 6-foot-4, 187-pound cornerback, he possessed the frame of some high-ranked wide receivers in the Sunshine State. Even when he found himself “out of phase” in plays, Miller put himself back into competition with a pass-catcher because of his arm length.

“He’s actually just a better safety than he is a corner, man,” Dixon said. “He became one of the leaders on the defense, and he just became an all-lockdown (defender) for us.”

This past weekend, Miller officially visited Missouri alongside his former HellStar teammate Alan Blackshere. A three-star Miami (Fla.) Carol City safety, Blackshere committed to Connecticut in early June.

“I smile, man,” Dixon said about seeing Blackshere and Miller visit Missouri together. “I put both of them at safety, and I told them, ‘Man, it’s gonna be crazy if both y’all end up together.'”