COLUMBUS, Ohio — Permitting he's healthy, Braxton Miller will be able to play college football in 2015.
That's the ruling the NCAA made on Thursday when it was revealed the Ohio State quarterback's eligibility will not be affected by a minor violation he committed two weeks ago on social media. Posing alongside a line of AdvoCare supplements, Miller encouraged followers on his Instagram account to purchase the products from him, which the NCAA deemed to be a violation of profiting off of his likeness.
"The NCAA has determined that Braxton Miller’s Instagram post on March 24, 2015, was deemed to be a promotion of a commercial product," Ohio State said in a statement on Thursday."The Ohio State University Dept. of Athletics reported the incident to the NCAA, and the NCAA has reinstated Braxton’s eligibility without any conditions. This was considered a minor violation and the matter is now closed."
Although not unexpected, that's obviously good news for Miller, who continues to rehab from the torn labrum in his throwing shoulder that ended his 2014 season before it began last August. Any eligibility issues would have only been another hurdle for the two-time Big Ten MVP to clear as he attempts to re-establish himself as one of college football's top players.
So what's next for Miller?
While the speedy signal-caller may have evaded the NCAA, Miller still faces an uphill climb as he prepares for what could be an unprecedented quarterback competition in Columbus this summer. With Cardale Jones coming off of a national championship run and J.T. Barrett filling his trophy case and rewriting the Buckeyes record book in Miller's absence, Urban Meyer will have to choose from three qualified candidates to start behind center this fall.
And at the midway point of spring practice, Miller appears to be falling behind.
Not because of anything he's done—the minor violation included—but more because of what he hasn't done this spring.
While Miller stands on the sideline, unable to participate in passing drills, Jones is getting the bulk of the reps with Ohio State's first-team offense. Barrett, meanwhile, has been able to participate in seven-on-seven drills throughout the spring, despite still recovering from a fractured ankle suffered in last season's regular-season finale.
That means Miller will not only have the longest layoff of the three quarterbacks when it comes to quality snaps, but he'll already be behind Jones and Barrett when it comes to developing chemistry with the Buckeyes wide receivers. Of Ohio State's top returning pass-catchers for 2015, Miller has only spent extensive time playing with tight end Nick Vannett, who caught 15 passes for 203 yards and one touchdown from 2012-13, and Dontre Wilson, who tallied 22 receptions for 210 yards and two touchdowns in 2013.
One of Miller's favorite workout partners, Michael Thomas, played alongside the Huber Heights, Ohio, native in 2012, catching three passes for 22 yards as a true freshman, and he also thrived under the combination of Barrett and Jones, recording a team-high 54 receptions in 2014. Thomas is sitting out the remainder of the Buckeyes' spring after undergoing sports hernia surgery, only opening the door for younger receivers like Jalin Marshall, Noah Brown, Johnnie Dixon and Parris Campbell to receive increased reps with Jones and Barrett.
But hindering Miller more than the chemistry he is missing out on is the severity of the injury he's trying to bounce back from. In some cases, it can be career-ending for a quarterback, and Miller has been taking his recovery with extreme precaution, as it was a reinjury of his shoulder that caused him to sit out last season in the first place.
Between his injury, his layoff from football and the possibility that Jones and/or Barrett may just be a better fit for the Buckeyes, Miller certainly has his work cut out for him. Arguably the most talented of the three, there's no counting Miller out when it comes to this summer's competition—and the possibility of using his ability as a graduate transfer still exists—but the obstacles in his path are clear.
Which is what makes Thursday's news so important for the fifth-year senior, as it's one less issue he'll have to deal with as he attempts his comeback. His circumstances may not be ideal, but it won't be his eligibility that stands in the way of Miller reclaiming his status as Ohio State's starting quarterback.
Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of CFBStats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.
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