DJ Miller is a man who believes he can be great, and has the skills to do just that
Zach Calzada has been around the block.
He’s played in the SEC at Texas A&M, had a stop at Auburn, lit up the FCS with Incarnate Word, and now he’s leading Kentucky football into a new era. So when he says DJ Miller is the best true freshman wide receiver he’s ever seen, it carries some serious weight.
“The biggest thing to me was I knew he was talented,” Calzada said, “but he does everything right. He comes in, he’s where he’s supposed to be, when he’s supposed to be there, and he just goes to work.”
That’s not lip service. Miller, a three-star recruit out of St. Louis, Missouri, arrived in Lexington without the fanfare of a five-star label—but he’s already turning heads. Standing 6-foot-3 and sporting the confidence of a veteran, Miller’s blend of sharp route-running and mental toughness has caught the attention of teammates, coaches, and now fans.
“I feel like, either way, I’ll have an instant impact,” Miller said in spring camp. “Just because of my ability. … We got a lot of talent, like the whole room. I feel excited.”
So does his head coach.
“He’s just one of those guys,” Mark Stoops said. “He operates really smooth. I’d like to see a little more urgency out of him at times, but he is definitely a great young man. And works really hard and likes the coaching.”
Stoops typically plays the long game with young receivers, often preferring to redshirt them. But with so much turnover in the WR room following WR coach Daikiel Shorts' departure to Nebraska, there may be early snaps up for grabs. Miller could see action in the first four games, even if the staff leans toward a developmental redshirt.
And if he balls out? That redshirt plan may go out the window.
Kentucky’s passing attack needs new life after a frustrating 2024, and DJ Miller might be the surprise spark that ignites it. Don’t be shocked if the best freshman receiver Zach Calzada’s ever seen becomes one of the SEC’s breakout stars before long.