A career in football is typically a roller coaster of uncertainty, but a recent Kent State football player turned pro is taking advantage of his current opportunity.

D.J. Miller, who played for Kent State as a cornerback in 2022 and 2023, spent part of the 2024 season with the Kansas City Chiefs before signing with the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League on Dec. 18, 2024. Six months later, he is a top defender in the league.

“This offers me a great opportunity to showcase my skill set and to work on my craft, so when I get my opportunity back in the NFL, I’m that much better than the last time I was there,” Miller said.

After spending his first three seasons in college with the Iowa State Cyclones, Miller transferred to Kent State, to which he gives credit for his development.

“Kent State helped a ton. It gave me a chance to really work on my craft and the technique,” Miller said. “I had great positional coaches that believed in me and taught me technique and taught me the game of football. They have done major, major work for my career in terms of where I’m at today in my skill set. They’ve done a lot, so I can’t thank those guys enough.”

Miller racked up 133 tackles, seven pass break-ups and one interception in two seasons with Kent State.

Mike Nolan, the coach of the Michigan Panthers, explained that four-time Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who currently runs the defense for the Kansas City Chiefs, recommended Miller to his squad.

“He spoke to our general manager, Steve Kazor, and recommended two players off of their team, and D.J. was one of them,” Nolan said. “We were watching film from his preseason as well as his college tape, and the defensive backs coach, the defensive coordinator, Steve and myself, all four of us were pretty excited about what he showed on tape.”

Nolan went on to say that after his team sent a player to the NFL, a starting spot opened up, which Miller earned.

“We had some returning players that were going to compete for the spot, but D.J. came in and won the position. He’s done a really good job since he got here,” he said.

Miller’s stats back up Nolan’s claim, as he is in the league’s upper echelon in two major categories through five weeks. His five pass break-ups land him tied for fifth in the UFL, while his two interceptions have him tied for second. 

Despite being just one of two players in the league to be in the top five in both categories, Miller gives his teammates the credit for giving him the opportunities to make a play.

“Honestly, I can’t do it without the D-line in front of me. Those guys are getting after the quarterback. We have a great D-line. It’s one of the best I’ve played with in my career this far, and they do half the job for me. They’re constantly putting pressure on the QB, making him see things, making him hit his reads too quickly or get a little antsy, and that’s all it takes,” Miller said. “With the linebackers and the rest of the back end doing their job and covering their guys, he’s bound to make a mistake and throw one up. Then, luckily and thankfully, I was there to make a play and catch the ball.”

Nolan cites work ethic as a key reason Miller has been successful so far this season, saying he makes up for being slightly undersized through being a hard worker.

“There’s a competitive level he has that I think is very good. He’s not intimidated by big guys or little guys or anybody from a coverage standpoint, and that’s a quality you need to have if you’re going to play as an NFL corner,” Nolan said. “He’s only about five-foot-ten, but if you have a six-foot cornerback that’s not very competitive, he’s not as good as a guy like D.J. In his case, he might be a half inch short of what people like, but his competitive level makes up the difference.”

As a team, the Panthers won three of their last four games, bringing them to a tie for the lead in the USFL Conference halfway through the season. Miller believes the team’s consistency has helped lead them to this point.

“We’re staying consistent and staying together through adverse times. We aren’t pointing a finger and saying, ‘We aren’t where we want to be because of him or her or anybody.’ We’re just staying consistent, playing as a team and understanding that there are going to be ups and downs in a game of football and ups and downs in the season, but we have to keep pushing,” Miller said. 

Even though he is a top-tier defender in the UFL, Miller says he wants to master being an elite cornerback.

“I’m working on being able to truly master man and being a true lockdown corner in man coverage, whether it’s in press coverage, off coverage, no matter the cut split, the wide split, no matter the case,” Miller said. “We mostly play man, so I’ve been getting a lot of great reps, a lot of great feedback, and I’ve just been continuing to improve myself and improve my craft.”

Miller did not mention an NFL return as a goal, but rather being the best and most complete player possible.

“I just want to be the best version of myself. I really want to master the position of defensive back. Right now I’m at cornerback, but when I was with the Chiefs, I played safety. When I was at Kent, I played corner, and when I was at Iowa State, I played safety and nickel,” Miller said. “I want to truly be the ultimate Swiss Army knife, the ultimate versatile player in the back end to where you can put me at any position and I play at an elite level. That’s my ultimate goal.”

Miller may not have mentioned the NFL as a goal, but Nolan believes his future may hold another chance.

“If he continues to play like he has and get better each week, I would expect NFL teams to give him a tryout, and at that point, it’s on him, again, to make things fly,” Nolan said.

In a career full of unknowns and uncontrollable factors, Miller is focused on improving on what he can and becoming his best. 

“It’s not about rings or honors. All of that is great, but I would love to master each position and control what I can control,” he said.

Demetri Manousos is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].