The Omarion Miller breakout season was supposed to happen a year ago. In a game against Kansas State in October, Miller announced himself on the national stage with a monster game. He caught eight passes for 145 yards in the Buffaloes' narrow loss to the Wildcats. In a cruel twist of fate, however, Miller broke his leg in the game and missed the remainder of the season.
So while the breakout is now a year overdue, Miller is set up for a monster season in 2025 for Colorado and figures to be the team's No. 1 WR in a room that was completely re-tooled. The Buffs lost their four leading receivers from a year ago, so opportunities are wide open.
Miller is flying under the radar nationally as one of college football's best kept secrets.
Miller has been terrific in the early part of fall camp. Every day, and regardless of whether it is Kaidon Salter or JuJu Lewis throwing him the ball, Miller is making plays. He's developed chemistry with both of the new quarterbacks already.
It's clear that excitement around Miller is reaching a fever-pitch, not just within the Colorado fanbase, but in the locker room, too. OC Pat Shurmur and versatile offensive playmaker Dre'lon Miller raved about him after Friday's practice.
Pat Shurmur and Dre'lon Miller spoke glowingly about Omarion Miller
Colorado OC Pat Shurmur called Miller "dynamic and explosive."
"I see a totally different man in Omarion than when I got here two years ago," Miller said.
Shurmur knows how important it is for Colorado to find its playmakers at receiver this year after losing so much talent from a year ago. There's plenty of talent in the room, but a lot of it is new to the program. Miller has been here. He's entering his third year in Boulder, and he is a proven commodity that just needs to stay healthy to show the world what he can do.
When Dre'lon Miller was asked about his teammate, he couldn't stop smiling.
"I'm excited," Miller said. "Our biggest thing is just him staying healthy. I know what he can do when he's healthy, and I'm just ready for him, I'm excited for him."
There are a lot of justified question marks about Colorado heading into 2025. The team lost a ton of talent from last season, including two program-altering players in Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. But the cupboards are nowhere close to bare. Coach Prime has brought plenty of talent to Boulder, and this season will look more like a reload instead of a rebuild.
Omarion Miller will be a big reason for that. He's ready for his time in the spotlight. Health permitting, his ability won't be a secret for much longer.