Earlier today, Texas A&M superstar Brandon Miller announced via Instagram that he will be turning pro. The middle distance phenom will be venturing to Los Angeles to train under Bobby Kersee, a Class of 2017 inductee to the USTFCCCA Coaches Hall of Fame.
It is not yet clear who Miller's professional sponsor will be.
The timing of Miller's decision comes as a minor surprise, although there is hardly in any doubt that the Aggie product is capable of competing at the professional level. It should also be noted that 2021 Olympic champion, Athing Mu, will be joining Miller in Los Angeles to train under Bobby Kersee.
At the collegiate level, Miller has qualified for three national meets on the track during his four seasons at Texas A&M. In the 800 meters, the Missouri native finished finished runner-up at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships, secured a national title at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships and most recently placed 3rd at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
However, maybe more importantly, Brandon Miller has run a personal best of 1:44.97 over 800 meters, a mark which sits at NCAA #21 All-Time on the outdoor oval. On the indoor track, Miller has run 1:45.24 for 800 meters which sits at NCAA #3 All-Time.
Miller has also competed at the 2021 USA Olympic Trials as well as the 2022 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. After placing 3rd overall in the latter meet, Miller qualified for the 2022 World Championships which were hosted in Eugene, Oregon this past summer.
With Miller now expected to be out of the NCAA, and 2021 outdoor national champion, Moad Zahafi, no longer listed on Texas Tech's 2022-23 track and field roster, the overall national title favorite this year will likely be Mississippi State's Navasky Anderson (based on TFRRS eligibility).
However, it's not entirely clear if Anderson has any indoor track eligibility remaining. We should also note that Mississippi State's roster is not updated to show whether or not Anderson has chosen to return to the school.
Anderson had a breakout spring season in 2022, winning the SEC outdoor title, running 1:45 for 800 meters and finishing runner-up at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.