It would probably be difficult to wipe the smile off Zac Etheridge's face at the start of this week.
The former Auburn football standout and first-year cornerbacks coach already inherited a talented trio to work with during his first season back on the Plains. And on Monday, a deep room got even deeper with the addition of Dreshun Miller.
The West Virginia transfer announced his intent to join the Tigers via social media.
Miller, a Kennesaw, Ga., native who played at Sprayberry High, spent the past two seasons with the Mountaineers after two at Eastern Arizona College. He redshirted the 2019 season because of injury, so he still has two years of eligibility remaining — 2020 does not count against players. He's a graduate, too, so he can play immediately.
The 6-foot-1, 192-pound cornerback recorded 44 tackles, 12 pass breakups and a forced fumble during his last season at Eastern Arizona, which ended with a trip to the 2018 NJCAA championship game. He totaled 31 tackles, eight pass breakups and an interception as a starter for West Virginia, which led the nation allowing just 159.6 passing yards a game last season.
At Auburn, Miller will join a cornerback group that returns its top four contributors from last season in Roger McCreary, Nehemiah Pritchett, Jaylin Simpson and Marco Domio. The first three were standouts.
McCreary was a lockdown cornerback in his first season atop the depth chart, totaling three interceptions and grading out as the SEC’s No. 4 cornerback, per Pro Football Focus. Pritchett broke up 10 passes and allowed just 2.9 yards per target in coverage, per CFB Film Room — the lowest total in SEC play since 2016. Simpson’s numbers were just as good as both despite him being hampered by injuries throughout the season.
Miller is the second transfer to join Auburn since Bryan Harsin took over as head coach — the Tigers also landed edge rusher Eku Leota from Northwestern, who is also immediately eligible as a graduate. Four-star 2021 edge rusher Dylan Brooks committed to Auburn on Saturday after securing his release from Tennessee.
The Tigers are scheduled to begin spring practice March 16. The A-Day spring game is set for April 17.
