Furman University

Honors & Awards
2022 STATS Perform Walter Payton Award Watch List
2022 Preseason All-Southern Conference (1st Team)
2021 Associated Press All-America (3rd Team)
2021 STATS Perform All-America (3rd Team)
2021 All-Southern Conference (1st Team Media)
2021 All-Southern Conference (1st Team Coaches)
2020 Associated Press All-America (1st Team)
2020 STATS Perform All-America (2nd Team)
2020 All-Southern Conference (1st Team Media)
2020 All-Southern Conference (2nd Team Coaches)
2020 Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week (vs. Samford)

2021 — Confirmed his status as one of FCS’s best tight ends by landing Associated Press and STATS Perform All-America honors, in addition to consensus first team All-SoCon laurels...credited with 43 receptions for 749 yards (17.4 ypc) and seven touchowns — all team highs...ranked third in the SoCon in both receiving yards, touchdown receptions, and yards per catch (first in among TEs)...recorded a career high eight catches for 139 yards against East Tennessee State...had four catches for 124 yards, including a career long 87-yard catch and run for a touchdown in season opening, 29-18 win over 24th-ranked North Carolina A&T...87-yard reception tied for fourth longest in Furman history...had a 58-yard touchdown catch versus The Citadel (24-14 win), and had five grabs for 132 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown receptions against 19th-ranked VMI (37-31 win)...scored touchdowns in seven different games...strong season upped his career touchdown receptions tally to 16, a Furman record for tight ends.

2020 — Emerged as the Southern Conference’s and one of FCS’s top tight ends, catching 15 passes for 254 yards and six touchdowns...accorded first team Associated Press All-America honors and was a second team STATS Perform All-America honoree...national honors followed All-SoCon recognition by league head coaches and media...six TDs were the most by a Paladin tight end since Collin Anderson’s seven in 2011...top performance came against Samford (44-37 OT win) when he caught three passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns, including a 71-yard, fourth quarter score that helped complete a Furman comeback from 24-7 first half deficit...comeback from 17-point deficit was the largest in Paladin Stadium history...performance versus Samford netted him SoCon Offensive Player of the Week honors — the first by a Paladin receiver since 2004 (Isaac West vs. Wofford)...caught TD passes in five of seven games...had a 30-yard scoring grab vs. Mercer and a 28-yard catch for a touchdown against The Citadel.

2019 — Made 11 starts...caught 11 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns, the three scores ranking third on the squad...had two catches for 60 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown connection against Georgia State...had a 41-yard touchdown grab versus Mercer (45-10 win) and was on the receiving end of a 32-yard touchdown pass against Chattanooga (35-20 win)...had two catches for 41 yards against Austin Peay in FCS first round playoff action.  2018 — Saw playing time in nine games, eight of which came as a backup...made his career starting debut against Wofford (34-14 win), catching two passes for 31 yards...also caught a pair of passes against both Samford and Chattanooga (16-10 win)...hauled in a season long 47-yard reception versus Western Carolina (44-38 win).

High School: 2018 graduate of University School (Division 2 AA) of Jackson...football coach was Michael Stroup...played tight end, wide receiver, running back, middle linebacker, and defensive end...member of three state playoff teams...served as team captain, caught 69 passes for 1,149 yards and eight touchdowns, and rushed 51 times for 520 yards and 10 scores his senior year...top performance came in first round playoff contest versus Harding Academy (20 rushes, 254 yards, 5 TDs)...caught 82 passes for 1,529 yards and 18 TDs in 2016...three-time all-district and two-time all-state and All-West Tennessee pick...named 2017  D2-AA Offensive MVP...participated in 2017 East vs. West Tennessee All-Star Classic along with fellow Paladin Cameron Coleman...also played basketball and ran track, specializing in the high jump...voted Mr. USJ by senior class...four-year member of USJ band as a trombonist.

Personal: Full name is Ryan McKnight Miller...born February 20, 2000, in Jackson, Tennessee...son of David and Denise Miller...has a brother, Keaton...father, David, played baseball at Auburn (1983-86)...mother, Denise, was a cheerleader/dance team member at Middle Tennessee State (1983-87)...grandfather, Bill McKnight, played basketball at Lambuth University, and grandfather, Ed Miller, played tennis at Auburn...health sciences major.