Injuries forcing Indiana football tight end to medically retire

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football coach Tom Allen announced on Wednesday that tight end Ryan Miller has retired and signed a medical hardship waiver.

The waiver allows an athlete to retain their scholarship without counting against the team’s 85-player limit. The Hoosiers had recently put a pair of walk-ons — linebacker Matt Hohlt and tight end Trey Walker — on scholarship during fall camp.

On Sunday night, Miller indicated he would be stepping away from football after undergoing a second hip surgery. He enrolled last spring as part of Indiana’s 2022 signing class, but missed the season and redshirted because of an injury.

“After undergoing a 2nd hip surgery on top of countless other injuries, myself as well as the medical staff here at Indiana have decided that it is within the best interest for my future health that I medically retire from the game of football,” Miller wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “This game has given me countless relationships and taught me so many life lessons that will last a lifetime. I have given my all for this game but it is time to hand up the cleats.”

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Miller was a three-star signee out of Kenston High School in Ohio. He had 14 scholarship offers including ones from Auburn, Iowa State, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisville and West Virginia.

The injury should hurt Indiana’s depth at tight end going into the 2023 season. The Hoosiers have signed multiple tight ends in each of the last three signing classes and added transfer tight end Bradley Archer (Stanford) during the offseason.

Miller is the third player to leave the program this summer.

Allen announced wide receiver David Baker has signed a medical hardship waiver at the start of fall camp and offensive lineman Cam Knight retired from football.

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on Twitter @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.