GREENVILLE, S.C. – Furman senior All-America tight end Ryan Miller has been named a finalist for the 2022 Blanchard-Rogers Award, presented annually by the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame to the most outstanding collegiate player with Palmetto State ties.
Miller is the only player from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) ranks among the 10 finalists, six of whom represent Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs.
Click here for a list of the 10 finalists.
The recipient of the Blanchard-Rogers Award will be announced at the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame's Enshrinement Banquet, scheduled for April 21, 2023, at the Hilton in Greenville.
Voting is completed online at scfootballhof.org and open to everyone who would like to participate. The voting period runs through Jan. 10, 2023, and provides SCFHOF members, football fans, and media outlets an opportunity to provide a singular vote to help determine the 2022 Blanchard-Rogers Trophy winner.
The Blanchard-Rogers Trophy is named for Heisman Trophy winners Felix "Doc" Blanchard (McColl, S.C./Army/1945) and George Rogers (USC/1980). The trophy has been used to honor the South Carolina Collegiate Player of the Year since the 2016 season. The player of the year award has been given out by the SCFHOF annually since the 2013 season.
Miller has earned first-team All-America tabs from four organizations this season, including HERO Sports, The Associated Press, FCS Athletic Directors Association, and Stats Perform. The 2022 AFCA FCS All-America squad will be announced on Thursday.
He is the first three-time All-America football player in Furman history, which dates from 1889 and spans 117 seasons of play.
The Jackson, Tennessee, product caught 72 passes for 762 yards and a school season-record 12 touchdowns this season in helping Furman to a 10-3 record and second-round appearance in the FCS Playoffs. The Paladins posted a 7-1 Southern Conference mark and finished the regular season ranked No. 11 in both AFCA and Stats Perform Top 25 Polls.
Miller played in 54 games and made 43 starts during his Paladin tenure on the way to recording 151 receptions for 2,146 yards and a Furman career standard 28 touchdown catches. He tied a 53-year-old Furman standard when he caught 13 passes, including a 25-yard touchdown grab, against then-FBS fifth-ranked Clemson on Sept. 10. He recorded 15 touchdown catches in his last 16 games.
He is scheduled to play in the 2023 Hula Bowl on Jan. 13 in Orlando, Florida.