Up Close & Personal: CB Jordan Miner
He attended high school in Florida, deep in the heart of SEC country, but Jordan Miner’s mind was on the Big Ten.
A four-star recruit and Rivals250 member, Miner accumulated offers from 10 Southeastern Conference schools. But he committed to Penn State last summer, motivated in part by the close proximity of several family members.
“Ninety percent of our family lives within six hours of Penn State... so the majority of our family is in the northeast corner of the country,” said John Miner, Jordan’s father. “So choosing Penn State was an easy decision for him, and that was one of the things he said first. His preference was to play in the Big Ten Conference because of the proximity of the family up there.”
Miner attends Wiregrass Ranch High in Wesley Chapel, just outside of Tampa. He is one of two Tampa prospects in the 2018 class, joining Plant High defensive tackle Judge Culpepper, who’s also headed to University Park. Their signings were the result of increased efforts by James Franklin and his staff in talent-laden Florida. A year earlier, the Lions landed receiver K.J. Hamler out of IMG Academy in Bradenton.
Miner, a talented player on both sides of the ball, was willing to shape his game to fit in with Penn State’s vision for him as a college athlete.
“I’ve been recruited for offense and defense,” Jordan said. “I just felt that Penn State was a good home for me, so I was just going to play wherever they wanted me to play.”
The 6-foot, 180-pound Miner saw time on offense in each of his four seasons at Wiregrass Ranch. His statistics didn’t jump off the page until his senior year, when he accumulated 1,183 all-purpose yards and nine touchdowns. He is listed as a cornerback by Penn State and is expected to start out his college career on the defensive side of the ball. But the experience he gained practicing and playing with the Bulls’ offense helped give him an edge in the secondary.
“It helps me,” said Miner, who totaled 39 tackles, four interceptions and five pass deflections as a senior. “I played offense and defense, so when I’m on defense I know what to expect from the offense and vice versa.”
Some of the most valuable lessons Miner learned during his All-State high school career were from his time as a quarterback. That was the position he played growing up, and he also saw action there during his senior season.
“Jordan definitely has a good head for the game,” John Miner said. “He’s been a quarterback since he was like 7 years old, so he knows he can see the whole field. Jordan has good field vision. ... Being a defensive back, he can anticipate what the quarterback is going to be doing by just looking at the quarterback or even the receivers, since he played receiver as well.”
That maturity is especially important for someone Miner’s age. The youngest signee in Penn State’s class, he won’t turn 18 until November. Given his youth, Penn State’s strength facilities and coaching will be especially crucial, and he’s already working to develop his body. The goal, he said, is to get “bigger, stronger and faster, so hopefully I can go in and play. I’m not looking to start right away, but maybe have an impact on special teams or some late-in-the-game situations.”
At 180 pounds, Miner is also the second lightest member of Penn State’s incoming class. Only receiver Jahan Dotson weighs less at 165 pounds. But John Miner is confident that his son will be able to build the muscle he is going to need in order to excel at the college level.
“I see Jordan being able to pack on easily 20, 25 pounds without hindering his speed or anything,” he said.
John Miner also explained that his son has always used his youth as a sort of motivational tool in competition, and he doesn’t expect it to be an impediment in college.
“He played varsity as a 13-year-old freshman,” John said. “I think it’s going to be the same thing. There’s definitely going to be a learning curve as far as dealing with the size and speed of the game, but I know he’s up for the challenge.”