Former Penn State defensive back heading to East Coast Big Ten rival

Junior cornerback Cam Miller was forced into a starting role in the slot after starting safety Kevin Winston Jr. was injured in Week 2 against Bowling Green. Winston’s injury moved Jaylen Reed from the nickel back to deep safety and led to Miller playing a career-high 416 snaps. However, the extra experience for the former four-star recruit in the 2022 high school class, wasn’t a very good experience. 

So, in the days after Penn State’s season ended in the College Football Playoff semifinal, Miller entered the transfer portal and now, he’s landed at an East Coast Big Ten rival on Penn State’s schedule in 2025. 

Cam Miller lands at Rutgers out of transfer portal

Penn State is scheduled to face Rutgers and Miller in the final week of the 2025 regular season in Piscataway, New Jersey. Familiarity won’t be in his favor, though, because the Nittany Lions will have nearly an entirely new wide receiver room after the departures of Omari Evans and Harrison Wallace III. 

Miller struggled mightily this season, allowing 30 catches on 47 targets for 351 yards and two touchdowns, and defensive coordinator Tom Allen never had an answer in the slot. In the biggest games of the year, Penn State allowed Oregon slot receiver Tez Johnson to go for 181 yards and a touchdown on 11 catches in the Big Ten title game and Notre Dame slot Jaden Greathouse to set career highs with seven catches for 105 yards and a touchdown in the Orange Bowl. 

The lasting memory of Miller will be this 54-yard touchdown he allowed to Greathouse after falling near the line of scrimmage which tied the Orange Bowl, an eventual 27-24 Penn State loss in the CFP semifinal. Lucky for Miler, quarterback Drew Allar threw a brutally bad interception to set up the game-winning field goal and take much of the blame off Miller’s shoulders. 

Well before Winston’s injury, Miller was in line to start at outside cornerback, but his dismal performance in the 2023 Peach Bowl against Tre Harris and Ole Miss led James Franklin to dip into the transfer portal for Jalen Kimber and AJ Harris. With Miller now at Rutgers and Kimber off the NFL, the Nittany Lions may need to make a portal addition at corner or trust young players like Elliot Washington II or redshirt freshman Jon Mitchell. Franklin has already brought former four-star safety King Mack back to the program after a year at Alabama. 

Rebuilding depth at cornerback was an obvious priority in Franklin’s 2025 recruiting class with the additions of Daryus Dixson, Jahmir Joseph, Xxavier Thomas, and Josh Johnson. The coaching staff has to hope that group will stabilize the position and prevent the need for more portal action.