What to Make of Braxton Miller Refusing to Talk to the Media

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A few minutes into his meeting with the media on Thursday, Cardale Jones was asked what he thinks is going on in Braxton Miller's head as he attempts to rehab from an injury while preparing for an unprecedented quarterback battle.

Jones was honest, admitting it was a tough question for him to answer.

"I have no clue. No clue at all," Jones responded. "He always comes out here with a great smile, and he's always leading guys in a positive direction, but I don't know what he's thinking."

And at the moment, neither does anyone else.

Ohio State quarterbacks were scheduled to meet with the media on Thursday after the Buckeyes took part in their second practice of the spring session. But while it was originally anticipated by OSU officials that Miller would talk to reporters, he opted to return to the OSU locker room, leaving Jones and J.T. Barrett to answer about his future.

"I think it's ridiculous, honestly," Barrett said of speculation Miller would use his ability as a graduate transfer to take his talents elsewhere this offseason.

It very well may be. But there's no reason why Miller couldn't have been the one to say so.

Miller hasn't spoken publicly since tearing the labrum in his throwing shoulder last summer, bringing an end to his 2014 season before it ever got started. That's not necessarily uncommon, as injured players don't have reason to comment on a season they aren't taking part in, but Miller's refusal to talk on Thursday raised the eyebrows of many media members in attendance at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

The questions for the introverted Miller wouldn't be the same as they were for Jones and Barrett, as there's simply more uncertainty surrounding his situation. But his decision to duck the media left the impression that as of now, nothing has been decided when it comes to his future.

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It remains unclear whether his shoulder will even recover to the point where the two-time Big Ten MVP will be able to play quarterback again, and if it does, it's unknown whether or not he'll do so at Ohio State. The circumstances were different, but when Russell Wilson transferred from North Carolina State to Wisconsin in 2011, he didn't do so until the summer before the start of the season.

The transfer speculation surrounding Miller was abundant all winter and perhaps hit a peak when the senior signal-caller accidentally favorited a tweet indicating he was rooting for Oregon and against Ohio State in the national title game. Miller took to Twitter to acknowledge that favoriting the tweet was an accident but has yet to speak—or tweet—about the speculation itself.

Thursday gave him an opportunity to do just that with a platform to publicly deny that he would consider taking advantage of the graduate transfer rule that would grant him immediate eligibility at another school. Had Miller spoken to reporters, it would have been a strong indication that he intends on remaining in Columbus this fall, no matter how painful the questions may have been for him to answer.

Instead, Miller's refusal to answer questions—just as he did in open locker rooms at the Big Ten Championship Game and subsequent playoff games—gave the impression that he's keeping his options open for the foreseeable future. If Miller wants to see how his shoulder heals before going on record with anything, that's certainly understandable, but that's far from a guarantee he'll be back with the Buckeyes this fall.

Miller's only public statement since last August came at Ohio State's national title celebration on Jan. 24 when he told fans in attendance it was a, "privilege and honor to be part of this team. Guess what, we've got another year to do it. So go Bucks."

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Afterward, Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer downplayed the Huber Heights, Ohio, native's statement, admitting that his status for 2015 was still unclear.

"He's in a unique situation," Meyer said. "We'll cover that later."

At the moment, Miller remains at Ohio State, rehabbing his shoulder while taking part in a limited role in the Buckeyes' spring practice. Meyer even said there was something special about seeing the two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year back in a scarlet and gray helmet and his No. 5 jersey for the first time since he injured his shoulder last summer.

"I just love seeing him out there," Meyer said. "I love Braxton Miller. I always have. He's always done what I asked him to. He's a selfless guy who works really hard. I am excited to see that guy out there going through the drills."

For now, that may be enough for Miller, as he attempts to rehab and recover to the point that he's able to resume his career as a quarterback.

But until he speaks, the speculation about his future is only going to continue. And there's only one way for him to put it to an end.

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.