Ohio State reinstates quarterback after resolving legal situation

Ohio State quarterback Jack Miller has been reinstated, the school announced Thursday afternoon. He was suspended Nov. 5 after being charged with operating a motor vehicle while impaired.

Miller appeared in court Thursday and go the charge dropped. He instead pleaded guilty to a reckless operation charge, which is a minor misdemeanor, and will pay a $150 fine.

Ohio State announced his reinstatement in a short statement from the athletic department.

“The charge issued against him of operating a vehicle while impaired has been reduced to a minor misdemeanor traffic offense,” the statement read. “Miller has fulfilled all of the obligations required of him and the legal case is now closed.”

The No. 4-ranked Buckeyes are getting ready to take on No. 7 Michigan State this week in Columbus.

Ohio State quarterback Jack Miller has day in court for OVI charge

Miller’s operating a vehicle while impaired charge was dropped Thursday morning. He pleaded guilty to an amended misdemeanor charge of reckless operation in Franklin County Municipal Court on Thursday.

The reckless operation charge is classified as a minor misdemeanor, while the original OVI charge was a first-degree misdemeanor.

Miller has been suspended from the team since Nov. 5 when he was pulled over in the early morning. Cleveland.com filed an open records request and obtained the dashcam footage from the incident.

Miller can be seen in his black pickup truck veering into the bike lane several times. The sophomore stopped at a light, at which point a police officer turned on his lights and pulled him over.

When asked what he was doing, Miller responded he was “just trying to get my boys home.” The quarterback subsequently struggled with a balance test and reciting the alphabet. According to the police report, Miller refused a breathalyzer test.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day previously said he would wait for the case to play out before making a decision about the length of the suspension.

The second-year quarterback was Ohio State’s third option under center behind starter C.J. Stroud and freshman Kyle McCord.

“His knowledge of the offensive playbook made him an asset on the sideline, and he possessed the passing ability and athleticism to potentially help the Buckeyes in an emergency situation,” said Austin Ward of Letterman Row.

Miller played in four games this season prior to the suspension, and the Arizona native saw the field twice a true freshman last year. He was a four-star recruit in the 2020 class.

True freshman and top recruit Quinn Ewers served as Ohio State’s third-string quarterback in Miller’s absence during a road trip to Nebraska and a win at home over Purdue.