The first college athlete has been signed to an NFL contract, still weeks away from the 2024 NFL Draft. The Giants announced the signing of South Carolina running back Dante Miller today, marking the start of his NFL career following an absurd college journey.

Less than a month ago, Miller was participating in the Gamecocks’ 2024 pro day, hoping to land on the league’s radar as a late-round draft pick or, perhaps, earn an opportunity at a rookie tryout out during minicamps. Instead, it was discovered that Miller did not qualify for the 2024 draft. In fact, he had qualified for both the 2023 NFL Draft and the supplemental draft that followed it, making him a signable free agent.

Miller spent the first four years of his collegiate career at Columbia. Ivy League schools don’t allow for redshirt seasons, giving players only four years to fulfill their four seasons of eligibility. Unfortunately for Miller and all Ivy Leaguers, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the loss of the 2020 season and, as a result, the loss of a year of eligibility. They had two options, accept the end of their collegiate careers or transfer outside of the Ivy League, where they would still have eligibility.

So, Miller transferred to South Carolina, moving from Columbia University to Columbia, SC. It was reportedly communicated to the Gamecocks that Miller would have two seasons of eligibility at South Carolina: his unused redshirt year and the extra year of eligibility allotted to college players because of COVID.

With budding rusher Marshawn Lloyd entering the year as the starter, Miller was happy to fill in as a depth and special teams player, thinking he would be able to earn a bigger role in 2023. Unfortunately, six games into the 2022 season, South Carolina’s officials realized they had made a mistake. Miller was only granted his redshirt year, meaning he didn’t have three years to play two seasons, he only had two years to play one.

In college football, you can only play in four games if you intend to redshirt a year. The school tried to appeal, pointing out that Miller had only played three snaps in his fifth game and two snaps in his sixth. Miller chose to sit out the remainder of the season, counting on the university’s appeal to come through. A lengthy review process ruled that five snaps were too many, leading to NCAA to refuse Miller another year of eligibility, despite the deadline to enter the NFL draft having long passed at the time of their decision.

So, Miller set his focus on the following year’s draft. He went to the Gamecocks’ pro day and put up a 4.27-second 40-yard dash, a time that would’ve bested any running back who ran at the combine. His 28 bench press reps of 225 pounds would’ve topped the combine’s best performance by a running back by one, as well.

Suffice it to say that Miller leapt onto the radar of every scout there who had intended to watch wide receiver Xavier Legette and quarterback Spencer Rattler. One scout went so far as to research Miller’s eligibility history and ask Miller’s agent if he was even draft eligible, per Andy Staples of On3. The NFL reported back that, no, he should’ve been eligible for the prior year’s draft. Miller was granted free agency. He was given the ability to sign with any team he wanted and would be able to negotiate a salary outside of the draft’s slotted salaries.

Miller visited the Giants this week, and they immediately offered him a deal. He had other visits scheduled, but returning to New York, where he had earned his college degree, was too enticing. As a result, he signed with the Giants and will head to the team facilities much earlier than anticipated.