UGASports.com reported last night that freshman offensive lineman John Miller had left the program. Miller’s side of the story: "I decided to leave the football team and become a full-time student because of academic struggles."

Today, Coach Richt clarified that Miller was actually dismissed from the team for violation of team rules. "It was a coach’s decision," said Richt.

Yeah….that probably made Miller’s "decision" a bit easier. "You can’t fire me – I quit!"

Miller should consider himself pretty fortunate. He was admitted as a student-athlete to an outstanding university, used a valuable scholarship and roster slot, got world-class treatment for a shoulder injury suffered in high school, and didn’t waste much time getting dismissed from the football program. In the end he’s still a student at UGA – just no longer on the full football ride. Life could be a lot worse.

PS…if you’re a UGASports.com subscriber, be sure to check out Steve Patterson’s very in-depth look at “how UGA got so thin on the offensive line“. It’s a really good summation of recruiting hits and misses and a recap of injuries and attrition.