After his high school career was over, now-USC redshirt freshman offensive lineman Kaylon Miller didn’t know what was next for his future in football.

While driving home from an all-star game practice with his brother, redshirt freshman running back King Miller, Kaylon got a call. Thinking it was spam, he hung up and continued listening to music.

Then, he got a text. Seeing it was from now-Offensive Line Coach Zach Hanson, Kaylon pulled over because he couldn’t contain his excitement. Within 30 minutes, both Millers received preferred walk-on offers to play for USC football (5-1, 3-1 Big Ten).

“I turned to King, and I was like, ‘What is life right now? There’s no way this opportunity is coming up,’” Kaylon said in a post-practice news conference Tuesday. “Just a dream come true.”

‘A matter of when’

While King has gotten the bulk of the media attention after earning Big Ten Freshman Player of the Week honors for his dominant 158-yard and one-touchdown performance against Michigan (4-2, 2-1) on Saturday, both brothers have been consistently praised by Head Coach Lincoln Riley. 

When asked after practice Tuesday whether King and Kaylon were close to earning scholarships, Riley said it was “clearly a matter of when.” He said when deciding whether to give a walk-on a scholarship, there are two factors: whether a player deserves it and whether there are scholarships to give out.

“They’re obviously two guys that are both very deserved,” Riley said. “I definitely look forward to the day when we can get that done.”

With redshirt junior starting center Kilian O’Connor out for at least one more game, Riley said Oct. 7 that Kaylon was USC’s backup behind redshirt senior J’Onre Reed, citing his versatility, and had nothing but positive things to say about King.

“He’s a classic story of a guy that has talent. He gets here. He works hard. He’s humble,” Riley said. “Every single rep to him has been valuable, whether it’s a scout team rep or was in the weight room or anything. He never complains.”

Brotherly love in full force

However, nobody is a bigger King fan than his brother, who King said was the first person he wanted to talk to after his big-time performance Saturday. Kaylon recalled King’s insistence on running extra miles in middle school physical education as one of his first memories of believing in King completely.

“I always knew that King was going to be great since [he was] a child. The way that he just pushed himself and made sure that he was in the right place at the right time,” Kaylon said. “His day was going to come … I knew that he was going to be ready for the moment.”

In high school, King said he was a “bigger back,” but focused on his speed in his time at USC to help him become one of the premier long-run backs in college football, already having four runs of at least 40 yards in as many games, with at least three rushes. That ability to adapt has been critical to his quick rise in the depth chart and starting position Saturday with both of USC’s top-two running backs out for the foreseeable future.

“I just try to pretend like it’s just a regular thing,” King said of his quick rise as a walk-on. “Me and my coaches all believe that going into that game [against Michigan] was the right fit, so I just went out there and tried to be my best.”

Millers never ‘dwelled’ on walk-on status

King told reporters Saturday that he had scholarship offers from other schools but chose USC because it was his “dream school.” Kaylon said his decision to commit was a “no-brainer,” but he didn’t want to pressure his brother to join him unless it was best for him — though he certainly isn’t sad about King’s choice.

“Me and King truly are something special together … When we are together, we’re a force of nature,” Kaylon said. “We play off each other, and we make sure that everyone’s at the same place, where they need to be.”

While both Millers are still walk-ons, Kaylon said neither have “dwelled too much on” their status, instead preferring to focus on their current opportunities. Like King, Kaylon also had to adjust his playstyle when he came to USC after playing defensive line for most of high school.

“I always knew that one way or another, my time was going to come, no matter whether it was football, school or whatever the opportunity came,” Kaylon said. “But, to play throughout my whole high school [and college] experience with King, there’s not a lot of people who could say that.”

With the 96th iteration of USC’s longstanding matchup with Notre Dame (4-2) looming Saturday, the two brothers and walk-ons will head to South Bend, Indiana, to continue making their dream of playing for the Trojans come true.

“It means a lot,” King said of likely playing a big role in the historic rivalry. “I’m just ready to go out there and do my part as always.”