Kevin Weiss

Multi-use trail opens along U.S. 301

November 2, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Get ready for a safer—and steeper — ride.

The U.S. 301 Bicycle Pedestrian Trail is complete, allowing for riders to safely navigate through one of east Pasco’s busiest commercial corridors connecting Zephyrhills and Dade City.

The 4.5-mile, 10-foot wide trail — built within the existing road right-of-way on the west side of U.S. 301 — extends from Kossik Road to Dade City Avenue.

Several community leaders were on hand for the trail’s ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 27 at Grace Baptist Church in Dade City. (Photos courtesy of Richard K. Riley) — Several community leaders were on hand for the trail’s ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 27 at Grace Baptist Church in Dade City.
(Photos courtesy of Richard K. Riley)

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) constructed the $2 million trail as part of the larger, $12.5 million U.S. 301 resurfacing project. Construction lasted about 12 months, officials said.

Jim Edwards, Pasco County Transportation planning manager, said the 4.5-mile extension was a difficult undertaking, due to the sharp, rolling hills along U.S. 301.

“This terrain doesn’t make it any easier to construct this particular project,” Edwards said, during a grand opening ceremony on Oct. 27. “ It was challenging, and also a bit more costly than I think it was originally anticipated…”

The multi-use trail was a collaborative effort among several local regional and state agencies, including FDOT, Pasco County MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization), the cities of Zephyrhills and Dade City, and the Dade City and Zephyrhills Chambers of Commerce.

The 4.5-mile segment is a connector to a larger trail network planned for the U.S. 301 corridor that will eventually extend from north of Dade City to the Hillsborough County line south of Zephyrhills.

The 4.5 mile, 10-foot wide U.S. 301 Bicycle Pedestrian Trail extends from Kossik Road to Dade City Avenue. It was built within the existing road right-of-way on the west side of U.S. 301.

“It’s part of something bigger,” said Edwards. “We’ll have a connected system all the way down towards USF (University of South Florida), and all the way to the Withlacoochee State Trailhead, so this is an element of that — a 4.5-mile element of it.”

The Pasco MPO is currently determining options for extending the trail south of Kossik Road into downtown Zephyrhills. The northern extension of the existing Hardy Trail — from Church Avenue to Lock Street in Dade City — is programmed for construction in fiscal years 2017 and 2018.

“You’ve got to start somewhere, and this is what this trail basically does,” Edwards said. “It provides safety, health benefits, economic benefits, impacts tourism, and recreation. As you amenitize these trails, they practically become linear parks…and they really become more heavily used as time goes by.”

Kathryn Starkey, Pasco Board of County Commissioners chairwoman, one of the key advocates for the multi-use extension, said she expects the trail to be a “very popular” attraction.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez, left, called the trail’s completion ‘a celebration of vibrancy.’

“I know a lot of people are going to come over and use this, and bring economic benefit to the communities here along the trail,” Starkey said.

She added: “Pasco County is going to be the county in the state that’s known for its trails.”

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez echoed similar statements, calling the trail’s completion a “celebration of vibrancy.”

“This is too cool. This makes us special in Pasco County,” Hernandez said. “This is just a piece of a puzzle that’s so important to Dade City and Zephyrhills, and we just have to continue to put this puzzle together.”

“I think it’s a great asset to our cities — it enhances our cities and our communities,” Zephyrhills Mayor Gene Whitfield said.

The trail’s ongoing maintenance costs will shift from FDOT to Pasco County and its cities, officials said.

For more information about transportation planning in Pasco County, visit the MPO website, PascoCountyFl.net.

Published November 2, 2016

Hillsborough County seeks to improve recycling

November 2, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Hillsborough County wants to reduce recycling contamination.

That effort begins with educating the public through an online survey and various focus groups scheduled throughout October and November.

A focus group is meeting on Nov. 5 from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Northdale Recreation Center, 15550 Spring Pine Drive in Tampa.

Travis Barnes is the recycling coordinator for the Hillsborough County Solid Waste Management Division (Photos courtesy of Hillsborough County) — Travis Barnes is the recycling coordinator for the Hillsborough County Solid Waste Management Division
(Photos courtesy of Hillsborough County)

Information gathered through the survey and focus groups will be used to design behavior-based education and outreach messaging to reduce recycling contamination, which occurs when non-recyclable items or heavily soiled items are mixed with clean recyclable items during collection.

“We’re basically just trying to get feedback from the public with the ultimate goal of using that information to deliver information to them in a way that’s going to be more impactful for them, and hopefully increase (recycling) participation,” said Travis Barnes, recycling coordinator for the Hillsborough County Solid Waste Management Division. “We’re…trying to hone in on a baseline of what the public’s understanding of our program is right now: What are their existing habits? How are they disposing of things?”

The county’s recycling contamination rate is about 19 percent, Barnes said. The national average is reportedly about 16 percent.

The county is trying to raise awareness about which items should be placed in 65-gallon, blue recycling carts and 95-gallon, gray garbage carts.

“For every 100 tons we bring in, about 19 of those tons end up having to go back to our waste energy facility to be incinerated,” Barnes explained. “That could be people throwing in an actual bag of garbage…or it could be things that people presume to be recyclable, but aren’t in our program.”

Barnes noted county residents and businesses often try to recycle items such as construction and demolition debris, yard waste and scrap metals.

“Those things can’t be recovered by our single-stream (recycling) program,” said Barnes. “Those items are problematic because they get into our sorting equipment…and basically end up shutting down the whole line. A couple times a day, we’ve got to physically remove and cut that stuff out of the sorting line. In that whole time, we’re losing productivity and the ability to recycle more tonnage in a given day.”

The county introduced automated curbside single-stream recycling in October 2013. The program has resulted in an 82 percent increase in recycling tons collected. The current average tons per year of recyclables rose to 64,000 in 2016.

Program recyclables should be placed in the blue cart clean, dry and unbagged to ensure proper sorting. Officials say a good rule of thumb is “when in doubt, throw it out.”

Survey links, focus group schedules, and registrations are available at HCFLGov.net/RecyclingSurvey.

For more information on the county’s recycling program, visit HCFLGov.net/Recycling.

Blue Cart recyclables include:

Clean plastic bottles and containers
Clean aluminum cans
Clean glass jars and bottles
Dry paper, newspaper and junk mail
Steel and tin metal containers
Clean milk and juice cartons
Dry flattened cardboard
Dry paperboard boxes

Gray cart, for household garbage, can include:

Food waste
Windows, mirrors and ceramics
Clothing, shoes and textiles
Fake plants
Soiled paper items
Cords and wires
Plastic items that fit in the cart including old grocery bags
Diapers
Rope, twine or straps
Garden or pool hoses
Yard waste up to 2-cubic yards can be put out for curbside collection
Small appliances
Incandescent light bulbs

Published November 2, 2016

Tennis pro wants to grow sport in Pasco

November 2, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Jeanette Marcus wants tennis to flourish in east Pasco County.

Marcus, a certified USPTA (United States Professional Tennis Association) instructor, operates the Dade-City based Tennis 4 U/Tennis Para Ti Inc.

The 56-year-old Marcus, a bilingual instructor, offers developmental and intermediate lessons for both youth and adults at her two-acre tennis facility, 35949 Bozeman Road in Dade City.

Jeanette Marcus, left, is shown here with John Isner, one of the top-ranked players on the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour. (Courtesy of Jeannette Marcus) — Jeanette Marcus, left, is shown here with John Isner, one of the top-ranked players on the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour.
(Courtesy of Jeannette Marcus)

For novices, she teaches the “basics,” including proper racket grip, groundstrokes, serves, singles and doubles strategy, and court etiquette.

For more avid players, she remedies shoddy technique.

Her youngest client is four years old. Her oldest? 89.

“The biggest thing with tennis,” she said, “is you have to have fun.”

Marcus, also a former assistant pro at Lake Jovita, says east Pasco is lacking in public tennis programs and opportunities — especially for underprivileged youth.

“It’s like there’s nothing here,” said Marcus, who moved to Dade City from Lutz about eight years ago. “Pasco is very limited.”

One problem, Marcus said, is the lack of public tennis courts throughout east Pasco.

“When you get into central Pasco and east Pasco, the parks (department) doesn’t recognize putting the money in courts,” she said. “Dade City has two courts, Wesley Chapel has four courts and Zephyrhills has five courts.”

The absence of USTA (United States Tennis Association)-sanctioned programming and leagues, too, is another issue.

“You’ve got to be a member at all these (country) clubs to be able to play on a league,” Marcus said. “A lot of the kids that I teach can’t join a country club.

If you cannot afford to pay a membership at a country club, you don’t have an opportunity to play.”

Despite living in Dade City, Marcus — along with fellow tennis buddies — often travels to Hillsborough County to find open courts.

“Lutz has well-maintained courts, they have lights, and there’s always somebody on them,” said Marcus, who also drives to Hillsborough Community College and Davis Islands for matches.

She added: “I’ve been working for years trying to get a new tennis center to east Pasco.”

Her wish may soon be a reality.

In Zephyrhills, plans are underway to construct a 10-court tennis facility on 4.7 acres of land at the District at Abbott’s Square.

The estimated $1.9 million project will likely be funded over the next two fiscal years, according to Todd Vande Berg, planning director for the city of Zephyrhills.

Half the courts will have Har-Tru, a brand of clay surfaces, Vande Berg said.

“A lot of facilities are going more towards the soft courts versus the hard courts,” the planning director said. “It’s so much easier on the body — the joints.”

The facility, Vande Berg added, will open the door for additional tennis opportunities and events, including USTA-sanctioned tournaments.

“The goal is to develop comprehensive tennis programs, and have memberships and league play,” he said.

The forthcoming project has Marcus excited.

“When Zephyrhills builds this, it’s going to be nice,” she said. “You’ve got to have a court where your kids can practice on.”

One request of hers is roofing.

“The rain is a very frustrating thing,” Marcus said. “I don’t consider tennis to be an outdoor sport anymore. Our big, big events — the U.S. Open in New York, the French Open, Wimbledon — they’ve all had to make indoor courts.”

Vande Berg said partially covered courts are a possibility if partnerships are forged between local steel and aluminum companies.

“It would really be a windfall, especially in Florida with the rain that we get,” he said. “There would be demand. …There’s a cost, but there’s a real opportunity there.”

Funding options for the tennis facility include recreation impact fees, Penny for Pasco, various USTA grants, and partnerships with Pasco County Parks and Recreation and Pasco County Tourism.

Published November 2, 2016

Land O’ Lakes High baseball standout commits to Saint Leo

November 2, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Land O’ Lakes High School’s Lance Sargent verbally committed to play collegiate baseball at Saint Leo University. (File Photo) — Land O’ Lakes High School’s Lance Sargent verbally committed to play collegiate baseball at Saint Leo University.
(File Photo)

Lance McCabe Sargent, a senior right-handed pitcher for Land O’ Lakes High School, has verbally committed to play baseball at Saint Leo University, a Division II school. Sargent, one of the top pitchers in Tampa Bay, compiled a 0.47 ERA in 44.1 innings last season. His four-pitch repertoire includes a fastball, curveball, slider and changeup. Sargent also plays for the Orlando Scorpions travel ball team. In a statement, Scorpions coach Matthew Gerber said Sargent has an “electric quick arm” and “has a chance to be special.”

Saint Leo names new tennis coach

November 2, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Chad Berryhill, who once captured a national championship as head coach at Hillsborough Community College (HCC), was named the new head men’s and women’s tennis coach at Saint Leo University. Berryhill replaces Pablo Montana, who abruptly resigned in September after being hired in August.

Berryhill spent the past four years coaching at Ferris State (Michigan) University, where he guided the program — his alma mater — to the Final Four of the 2016 NCAA Division II Men’s Tennis Championship.

Prior to accepting the position at Ferris State, Berryhill was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Central Florida from 2010-2012. Berryhill began his coaching career as the head women’s tennis coach at HCC in 2005. His five-year stint at HCC was highlighted by leading the Lady Hawks to the 2008 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Championship, and reaching the championships in 2006, 2007, and 2009.

“Chad Berryhill brings all the qualities that we were looking for in the next mentor for Saint Leo tennis,” Saint Leo athletic director Francis X. Reidy said, in a release. “His championship experience at the Division II level demonstrated ability to recruit and develop talent at the highest level, and his knowledge of the larger Florida tennis community will give Chad a head start at ensuring Saint Leo remains at the forefront of NCAA Division II men’s and women’s tennis.”

Freedom boys golf team places 11th at states

November 2, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

The Freedom High School varsity boys golf team finished in a tie for 11th place (out of 16 teams) at the FHSAA Class 3A State Championship on Oct. 26-27 at the par-72 El Campeon golf course at the Mission Inn Resort and Club in Orlando. Freedom shot 325-321–646, tying Lakewood Ranch High School. It was the Patriots’ second state championship appearance. In 2013, Freedom finished in 16th place, shooting 685. Meanwhile, Gaither High School freshman Tyler Wilkes, an individual qualifier, tied for sixth place after shooting 74-74–148.

State tourney results:
Freedom Patriots
Cy Storlien (junior) 75-78–153
Cooper Smith (freshman) 79-80–159
Tyler Bray (senior) 80-80–160
Nick Mitchell (senior) 91-86–177
Sam Smith (senior) 95-83–178

Assisted care center opens in Lutz

October 26, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

The legendary Pat Boone helped create an air of excitement at the grand opening ceremony of a new $13 million assisted care living facility in Lutz.

Boone made an appearance at Angels Senior Living at Lodges of Idlewild, 18440 Exciting Idlewild Blvd., on Oct. 22, to help celebrate the facility’s completion.

The three-story living facility is about 76,000 square feet.

Pat Boone (center), a singer who has sold more than 45 million records, poses with a group during the grand opening celebration of Angels Senior Living at Lodges of Idlewild. (Suzanne Beauchaine/Staff Photos) — Pat Boone (center), a singer who has sold more than 45 million records, poses with a group during the grand opening celebration of Angels Senior Living at Lodges of Idlewild.
(Suzanne Beauchaine/Staff Photos)

It features 94 units, including studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom to serve more than 100 residents.

The 82-year-old Boone has sold an estimated 45 million records, and was especially popular during the ‘50s and ‘60s. He had 38 Top 40 hits and has appeared in more than 12 Hollywood films.

This is a phenomenal building,” said Boone, addressing several hundred guests in attendance.

“I believe very strongly in these facilities. My grandmother lived her last years in an HCA (Hotel Corporation of America) facility in Jacksonville. I got to visit with her there long after she was not able to take care of herself.”

Boone, a longtime friend of John Young, executive director of Lodges of Idlewild, continued to heap praise on the new facility throughout the ceremony.

“You’ve got something really special in your midst. You have time to relive a lot of your life again,” Boone said.

Including Young, Lodges of Idlewild features a six-member leadership team with over 100-plus years experience in health care.

Pat Boone, center, joins the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Angels Senior Living at Lodges of Idlewild.

Ralph Fritsch, community relations manager at Angels Senior Living, said residents have been moving into the new facility “almost everyday” since its soft opening on Sept. 19.

“This is kind of the beauty of this community: we run it like a crew ship,” said Fritsch. “We have a theme every week — like ’50s and ’60s.”

He said the living center has a minimum of two interactive activities every hour between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., each day.

“It’s everything from bingo to board games,” Fritsch said. “We do brain games at 10 a.m., every day. We do chair exercises, dances. We’ll bring in professional artists to teach an art class, so they can paint, and we’ll hang their painting on the wall.”

As part of the assisted living experience, residents will be aided in hygiene, ambulating, keeping track of medications, and dining.

In addition to assisted living, Lodges of Idlewild will offer both memory care and independent living services.

The memory care program, designed for residents suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, is a “secured unit” with a higher staffing ratio for additional attention.

The independent living program also features independent apartments where residents can pay for “a la carte services” and transition into the assisted living facility when needed.

A rough estimate for the monthly cost for a resident to live at the facility is $4,000.

The two best options for financial assistance for senior care is through the Medicaid Managed Long Term Care program, or the Veteran’s Aid (VA) and Attendance program attained by serving in a war, according to Angels Senior Living’s website.

The Medicaid route requires being on Medicaid and then applying for the program to pay an amount that may total 25 percent to 50 percent of monthly rent.

The veteran’s aid option requires an application through the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Financial assistance in this program varies.

Angels Senior Living operates nine other locations throughout Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties.

There are three facilities in North Tampa alone — Connerton Court in Land O’ Lakes, Angels Senior Living at New Tampa on North 42nd Street, and Shady Palms on North Florida Avenue.

Angels Senior Living at Lodges of Idlewild
What: A $13 million, 76,000-square-foot assisted living facility with 94 units
Where: 18440 Exciting Idlewild Blvd., in Lutz
Key Programs: Assisted living, memory care and independent living
Key Amenities: Luxury suites, life enrichment program, 11 designated activity areas, live entertainment, large-screen movie theater, chapel, library, hair and nail salon.
For information, call (813) 264-8200, or visit AngelsSeniorLiving.com.

Published October 26, 2016

Zephyrhills seeks feedback from residents

October 26, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

The City of Zephyrhills has launched a community opinion survey to identify the city’s key issues and opportunities across the next 15 years.

The 20-question survey, which is open through Oct. 31, will be used to update the city’s long-range comprehensive plan, also called Zephyrhills 2030.

The City of Zephyrhills is seeking input from residents to update the city’s comprehensive plan. (File Photo) — The City of Zephyrhills is seeking input from residents to update the city’s comprehensive plan.
(File Photo)

The Zephyrhills Comprehensive Plan projects forward 15 years to envision where residents will “live, work, learn, play, socialize, maintain health, and preserve assets for benefits of current and future generations.”

The plan — which should be complete by the end of 2017 — also seeks to address the city’s growth and development priorities and opportunities.

Per state law, comprehensive plans must be evaluated every seven years and updated as needed.

Todd Vande Berg, planning director for the city of Zephyrhills, said he’s in the beginning stages of updating the comprehensive plan.

He’s already received over 400 survey responses.

“It’s just another way for us to gather input, data, comments, what people feel, what they like, dislike and ideas they have,” he said. “How can we improve quality of life of Zephyrhills?”

The current evaluations of the Zephyrhills Comprehensive Plan began in September with interviews of more than 50 people with different backgrounds and interests. Roundtable discussions included the following areas: real estate, economic development, culture/leisure, health, education/job training, community quality of life and transportation/mobility.

Vande Berg noted there was a “strong response” from residents for building a new community center.

“A lot of the types of issues people were very vocal about (were) improving the demographics of our community,” he said. “We really wanted get some broad support and involvement with the update to this city comprehensive plan. There are so many things that are happening and evolving in southeast Pasco that we feel this comprehensive plan update is going to be very important.”

Key forthcoming city projects, Vande Berg said, include the extension of State Road 56, the transformation of Zephyr Park and the redevelopment of Gall Boulevard.

“There’s various points of interest that…are a big part of growth and development of our community,” said Vande Berg.

A summarized report based on the survey and roundtables will later be presented to both the Zephyrhills Planning Commission and the city council, Vande Berg said.

To complete the survey, visit bit.ly/survey2030.

Paper surveys may be obtained in the City of Zephyrhills Planning Department, 5335 Eighth St., or at the Zephyrhills Public Library, 5347 Eighth St. Those who complete the survey and provide an email address will be entered into a drawing for a $100 grocery gift card.

Published October 26, 2016

Freedom golf reaches 3A state tourney

October 26, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

For the second time in school history, the Freedom High varsity boys golf team has reached the state tournament.

Collectively strong postseason performances were enough to earn an FHSAA 3A tournament berth, the program’s first since 2013.

The Patriots captured their fourth consecutive district title on Oct. 10, and followed up with a second-place regional finish on Oct. 17 at Lansbrook Golf Club in Palm Harbor.

The Freedom High School varsity boys golf team reached states for the second time in school history. From left: Cy Storlien, Nick Mitchell, coach Michael Passarelli, Tyler Bray, Sam Smith and Cooper Smith. (Courtesy of Freedom High School) — The Freedom High School varsity boys golf team reached states for the second time in school history. From left: Cy Storlien, Nick Mitchell, coach Michael Passarelli, Tyler Bray, Sam Smith and Cooper Smith.
(Courtesy of Freedom High School)

“It’s a pretty big achievement,” said Nick Mitchell, one of the team’s three seniors. “We’re really glad we achieved the goal that we set last year, knowing that we had a really high-caliber team for this year.

“We’ve definitely gotten more comfortable during the season,” he added.

Fellow senior Tyler Bray—the lone holdover from the 2013 state team — believes that this 2016 squad will have an improved showing over the team three years ago, when the the Patriots finished last (out of 16 teams) at the two-day, 36-hole tournament.

“This year, we’ve had some really good players, and I feel like this team is better than that team,” Bray said.

Michael Passarelli, Freedom’s golf coach, said the group’s success lies in its consistency since August.

“They’ve been playing well all year,” Passarelli said. “What we’ve finally done at the end of the year is we kind of put it (all) together.

“They’ve improved, and they’ve stayed within themselves.”

The 3A state tournament, which runs through Oct. 26, is played at the El Campeon Course at the Mission Inn Resort & Club in Orlando.

The highly regarded course, which features elevation changes of more than 85 feet, often proves challenging for even elite golfers.

The course, Passarelli said, differs from others the team has played this season.

“The thing that separates it from what we play is the elevation difference,” he said. “You’re shooting uphill, you’re shooting downhill, and the greens are tough and fast. There are really no courses around (Tampa Bay) that we have played that come anything close to what you see there.”

He added: “You can’t have a specific strategy when some guys are hitting 50, 60 or 70 yards longer than others. It’s going to be very different for some of these kids.”

Mitchell, who played the course over the summer, noted El Campeon has a “pretty tough layout.”

“It’s pretty high-rated, a very positional course,” Mitchell said. “Distance and short game are definitely key.”

Trying to “not shoot to a number” is also crucial, Passarelli said.

“That’s the biggest thing that we worked on,” he said. “It’s just hit your next shot and that’s it.

“We looked at the scores from all the regional contenders, and they know they can play with any of them. But, you can’t control what the other guys do.”

Perhaps most important is enjoying the overall experience.

“It’s about having fun. That’s seriously a big part of this as well,” said Passarelli. “Last time we went (to states), we kind of got beat up.”

He added: “If they’re relaxed, they’ll play well.”

Freedom boys golf roster:
Tyler Bray, senior (4-year letterman, 2014 District 3A-10 champion, 2015 District runner-up)
Nick Mitchell, senior (3-year letterman)
Cooper Smith, freshman
Sam Smith, senior (2-year letterman)
Cy Storlien, junior (3-year letterman, 2015 District 3A-10 champion, 2016 District 3A-10 champion)

District results at Hunter’s Green Golf & Country Club
Freedom Patriots team score: 309 (first place)
Individual scores:
Cy Storlien-73
Tyler Bray-77
Cooper Smith-77
Sam Smith-82
Nick Mitchell-83

Regional results at Lansbrook Golf Club in Palm Harbor
Freedom Patriots team score: 313 (second place)
Individual scores:
Cy Storlien-73
Cooper Smith-77
Tyler Bray-82
Nick Mitchell-81
Sam Smith-83

Other locals: Gaither freshman Tyler Wilkes is competing in the 3A state golf tournament as an individual. Wilkes won the Class 3A, Region 4 tournament on Oct. 17, shooting a 72. Wesley Chapel High’s Ben Wolfman (senior) and Sunlake High’s Travis Wells (senior) will compete in the Class 2A state golf tournament on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2.

Published October 26, 2016

Offer list grows for Wiregrass Ranch football standout

October 26, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Wiregrass Ranch's Jordan Miner (File Photo) — Wiregrass Ranch’s Jordan Miner
(File Photo)

The Division I football offers are piling up for Jordan Miner, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound junior defensive back at Wiregrass Ranch High School. On Oct. 13, Miner received offers from both the University of Maryland and Penn State University, bringing his offer list to seven. Miner also has scholarship offers from Bowling Green (Ohio) University, Middle Tennessee State University, the University of Toledo (Ohio), Tulane (Louisiana) University and the University of South Florida. Through seven games, Miner has 30 tackles, three tackles for loss and three interceptions. Miner is a four-star recruit, according to 247sports.com.