Sophomore running back Braxston Miller played nearly every position in the defensive backfield in his first year at Western, but a return to his old high school position could be the swap that finally gets him in on the action.

“I wasn’t getting many reps at linebacker and I asked them what I could do to play,” Miller said. “I expect to play eventually. It depends on how they rotate.”

Along with redshirt freshman quarterback Marcus Vasquez, who’s sandwiched between starting redshirt senior Brandon Smith and a handful of other prospects vying for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart next season, Miller said he’ll do anything to help the team, and that starts with seeing the field.

Miller worked as a cornerback, inside linebacker and outside linebacker in 2008, but was urged by the coaching staff to switch to running back once his chances at getting on the field as a linebacker began to diminish in summer camp. Miller found immediate success in the team’s first scrimmage of fall camp, rushing for 96 total yards to lead the running backs for that day.

Vasquez began to experiment with new spots once Smith was named the starter for the Toppers this fall. Since then, he’s taken the lead punt returning role and has lined up at wideout — all while maintaining his black quarterback jersey status in summer camp.

Unlike Miller, Vasquez lacks familiarity with his new position, but the backup quarterback said he had played a few snaps at both wide receiver and safety in high school.

He said that experience made him willing to accept a different role on the team.

“I’m just going with the flow,” Vasquez said. “Wherever they’ve got me going, I’m there. I’m just here to help the team.”

According to coach David Elson, both Miller and Vasquez will start helping the team immediately on special teams and take on a limited role in the offense. Injuries to two of the Toppers’ top running backs, senior Marell Booker and sophomore Bobby Rainey, have left senior running back Tyrell Hayden and Miller as the lone backs remaining at full health leaving summer camp.

“We’re glad we did it, especially now,” Elson said of Miller’s position change. Elson added that Rainey and Booker’s recovery time will impact the sophomore’s carries against Tennessee in the season opener on Sept. 5.

“It depends honestly on how that game goes and how those other guys are doing and how healthy they end up being, but he needs to prepare to play,” Elson said.

Vasquez has taken practice reps with the quarterbacks and receivers, but depth at wideout may keep the backup signal caller sidelined outside of special teams.

“He’s a quarterback and we’re just experimenting with some ways of getting him the ball,” Elson said. “That’s more of just beginning to scratch the surface and see what he’s capable of.”

Getting the best athletes on the field may have originated the position changes, but injuries have necessitated them. Rather than watching from the sidelines, a pair of second-year players are instead preparing to play in front of 100,011 orange-clad fans at Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium.

“I haven’t really asked (the coaches) about getting carries or anything,” Miller said. “I’ll be ready when I’m called.”