Texas A&M's Von Miller wasn't one of the football team's more popular players last year.

His locker was such a mess, it spilled out over into an empty locker alongside his. Miller also had problems with other things, like team rules.

"I'd have to run for it after practice," Miller said.

But that's all changed. Miller is a stickler for details -- on and off the field. His locker is clean, and his apartment is spick-and-span. He not only adheres to all team rules, but he's developing into a leader. He seldom has to run after practice, because that's reserved for members of the losing squad and the defense has had the upper hand during spring drills, with Miller playing a huge role.

Miller has fallen in love with A&M's new hybrid "jack" position, which is a mix of defensive end and linebacker.

Aggie fans will get to see Miller at his new position during Saturday's 2 p.m. Maroon & White Game at Kyle Field. The 6-foot-3, 214-pound Miller has been a load for offensive tackles and quarterbacks throughout the spring.

"I've always thought I've been a pass-rush type guy, a blitz-type guy," Miller said. "And the jack position is just like a designated blitzer every play. It's really my strength."

A&M wants to use Miller's speed to cause problems for the spread offenses in the Big 12 South. Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech all finished in the nation's Top 10 in passing efficiency last year. All but Texas Tech return their starting quarterback, and Tech has demonstrated it can be successful throwing no matter who is under center.

"I look at a lot of tape, [and] there's not so many hybrid-type players out there, like a Von Miller who can play linebacker but who can also rush the quarterback," Sherman said. "He can blitz, but he can also drop and cover. It gives us a chance to play an undersized guy in a stand-up role at the line of scrimmage.

"No one in the Big 12 is really pounding the football up inside, running powers. Oklahoma does a little bit of it. Most of the offense in the run game is east-west. There's not a lot of power football, [while] in the Southeastern Conference there's quite a bit. You have to be able to rush the quarterback in this league. So we're trying to get our best pass rushers in a position where they can do that."

Recently, A&M has had big-time problems getting pressure on the quarterback. The Aggies had just 13 sacks last year, which ranked it 100th in the country. That's not what A&M fans became accustomed to in the 1980s and 1990s, when A&M blitzed quarterbacks from the time they got off the bus. The Aggies had a school-record 56 sacks in 1991.

A&M didn't have that many sacks combined in the last three years, getting 20 in 2006 to rank 94th and having 18 in 2007 to rank 104th.

Sherman and defensive coordinator Joe Kines believe creating a position for Miller can help. The jack position will allow A&M to use an even or odd defensive front without substituting, which will help in matching up with hurry-up, spread offenses.

In addition to moving Miller, the Aggies have switched Jordan Pugh from cornerback to free safety.

"I know I love it, especially with Von coming off the edge," Pugh said. "It helps me out in coverage. It puts more speed, more pressure on the offense, on the quarterback. It's great for our defense."

Miller and Pugh have been a pretty lethal combination. No offensive tackle has been able to slow down Miller, which has helped the entire defense play faster.

"Speed, speed, that's the first thing that comes to my mind," Pugh said. "You have Von Miller rushing off the end. It's more speed than synergy. We're connected on the defense, we have a chemistry with each other and that's different from last year."

A&M's defense allowed 461.9 yards per game, which was 114th in the country. The Aggies had few playmakers. Safety-linebacker Alton Dixon and junior linebacker Matt Featherston led the team in tackles with 94, but the two combined for only five tackles behind the line of scrimmage and no turnovers.

Miller had a quiet season. He led the team in sacks last year with a paltry 3 1/2. He played in 12 games, but started only four. He had 44 tackles, only 7 1/2 of them for losses. He caused two fumbles and recovered two.

"I think we probably tried to do too much with him last year and caused some confusion and some hesitancy with him," Sherman said. "I had to take responsibility for that."

Miller played weakside linebacker last year after playing defensive end as a freshman. Against Oklahoma State in the Big 12 opener he had seven tackles, two for losses. But he did little afterward, managing only eight tackles against the rest of the Big 12 South.

"Our team has changed dramatically since last year to this year," Miller said. "Coach Kines has made things easier for our whole team now. If our secondary holds them up for just two more seconds, that gives everybody on the D-line more time. [And] the linebackers are dropping into coverage better."

Miller has been going 100 percent every play in spring practice, earning his teammates' praise. And when an out-of-town media member watches practice, one of the first players Sherman is asked about is Miller.

"He has to be one of those guys that makes a difference," Sherman said. "He wants to be that type of guy and we need him to be that type of guy and I encourage him every day to be that guy."

Miller hasn't disappointed. He's had multiple sacks most practices, and it's not just that he's making plays. It's how he's making them.

"Even when he beats the tackle, he's not beating his chest, making a big deal of it," Sherman said. "He just goes back to the huddle. He knows I know he gets a sack. He knows he gets a sack, and that's really all that matters."

Miller also realizes that until he sacks Oklahoma's Sam Bradford or Texas' Colt McCoy or forces them into mistakes, he'll have doubters.

"The junior year is the most important year," he said. "I want no regrets when I leave about my time here at A&M. I try to take care of little stuff more now, like keeping my locker clean and keeping my apartment clean and cleaning up after myself. I think if you take care of little things, it transfers onto the field. That's how I'm approaching this year."

MAROON & WHITE GAME

* When/where: 2 p.m. Saturday, Kyle Field

* Tickets: $5 for adults, students and younger children free. Gates open at 12:30 p.m., ticket windows at Reed Arena and the McFerrin Athletic Center will open at 9 a.m., and the ticket windows at the Zone Plaza and Gate 1 will open at noon.

* Radio: Interviews from 2-3 p.m. (WTAW 1620 AM)

* Teams: Offense (Maroon) vs. defense (White)

* Format: Valued point system

* Key offensive scoring: +6 (TD); +5 (5 straight completions); +4 (12-yard run, 18-yard pass); +2 (10-yard play); +1 (5-yard play); -1 (dropped pass, false start)

* Key defensive scoring: +6 (TD); +5 (5 straight incompletions); +3 (turnover, no TD); +2 (pass deflection, tackle for loss, quarterback pressure); +1 (hold runner to less than 3 yards, hold pass play to less than 5 yards); -1 (encroachment)

* 12th Man kickoff contest: Four walk-on candidates will compete at halftime on an obstacle course to be the 12th Man on the kickoff team for the season opener. The competitors will be Don Bishop, a junior wide receiver from Katy; Michael Hodges, a junior linebacker from San Antonio O'Connor; Ryan O'Bryant, a senior running back from Aldine Nimitz; and Derek Dumas, a senior linebacker from Crawford. Fans will be able to vote via text message, and 90 voters will receive a spring game jersey.

* Basketball tours: The Cox-McFerrin Center for Aggie Basketball will be open from 9-11 a.m. for tours, with players and staff members answering questions.

* No Byrne speech: A state of the Texas A&M athletic department address by AD Bill Byrne has been canceled because of a death in his family.

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