Urban Meyer coached a decent football player and a better leader in Tim Tebow at Florida. Meyer has a better player at Ohio State in quarterback Braxton Miller, and has wanted all along for Miller, a surefire preseason Heisman candidate, to take control of the team.

This spring, Miller has apparently done just that.

Braxton Miller is becoming the leader Ohio State coach Urban Meyer has needed him to be. (AP Photo)

“He has done a much better job as far as communication with players and being a leader,” Meyer said during the Big Ten coaches spring teleconference Thursday.

Before, if practice started at 3 p.m., Miller would hit the field at precisely 2:59 p.m. after getting taped up. Now, Meyer said, “he’s one of the first guys out there…We’ve asked him to do it and he’s done it.”

His teammates see it, too.

Everyone knows what Miller, arguably the best dual-threat QB in the nation, brings to the field. He passed for 2,039 yards and 15 touchdowns last season and rushed for 1,271 and 13 TDs. And, he threw just six interceptions.

But, it is what he is doing behind the scenes that has Buckeyes’ offensive lineman Jack Mewhort’s attention.

“I’ve seen him grab a guy by the collar and say, ‘You need to step up,’” Mewhort said. “He wouldn’t have done that a year ago. It’s been good to see so far.”