Tyler Van Dyke’s college football journey has taken another unexpected turn as he commits to SMU for his final year of eligibility.
After an injury-shortened season at Wisconsin, Van Dyke is ready for a fresh start in Texas, joining an SMU team that’s been making serious noise. The Mustangs wrapped up an impressive 11-3 season, even securing a spot in the ACC title game and being part of the College Football Playoff conversation.
Van Dyke’s career began at Miami in 2020, where he quickly made a name for himself. His standout season came in 2021 when he showcased his talent with several highlight-reel performances. However, his time at Wisconsin didn’t go as planned—his 2024 season was cut short after just three games due to a tough injury against Alabama.
Despite that setback, Van Dyke’s stats over the years are relatively impressive: 7,891 passing yards, 55 touchdowns, and a solid completion rate of 63.7%.
There was speculation that Van Dyke might stay at Wisconsin through a medical redshirt, but that option was laid to rest with his decision. Head coach Luke Fickell previously shared his support for Van Dyke, emphasizing the admiration the team had for him during his time in Wisconsin.
What's most interesting here is that SMU was able to grab Van Dyke from Wisconsin with him essentially knowing that his final year of eligibility would seem him as a backup. The Mustangs already have their starting quarterback in Kevin Jennings and though Jennings has some developing to do, there's no reason to believe that he won't start out the 2025 season first on the depth chart.
That means that SMU was somehow able to woo Van Dyke away to be a solid backup option should Jennings struggle or if he gets injured. It's honestly not that often that a veteran player enters the Transfer Portal and are content with being a backup for their final year of eligibility.