One of the top available quarterbacks in the transfer portal is off the board. Former Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke committed to Wisconsin Tuesday, giving coach Luke Fickell experience at the position heading into a new-look Big Ten next fall. Van Dyke was the No. 12 quarterback available in the transfer portal according to 247Sports.
Van Dyke had a rollercoaster career in South Florida. He started with a bang by winning ACC Rookie of the Year during the 2021 campaign. The low point came this season when he was benched for freshman Emory Williams prior to the Nov. 11 loss to Florida State. Van Dyke was forced to reenter in that game after Williams went down with an injury and he started the final two games of the season against Louisville and Boston College.
Though Van Dyke threw for 2,703 yards and 19 touchdowns, he also had a career-high 12 picks -- more than the previous two years combined. Van Dyke's departure leaves the Hurricanes with two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster -- Williams and redshirt freshman Jacurri Brown.
This isn't the first time Fickell has used the transfer portal to find an experienced quarterback. Last offseason Wisconsin landed former SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai from the transfer portal. The sixth-year senior started nine games for the 7-5 Badgers.
A fresh start
The writing was on the wall that Van Dyke wasn't going to be the starter going into next year if he stayed at Miami. Once upon a time, Van Dyke was considered by many to be a future a first-round NFL Draft pick. One would think a standout season with the Badgers could revive NFL interest.
The transfer portal era has seen multiple quarterbacks thrive at new destinations. All three of this year's Heisman Trophy finalists (Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix) are examples of quarterbacks using a fresh start at a new location to jump start their careers. Can Van Dyke do the same?
He raises Wisconsin's ceiling
When Wisconsin hired away Fickell from Cincinnati, it signaled a shift in the program's offensive philosophy. Wisconsin once prided itself on its punishing ground game. One of Fickell's first moves was to bring in former North Carolina offensive coordinator Phil Longo and install a more Air Raid-style attack. Van Dyke has never shied away from taking chances and pushing the ball down the field. That gunslinger mentality could help him succeed in a more pass-happy scheme.
Mordecai never really worked out the way the Badgers hoped he would. He missed three games with a wrist injury and the team turned to redshirt freshman Braedyn Locke during his absence. Although Wisconsin finished in the middle of the pack in in the Big Ten in passing offense (207 YPG), it's clear the program needed an upgrade in that department ahead of Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington joining the conference. Van Dyke is a low-risk, high-reward transfer. If it works out, he could elevate the Badgers offense to a point where the team can contend in the Big Ten. If it doesn't, they can turn back to Locke, who has already shown promise.
