It took Tyler Van Dyke less than 30 seconds to find them on his phone. He held out his device and showed a series of pictures after a lengthy chat with a reporter inside a meeting room at the McClain Center last month, each one featuring a bit more detail than the last. The photos were of Van Dyke’s legs midway through last football season.
The then-Miami quarterback suffered a Morel-Lavallée lesion after being tackled against North Carolina, an injury in which the skin separated from the muscle and fat layers of his right leg from the knee down. His leg was so swollen that he couldn’t bend it for a short period of time, and the injury affected his mobility throughout the rest of his fourth and final season with the Hurricanes. The pictures serve as both a reminder of what he’s been through and what he’s willing to put himself through to play the game of football.
Van Dyke loves this game, but that love has been tested during his college career, one that will conclude with the University of Wisconsin after he transferred into the program in December. Injuries and actions of those around him have challenged him in ways he never had considered, but he comes to the Badgers hopeful that he’s found a place to show his passion for the sport and play his best before chasing his NFL dreams. “Even with the struggles and all that adversity, I think it's a good learning lesson for my future, anything I do,” Van Dyke said when reflecting on his college career thus far.
“First, especially here. Had some really high ups and some down downs (at Miami).” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell brought Van Dyke to Madison for a few reasons.
He needed an experienced quarterback to replace the veteran presence of last season’s starter, Tanner Mordecai, and he needed to ensure there was competition for the starting quarterback role following Mordecai’s departure for the NFL. Fickell never met Van Dyke in person before he signed with the Badgers, but the coach going into his second year leading Wisconsin did his research. He leaned on the word of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Phil Longo, who’d competed against Van Dyke twice before, and Fickell reached out to colleagues and others who’d crossed paths with Van Dyke.
Confidants relayed thoughts on Van Dyke’s toughness and resilience, traits that Fickell values as much as the physical tools Van Dyke possesses. Wisconsin quarterback Tyler Van Dyke poses for a portrait during Badgers media day at Camp Randall Stadium. Van Dyke’s last two seasons at Miami were derailed by injuries and constant change, starts and stops, momentum builders and halters.
Despite those hurdles, he gave his team a chance to win in his last three appearances, and that spoke volumes to Fickell. “That’s the hard thing today,” Fickell said. “We are in this influx of, do people outside treat them as student-athletes and 18- to 22-year-olds, or are they starting out to truly treat them like pros? “Well in the last three years, these kids aren't kids in people's eyes because of different things.
He might be one of the first or one of the earlier-on guys that had to go through that because of where Miami was in the realm of what they were doing, the scrutiny that a quarterback in particular down there was taking. To not let that kill you, to me, shows where there's a will, where there's a heart, where there's a passion. I would say a majority of people regardless of how good they are, it could completely crush them.
Not to say that they wouldn't still play football, but they could kind of just go enjoy it, ride this out and get a degree and be done, and go on with real life. That's not him.” The Badgers represent a fresh start for Van Dyke as his college career ends.
His hope is that he can catch the bits of good luck he’s due and make a winner out of a program that’s been stuck in neutral in recent seasons. Receiver CJ Williams stayed with Van Dyke for a few weeks this summer as he was between leases in Madison. He saw each evening how Van Dyke spent his off time watching cut-ups of schemes or working on drawing plays to commit them to memory.
“This dude wants to be elite and he wants to be ultimately the best quarterback in the nation, the No. 1 guy off the board next year," Williams said. "He wants to put himself in the best position, so he does everything that he needs to align with that.
” Bill Van Dyke’s pride in his son radiated from nearly 1,400 miles away as he spoke with a reporter last month. Van Dyke’s mother, Amy, had the same beam in her voice. Van Dyke has been a natural at just about any physical activity he tried.
Sports immediately clicked for him, according to his parents’ memory and his own. Van Dyke played it all growing up in Glastonbury, Connecticut, a town of just more than 35,000 people on the banks of the Connecticut River. The Hartford suburb compares to the southern suburbs of Madison, with rural farmland quickly transitioning to city life just miles down the road.
Anything Van Dyke did growing up — playing with friends in the neighborhood or at school, out in the yard, etc. — could be made into a race, game or competition of some sort. “He's just got a very high competitive nature when it comes to anything,” Amy said.
“He will try his best not to have anybody win. He needs to win, he’s a winner. “I think it was the nature of our family and growing up and yes, being from a sports-driven family .
.. I think it's always been in him just growing up in our household to have that competitive nature, but he sort of takes it to another level.
” Football, baseball and golf took hold early in terms of organized sports, and Bill says Van Dyke’s golf swing was at a “pro level” by the time his son was 2. Football beat out baseball as Van Dyke’s focus midway through high school, but he received college attention as a pitcher and outfielder. Sports were a staple in the Van Dyke household.
Amy and Bill met while they were athletes at Muhlenberg College, a Division III school in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Amy played volleyball while Bill was, in his words, an undersized tight end on the football team. Van Dyke’s sister, Hannah, plays basketball for D-III St.
Lawrence University. Wisconsin quarterback Tyler Van Dyke leaps into the end zone during a fall practice at UW-Platteville. Amy’s father, Bill Leete, was an assistant football coach at Vermont and Hofstra before becoming the coach and athletic director at Hofstra.
He finished his career as the commissioner of the NECC. Having that support system, a group of people who knows what college sports entails, was crucial for Van Dyke when he transferred. They could provide feedback having lived some of the same hardships, though not at the scale of a D-I quarterback at a program existing in a fishbowl like Miami.
Van Dyke’s connection with Longo and his system, which started when Amy and Bill visited the coach at Mississippi during their son’s recruitment, and a belief in Fickell’s direction for the Badgers led him to choose Wisconsin over other Power Four options. Van Dyke can’t turn off his competitive side. His favorite pastime when he’s away from football is golf, an activity where he competes against himself, the course and playing partners alike.
His mornings this summer were spent in workouts, meetings and throwing sessions with teammates, but he’d hit the links around Madison with teammates in the afternoons. He said he lowered his handicap to decimal points above scratch. Golf also brought together Van Dyke with his girlfriend, Morgan Pankow, who played for Miami’s women’s team and is now a golf and lifestyle content creator.
“Even though (golf)'s a release for him mentally,” Amy said, “he’s still got to be competitive with something that he absolutely loves to do.” Van Dyke didn’t play on great high school teams, but he was good enough to earn a four-star rating as a recruit. He was pursued by dozens of high-level programs, including Wisconsin, which had landed Graham Mertz in the previous class.
He eventually chose Miami, a program chasing its former glory, despite a hard irony that Amy laughs about to this day. “Tyler hates the heat,” Amy said. Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke watches from the sideline during the first half of a 2023 game in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Van Dyke spent the COVID-altered 2020 season behind starter D’Eriq King, a veteran transfer from Houston who joined the Hurricanes the same offseason. King was a willing teacher and Van Dyke saw the quickest path to playing time included learning all he could at King’s heels. After redshirting, Van Dyke was set for another year behind King in 2021, but King suffered a shoulder injury and missed the last nine games of the season.
That pushed Van Dyke into the starting role, and after lighting up Central Connecticut State in his first college start (270 yards, three touchdowns), he was dealt the first few body blows of his college career. He led what could’ve been a game-winning drive the following week against Virginia, but the winning 33-yard field goal hit the left upright. He threw three interceptions in a loss against North Carolina the week after, but he then got rolling.
The Hurricanes went 5-1 down the stretch, with Van Dyke completing 66% of his passes for 2,194 yards, 20 touchdowns and three picks in that span. Van Dyke won ACC Rookie of the Year that season but was prouder that he was named team captain in the team’s midseason re-election. Then came the first major change.
Miami fired coach Manny Diaz, and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee became the coach at Southern Methodist. The Hurricanes turned to Mario Cristobal, who chose Josh Gattis as his coordinator. Van Dyke wasn’t a great fit in Gattis’ run-based scheme, and the 2022 season got off to a 2-3 start, including a humbling loss to Middle Tennessee State.
Van Dyke played well in a win over Virginia Tech and was hoping another late-season turnaround was in store, but he suffered a grade-three AC joint injury in a loss to Duke. Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke is helped on the field after he was taken down by the Duke defense during their 2022 game in Miami Gardens, Fla. He tried to push through the injury and play against rival Florida State two weeks later.
He didn’t throw at all during practice and received a pain-killing injection before the game. That wore off after a throwaway early in the second quarter and he came out. He tried to play again in the season finale against Pittsburgh, but he again couldn’t finish the first half.
Van Dyke avoided surgery on the shoulder, which continues to have a bony protrusion due to the injury, but he wasn’t himself again until the following June. Cristobal dismissed Gattis that winter in favor of Shannon Dawson, whose system has roots in the Air Raid like Wisconsin’s. Van Dyke and the Hurricanes started last fall 4-0, including a win over Texas A&M, until a dismal night against Georgia Tech caused a rift that ultimately led to Van Dyke finishing his career elsewhere.
Van Dyke and the Miami offense struggled against a Yellow Jackets team that was 2-3 and coming off a loss to Bowling Green. The Hurricanes had the ball facing a third-and-10 with less than 40 seconds remaining and Georgia Tech out of timeouts. Cristobal allowed for a run play to be called instead of kneeling to run out the clock.
Van Dyke handed off to Donald Chaney Jr., who fumbled after gaining 4 yards and Georgia Tech recovered. The Yellow Jackets went 74 yards in four plays and scored the winning touchdown with seconds remaining.
Cristobal said he should’ve called a timeout to get the team reset on the third-down play, but he didn’t comment on the situation beyond that. “That moment, I believe Mario decided to throw my kid under the bus,” Bill said. Van Dyke was effective against North Carolina the following week, but the lesion injury occurred in the first quarter and his season was never the same.
He was held out the following week, then threw two interceptions a week later in a narrow win against Virginia — both passes were underthrown because he couldn’t push off his injured leg. He admits now that there were times he shouldn’t have played both in 2022 and 2023, but he felt he’d worked too hard to be there to not try playing whenever possible. His parents could sense Van Dyke was struggling and made the trip to Miami each weekend to support him.
His lack of mobility essentially forced him to play inside of a hula hoop in the pocket, and he threw three picks the following week in a loss against NC State. Cristobal decided to play a different quarterback, Emory Williams, a week later against Florida State, but didn’t indicate the decision was injury-based when speaking with reporters that week. Van Dyke said he and his coaches knew he wasn’t able to give his best because of his injury, but he didn’t go into specifics about the conversation with Cristobal when he was benched.
Bill saw it another way. “They used Tyler as a scapegoat and that’s it,” Bill said. “He was still injured, the injury’s affecting him in the prior two games, so the coaches decided to go in a different direction, and they never once brought up the injury.
And from that standpoint, what's the media supposed to do and think?” Van Dyke, still a team captain, had to find a way to lead from the bench, a task he said was as difficult as any in his career and tested his poise. His time as the backup was short-lived because Williams suffered an injury late in the matchup against Florida State. Van Dyke attempted to lead a tying or winning drive off the bench but was picked off on a fourth-and-10 near midfield in the final seconds.
Van Dyke worked with Miami’s sports psychologist, Eric Goldstein, last season as things piled up. He spoke with King, who remained a sounding board and supporting voice throughout Van Dyke’s career at Miami. “I think the beauty of the quarterback position is nobody knows what you're going through besides other quarterbacks,” said King, who’s now the quarterbacks coach under Lashlee at SMU.
“I feel like when you're a big-time Division I college quarterback, sometimes you feel like the weight of the world’s on your shoulders. You feel like you got everybody's job in your hands. Like, 'If I go out there Saturday and s--- the bed, my coaches get fired, not only the coaches, but support staff, the receptionist, a lot of people get fired.
So you feel that pressure sometimes. “But once you realize, 'Hey, this is the same game I've been playing since I was 5 years old, right? Same game as middle school.' Then I think it becomes a lot easier, you put it into perspective.
” Wisconsin quarterback Tyler Van Dyke speaks to the media last month during media day in the McClain Center. Van Dyke’s injury and subsequent hampered play took a mental toll, as did the realization that his football future wasn’t at Miami. But he never fired back at critics on social media or in news conferences as he regained the starting role.
He played well in a loss against a strong Louisville defense (327 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions), then led a win over Boston College (290 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions) to secure a bowl game for the Hurricanes. “I was proud of myself the way I handled everything,” Van Dyke said. “I think if I didn't handle things the way I should have or I didn't handle them the right way, then I don't think I would have been rewarded in God’s eyes playing well in those games.
I don't think the football gods would have helped me play well, you know what I mean? “Obviously when stuff doesn't go well in anything you do, you're not going to enjoy it sometimes, you're not going to love it at all times. Looking back at it, I mean, that's what you play the game for. When you get through those tough situations and you work hard through those times and then you come out like I did, having two good games and then coming here, it's all worth it at the end just to push through and work hard through it.
” Van Dyke and those around him at Wisconsin want him to succeed. But Fickell also wants Van Dyke to be the last of his kind to play with the Badgers for the foreseeable future. Van Dyke will be the second one-and-done QB1 in as many seasons for the Badgers.
Rolling the dice in the transfer portal market, plentiful though it is, for the most important player on a roster winter after winter isn’t a good formula. “I don't think that it's sustainable,” Fickell said. “I think we’ve been very fortunate even last year, Tanner Mordecai did a phenomenal job as a person and everything, and I believe Tyler’s the same thing.
To think that you're going to have to do that three or four times, it's not sustainable. That was probably as big an emphasis from last year, we said, 'OK, we're gonna have to do this again. That can't be what it is that we need to do (every year).
’” Wisconsin must begin to develop quarterbacks in-house. Sophomore Braedyn Locke, who played in five games last season, is the start of that process. He could be a multi-year answer in the future, as could freshman Mabrey Mettauer, a four-star quarterback recruit who was considering Wisconsin with its previous staff before committing to Fickell and Longo.
Mettauer and Van Dyke met when the former visited Miami but got closer when they shared a hotel room in Tampa, Florida, in December. Both weren’t officially on Wisconsin’s roster yet but were in the team hotel leading up to the Badgers’ appearance in the ReliaQuest Bowl . They stood together on the sideline during the game against LSU, which saw the best passing performance from Wisconsin last season.
They were the new guys to the program, which created a bond on top of their roles of wise veteran and young gun ready to learn. “We both came in at the same time,” Mettauer said, “and so we both were learning the offense at the same time together. And so we were always doing stuff together, trying to get each other and just work on the plays and stuff and really push us to our limits in the playbook.
“He just wants me to be my best. He always tries to help me out, shows things I can do better. I just think having that pushes me to be better because Tyler is a good player, so I try to push my standards and try to play like him.
” The value Mordecai brought to the Badgers last season on the field was compounded by his influence on others off it. He helped Locke develop to the point he could push a player like Van Dyke. Now it’s Van Dyke’s turn to take up that mantle.
“Not everybody's willing to allow somebody to attach to your hip,” Fickell said, “and I think that's the great thing about Tyler. He has that personality, he has that understanding that he wants to be a part of ownership as opposed to renter. He knows that he can provide some (mentorship).
Not that we've asked him to. You gotta choose to do that because if it's fake, it's not going to work. His ability to really kind of want to help and mentor and be an example and talk about some of those things to those younger guys is invaluable to us and especially to them.
” Van Dyke enjoys sharing what he’s learned — the good and the bad. He’s needed to learn four offenses during his career, which makes him suited to help young players dive into the nuances of Longo’s scheme. Van Dyke said he wants to coach one day, and his mentorship of young players is a way to pay forward what King did for him when his college journey began.
“The way I see it, when I teach (Mettauer) stuff, it kind of helps me speak out loud and helps me understand it a little bit more for myself,” Van Dyke said. “Kind of talk it out like that. .
.. I think I know what works and what doesn't, but yeah, I enjoy giving them some tips and all that.
” Despite it being his fifth year, there’s a list of things Van Dyke hasn’t been able to do in college. Some are simple, like playing in front of a home student section in a college stadium or starting a bowl game. Others are more difficult or out of his control, like staying healthy to get onto the rolls he’s shown he’s capable of for the Badgers.
Football hasn’t always reciprocated the love Van Dyke has shown it, but he’s prepared for a final chance at reconciliation and redemption. Wisconsin quarterback Tyler Van Dyke throws the ball during a fall practice at UW-Platteville. Wisconsin safety Braedyn Moore deflects a pass against Vinny Anthony II during Tuesday's practice at Camp Randall Stadium.
Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell blows the whistle during training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024.
SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver CJ Williams (4) catches a pass during training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024.
SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers running back Chez Mellusi (1) smiles as he participates in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024.
SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Braedyn Locke (18) participates in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024.
SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Tyler Van Dyke was named Wisconsin's starting quarterback Wednesday. He transferred from Miami (Florida) and was in a competition with Braedyn Locke. Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver CJ Williams (4) catches a pass during training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Alex Moeller (30) runs the ball against safety Hunter Wohler (24) participates in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Bryson Green (9) catches a pass during training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Haakon Anderson (27) participates in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers running back Chez Mellusi (1) participates in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers running back Chez Mellusi (1) participates in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers running back Chez Mellusi (1) participates in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers running back Cade Yacamelli (25) participates in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin safety Braedyn Moore deflects a pass against Vinny Anthony II during Tuesday's practice at Camp Randall Stadium.
Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell blows the whistle during training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024.
SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver CJ Williams (4) catches a pass during training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024.
SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers running back Chez Mellusi (1) smiles as he participates in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024.
SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Braedyn Locke (18) participates in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024.
SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Tyler Van Dyke was named Wisconsin's starting quarterback Wednesday. He transferred from Miami (Florida) and was in a competition with Braedyn Locke. Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver CJ Williams (4) catches a pass during training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Alex Moeller (30) runs the ball against safety Hunter Wohler (24) participates in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Bryson Green (9) catches a pass during training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Haakon Anderson (27) participates in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers running back Chez Mellusi (1) participates in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers running back Chez Mellusi (1) participates in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers running back Chez Mellusi (1) participates in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers running back Cade Yacamelli (25) participates in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers participate in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Bryson Green (9) participates in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Alex Moeller (30) participates in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Will Pauling (6) participates in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers participate in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Bryson Green (9) participates in training camp at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. SAMANTHA MADAR, STATE JOURNAL Get local news delivered to your inbox!.
