Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell knows what former Miami transfer quarterback Tyler Van Dyke brings to the table.
Van Dyke was Fickell and offensive coordinator Phil Longo’s prized transfer addition this offseason as the two coaches worked to recraft the Badgers roster with the goal of a resurgent 2024 season. He joins the program with years of starting experience and plenty of accolades. His collegiate career, however, has been anything but a linear path.
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The Glastonbury, Connecticut native first joined the Hurricanes program as a four-star recruit in the class of 2020. He spent little time before a breakout redshirt freshman season in 2021 that included a 62.3 completion percentage, 2,931 passing yards, 9.0 yards per attempt, 25 touchdowns and only six interceptions.
That season earned him ACC Rookie of the Year honors and the billing of one of the best young quarterbacks in the sport. Then the path got rocky.
Miami fired head coach Manny Diaz after the 2021 season and hired former Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal. That turnover eventually led to three offensive systems in as many years for Van Dyke. His efficiency plummeted as a result. Instead of a progression after a strong debut, the veteran quarterback regressed over the next two seasons as Miami went just 12-13. A 2,703-yard, 19-touchdown, 12-interception 2023 campaign was Van Dyke’s last at Miami before he entered the transfer portal this offseason and committed to Fickell and the Badgers.
The Badgers head coach joined CBS Sports HQ during Big Ten media days this week and discussed Van Dyke’s arrival in Madison, and specifically how his experience at Miami will help him grow and adapt in the Badgers’ offensive system.
“Tyler Van Dyke is a guy that’s been in three systems. He’s had three different offensive coordinators at Miami. He’s had to battle through a lot of ups and downs,” Fickell explained. “To me, that’s made him who he is. That’s given him the humility to get back up and continue to grow. He’s had to handle some of those adversities, and it showed when he walked in the door at our place. Because he was really humble, he was really embracing to all things and understood that this is going to be a competition.”
Coach Fickell on TVD ⬇️
— Badger Enthusiast (@Badger_szn) July 26, 2024
He’s going to surprise a lot of people this upcoming year… #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/OVqZjQVxXs
Fickell sells the quarterback battle as at true competition between Van Dyke and redshirt sophomore Braedyn Locke. That is unlikely to be the complete truth given Van Dyke’s pedigree and the program’s decision to bring him in this offseason.
The rest of the comment should carry weight. Wisconsin enters 2024 after an adversity-filled 2023 campaign. The program is in desperate need of a resurgence, a sentence that can also be applied to Van Dyke’s current situation and career path to this point.
There is an undercurrent of optimism that the Badgers’ stable offensive system with a strong offensive line, good rushing attack and terrific cast of weapons will allow the veteran quarterback to refind his 2021 form. If that happens, 2024 could be a turning point for both Van Dyke and for the Wisconsin program.
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