Redefining a career can require change, the type of change that seems uncomfortable with the possibility of great rewards at the end.
For super senior quarterback Kyle Vantrease, his decision to leave the University of Buffalo was a difficult one. From 2017 to 2021, Vantrease started 26 games with the Bulls and accumulated 4,757 passing yards and 38 total touchdowns. In addition to being an established starter, he was also an accomplished punter. His most notable moment was an 81-yard punt against Nebraska in 2021.
In January 2022, Vantrease made the decision to transfer to Georgia Southern. In doing so, Vantrease was immediately inserted into a quarterback competition against Cam Ransom and Justin Tomlin. Entering his sixth year as a college football quarterback ,with no promises of a starting spot, he made a calculated gamble to enhance his career.
So far this season, the gamble has paid off, as he is second in the FBS in passing yards (2,703) and 12th in passing touchdowns (18). As it stands, the Eagles have a respectable 5-3 record, one of which was an upset win in Week 2 against Nebraska. On October 15th, he would set a school record with 578 passing yards and four touchdowns in a huge win over then No. 25 James Madison.
Perhaps the most satisfying aspect of Vantrease's success has been earning the type of national attention that eluded him during his tenure with the Bulls. Following their big win against Nebraska, he earned Football Bowl Subdivision National Offensive Player of the Week by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the first in program history to achieve this feat.
Whether he is NFL bound or not remains to be determined. What can be said at this point is that Vantrease's gamble has yielded tremendous success. Rather than ask why he did not make such a move sooner, one should see it as better late than never.