Rhett Lashlee recalls, explains portal recruitment of QB Tyler Van Dyke

QB Tyler Van Dyke could’ve transferred elsewhere and played right away this season for his final year of eligibility. Instead, he chose to commit from the portal to SMU in a good scenario for both himself and for the Mustangs.

At the 2025 ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte on Tuesday, Rhett Lashlee discussed the circumstances of their program adding Van Dyke in the NCAA Transfer Portal in January. He noted the amount of familiarity they all had with him having played for Lashlee and alongside QBC D’Eriq King earlier in his career in Coral Gables. Their pairing then works out for each side as Van Dyke can continue to rehab and either play or redshirt during this fall while SMU gets a quality backup behind QB Kevin Jennings.

“It was kind of a unique perfect storm,” said Lashlee. “Obviously, the relationship we had helped, and he played with D’Eriq King and I coached him and with a lot of our staff. It was unique because, when Tyler got hurt and the injury he had, he was on pace to maybe not be cleared by game one of this year. And, to go to any school, which schools wanted him? There was going to be the pressure, you’ve got to be the guy right away. And, he’s got a redshirt year left. So it’s like, well, man, if I can come in, be with people I know, and get healthy? Maybe he plays this year, maybe he doesn’t, right. Hopefully, we stay healthy and he doesn’t have to. But then he’ll have another year, whether it’s at SMU or somewhere else. And we get a veteran, experienced guy in that room.

“It was kind of a win-win, if that makes sense…and it gives him a bit of a reset personally.”

Van Dyke has been a starter over two stops in his career at Miami and Wisconsin with 35 appearances and 31 of those as starts. He, with the Hurricanes and Badgers, has completed 63.7% of his throws for 7,891 yards, averaging 225.5 yards per game, with 55 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. It’s been a five-year span of ups and downs with it most recently being on a down with his lone year in Madison being over three games in after a season-ending knee injury with him tearing his right ACL.

With that, Van Dyke has one season of eligibility left. That made SMU almost the perfect place for him in his recruitment as he works with a staff that he’s familiar with, doesn’t have to play immediately like he may have had to elsewhere, and can have the option to use his redshirt, either there or elsewhere with another transfer next offseason, if he doesn’t play more than four games, which would be the expectation with Jennings back for his first full season as the Mustangs’ QB1 after leading them to appearances in the ACC Championship and the College Football Playoff.

Lashlee thinks this makes sense for all parties involved. That’s with the impact that Van Dyke can have for them on the sideline and, if necessary, on the field as he weighs his options towards the end of his collegiate career.