UD quarterback follows in dad’s footsteps with Flyers

“I don’t know how he’ll finish (his career) statistics-wise, but I’d match him up with anybody we’ve had at linebacker down through the years,” Kelly said. “I don’t know if we’ve had a better athlete, when you look at the size, speed and hitting power. I wouldn’t care to have anybody else in there.”

In 2024, another Flyer named VanVleet is garnering praise from second-year UD coach Trevor Andrews. Drew VanVleet, son of Brad, will begin his first full season as the Dayton starter at noon on Aug. 31 when the Flyers open the season against St. Francis University (Pa.) at Welcome Stadium.

VanVleet, 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, has taken almost all the snaps with the first-team offense in preseason practices.

“He definitely has separated himself,” Andrews said Sunday at Welcome Stadium during UD’s annual media day photo shoot.

VanVleet started four games in the latter half of the schedule last season as a freshman but sat out the season finale in order to preserve a season of eligibility. College football players can make four appearances and still redshirt.

“It’s nice that he got four starts a year ago,” Andrews said, “and is still able to come in with that under his belt. But you’ve got to earn it every day. He’s his own harshest critic, which you like. He’s got an arm. It’s just getting all the little things down so that they become second nature and he starts playing free. that just comes with repetition. It’s not anything that anybody can replicate. You’ve got to go out and do it day after day after day, and then all of a sudden you become smoother with the pre-snap operation and all the adjustments you’ve got to make and be aware of as a quarterback.”

VanVleet is from Richmond, Ind., like his dad, and was a two-year starter at Richmond High School before transferring to Bishop Chatard High School in Indianapolis for his senior year. He helped lead the program to the state championship in 2022 when he set a school record with 29 touchdown passes.

VanVleet grew up going to games at UD. His dad was an All-Pioneer League Football selection in 1999 and 2000. His mom Kelly played softball at UD from 1998-2000.

“We came to all the football games growing up,” Drew said. “I looked up to these guys that were playing on this field. It was a pretty neat experience to then get recruited by them because it was almost like a dream school.”

Drew said his dad let him make his own decision about what college to attend but was excited when he chose Dayton.

“I think it was a surreal moment for him,” Drew said.

“It’s great,” Brad said. “I love Dayton. I had a phenomenal experience here. He grew up wearing Flyer uniforms, coming to the games, going to the Dayton Flyer football camps. It’s kind of a dream for it to actually come to fruition that he ends up coming here.”

Drew’s dad played with Andrews for one season. Brad was a freshman in 1997 when Andrews was a senior safety. That team finished 9-1 and won the Pioneer Football League championship.

“I looked up to him,” Brad said. “That senior class was really good. They were a pretty special group. Then I kind of followed his coaching career and what he was doing, and actually met with him up at Western Michigan when he was there, right before he took the head coaching job at Dayton.”

Drew was a member of Dayton’s 37-man 2023 recruiting class. Rick Chamberlin was the coach when UD started recruiting him. When Chamberlin retired and Andrews was hired in December 2022, Andrews traveled to Richmond to sit down with Drew and his dad. Drew committed to the Flyers in January 2023.

Drew is one of four sons of former Flyers on the 2024 roster.

• Sophomore wide receiver Gavin Lochow, a starter as a freshman, is the son of Steve Lochow, who played at UD from 1990-93 and was an All-American defensive lineman.

• Redshirt junior running back Ty Stylski is the son of Mike Stylski, a running back for the Flyers from 1994-97.

• Freshman fullback Jack Yenichek is the son of Tony Yenichek, who played on two PFL championship teams in the early 1990s.

Dayton started the 2023 season with Cole Dow and Dante Casciola splitting time at quarterback with VanVleet listed as the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart. The Flyers stuck with the two-quarterback system most of the season. VanVleet made his debut Oct. 17 in a 20-17 overtime loss to Presbyterian.

Dayton lost the first three games VanVleet started against Presbyterian, Butler and Valparaiso but won his fourth start, 35-6 against Marist, in the home finale. He completed 21 of 30 passes for 228 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

“I went 1-3 as a starter, so that’s the biggest thing,” VanVleet said. “That’s what I judge it on. The biggest thing is getting those wins. Moving forward, it’s whatever I need to do to get us a win each week and get us a PFL championship.”