Dino is bringing him in to win the job.
While Syracuse football offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert was navigating the end of a tumultuous 2020 season, he was actively working to bolster his unit's chances of an
247sports.com
Why QB Garrett Shrader chose Syracuse: 'I'm not coming to sit'
BySTEPHEN BAILEY 22 hours ago
While Syracuse football offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert was navigating the end of a tumultuous 2020 season, he was actively working to bolster his unit's chances of an improved campaign next fall. For the past month or so, Gilbert has been heavily recruiting Mississippi State transfer quarterback Garrett Shrader.
A former four-star recruit who entered the transfer portal two months ago, Shrader committed to the Orange on Saturday night. Speaking with 247Sports on Sunday, he outlined the pitch Gilbert and head coach Dino Babers made to him.
"I wanted to go somewhere that has a pretty wide-open offense," Shrader said. "That was the biggest thing. I don't really care about the cold. I know we don't really have to deal with it playing in the Dome anyway. That was the biggest thing. I wanted to go somewhere where we put up points. I don't want to just be a game manager.
"... I wanted to go somewhere that's explosive where we throw the ball a lot, have an RPO game with a quarterback run and obviously (have) bunch of talent around (the quarterback) because you're only as good as the people around him. So Syracuse checked all of those boxes with me."
A sophomore, Shrader is set to enroll at SU in January and arrive on campus when returnees come back from holiday break around Jan. 20. Currently, he'll have to sit out the 2021 season due to NCAA transfer rules unless he's granted an immediate eligibility waiver. However, the NCAA Division I Council is scheduled to vote on a one-time transfer proposal next month, which could pave the way for Shrader to battle with redshirt junior Tommy DeVito starting this spring.
Shrader started four games for Mississippi State in 2019 and appeared in 10 contests, completing 57.5 percent of his passes for 1,170 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for 587 yards (5.2 ypc) and six scores, displaying the mobility that SU's coaches told Shrader could help offset the team's recent offensive line woes.
After Mike Leach was hired to replace Joe Moorhead as MSU head coach this January, Shrader was moved to wide receiver. He stayed for four games in an effort to help the team and with the understanding that the NCAA had given fall athletes an extra year of eligibility as well as an extension of their participation window. But Shrader said he's always viewed himself as a quarterback, and he was diligent in learning about transfer options once he hit the portal.
Shrader said he also strongly considered Louisville and Virginia Tech, but fit in the Orange's scheme, as well as a clearly outlined opportunity to compete for the starting job, were the two facts that led him to picking Syracuse. A conversation with Babers late in the process validated the notion that Shrader will get a chance to beat out DeVito, the two-year starter who played through injuries in 2019 before missing seven games due to a lower-leg injury this fall.
"I like Coach Babers a lot," Shrader said. "He's very excited, very energetic guy, passionate. He said he's not bringing someone in to be the backup. He's bringing me in to compete and ultimately try to win the job. I'm not coming to sit.
"That was a big thing when he said that. He said, 'I'm not bringing you in to sit here and back up. I need you to go win the job.' But he said, 'I'm not going to hand it to you.' He wants me to come in and make that quarterback run better and make the team better, and that's what I'm trying to do."
Shrader said he watched film with Syracuse coaches of other dual-threat quarterbacks to operate in versions of the veer-and-shoot run by Babers and Gilbert. That includes former Orange signal-caller Eric Dungey as well as two South Florida standouts who worked under Gilbert: Quinton Flowers and Blake Barnett. The way those three players were able to contribute as runners, scramblers and passers piqued Shrader's interest. He was able to see himself succeeding under Babers and Gilbert with aspirations of putting up the prolific statistics of that trio.
As a senior in 2018, Dungey racked up 754 rushing yards and 15 scores to go with 2,868 passing yards and 18 touchdowns to nine interceptions. Flowers totaled 1,078 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior at USF in 2017, adding 2,911 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions. Then Barnett rushed for 301 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior for the Bulls the next fall, throwing for 2,710 yards, 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
"They showed me what it was like at its peak with guys who had similar builds or could do similar stuff that I can in the run game and pass game," Shrader said. "That's what I was looking for."
Shrader said he's eager to get to campus, begin winter conditioning and meet his new teammates. With Syracuse planning for a full offseason of training and development work, Shrader is expected to get his first chance to impress Babers and Gilbert when spring practice opens, traditionally in March.
Said Shrader: "When we get to start playing, I'm confident in my skill set. So when it comes down to that, I think that'll take care of itself. Once you get to competing, you go out and play."