Dan Villari Making the Most out of Opportunities at Tight End

Villari had a big impact in Syracuse football's last game.

Syracuse, N.Y.-- When Dan Villari transferred to Syracuse during the spring of 2022, he had one goal in mind. Becoming the starting quarterback for the Orange.

A lot has changed in the last 18 months for the converted quarterback switching positions to tight end. All of the hard work and dedication paid off this weekend as Villari showed a sneak peek of what he could mean for this offense moving forward.

Villari was a former standout quarterback at Plainedge High School in New York. The 2019 Long Island III State Champion threw for over 1,300 yards and rushed for 1,500 yards with 38 total touchdowns as a starter. Ranked as the 10th best quarterback in the state by 247Sports, Villari surprisingly didn’t receive many Power Five offers in recruiting. However, Villari did get the attention of the University of Michigan and committed during his senior season.

After redshirting as a true freshman in 2020, Villari saw his first action with the Wolverines appearing in four games. Even though Michigan won the Big Ten Conference and earned a trip to the College Football Playoff, Villari decided to enter the transfer portal.

Villari only spent five days in the portal before committing to Syracuse, because he admitted it was his dream school. During high school, he wished to have received an offer from the Orange, so it was a no-brainer to come to the 315. But it never really clicked for Villari as a quarterback at SU.

Villari admits that he was struggling in the offensive scheme and wasn’t the best fit for his skill set as a quarterback. Throughout his career, he always had a heavy focus on running the football and never previously had to read defenses to that magnitude. Just a week before the 2022 season opener against Louisville, then quarterbacks coach Jason Beck had an idea for Villari.

Struggling with the offense as it wasn’t a perfect fit for his skill set (experience in his type of offense)

“It was coach Beck’s idea for me to switch to tight end. I think they all thought I was a great athlete, but things just weren’t working out at quarterback. So I think they wanted to get me on the field somehow to help us out,” Villari said.

Villari started to enjoy catching footballs and hitting people, realizing that maybe he even liked this position more than quarterback. But the grind of the position was much different than sitting pretty in the pocket in the beginning transition stages.

“I thought at first it was really hard. Being on the scout team and getting my butt kicked around. But, the more I kept working at it, the easier it got. Just a lot of hard work and effort at practice,” Villari said.

Villari saw action in seven games last season primarily on special teams, but the final three at tight end. During this transition stage, Villari knew that he had the physicality and toughness necessary to play the position, but needed more work on technique with tight ends coach Nunzio Campanile.

Entering his first full season at tight end, Villari felt confident that he could play a factor in the offense. When star Oronde Gadsden II went down with a serious foot injury in week two against Western Michigan, Villari knew that it was time to prove himself. Now that Gadsden is out for the season, he’s taken on a mentorship role with Villari to maximize his potential.

“Yeah, I’m sure Oronde’s injuries opened up some opportunities for me. You know it’s sad to see that happen to him, he’s a great player, and I love having him around. He’s very smart, and he helps me out a lot with my route running and even my blocking. He has so much knowledge about the game and he’s just always there giving me tips. I know he does scouting reports now so he’s like having another coach,” Villari said.

Coach Beck and the SU offense utilized Villari’s uniqueness in many ways against Clemson. He scored his first career touchdown shedding tackles and diving into the end zone for the score. Villari threw two passes on trick plays that caught Clemson off-guard and resulted in a defensive pass interference penalty.

“Yeah, I’m glad that I got my opportunity. It sucks to make plays like that, and you don’t win because it really defeats the purpose. But, I’m glad I got my opportunity for sure,” Villari said.

Even though he was able to finish the game due to injury, Villari promised he’s good to go this week against North Carolina. Kickoff in Chapel Hill is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and will be available on ESPN.

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