How Willie Tyler, Syracuse Navigated OL Coaching Change to Secure Commitment

Syracuse's new transfer offensive lineman details decision, process.

Syracuse picked up a big commitment recently in Texas offensive line transfer Willie Tyler. Tyler, a 6-7, 335-pounder, says he picked the Orange because he saw the best opportunity to play and make an impact. 

"I just saw the need they had at tackle," Tyler said. "They expressed it. Watching film with coach Schmidt and then talking to coach Babers over the period of time since they started recruiting him. It just came down to where I feel I could fit in offense wise and who I think can develop me the best." 

To complicate matters, Syracuse changed offensive line coach during his recruitment. Initially, it was coach Mike Cavanaugh who was recruiting him. Then he left for Arizona State, and Syracuse was in a bit of flux without an immediate replacement. 

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"Honestly, it was super difficult," Tyler said. "They tried to make it easier. Talking to coach Babers a lot. Really once coach Cav left, I started talking to coach Babers maybe like once a week. Talking to Kramer (Cook) every day. He just kept having the rest of the staff reach out and talk to me. 

"Also, he was keeping me posted on which coaches he was finding, who he thought would fit in best and who he was talking to. Really once coach Schmidt got hired, it was just about getting to know him. What he was about, how he developed players and his coaching style during games." 

Syracuse then hired Mike Schmidt from San Diego State. Immediately after being hired, one of his first calls was to Tyler. 

"The first call was just to get to know him," Tyler said. "He was getting ready to go down to Syracuse. He told me he'd call me once he got there to have a longer conversation, but he didn't just want the news to get out and not reach out to me and not have me feel like a priority. I want to say he called me two or three days later. 

"From there, we watched film and broke it down. My JUCO and stuff from Texas. He didn't want to talk to me without telling me how I'd fit in the offense from his eyes because it could be different from coach Cav's." 

How he would fit would be at right tackle, Tyler said. The crux of their conversations was how Tyler fit into Syracuse's scheme as a right tackle, where he has a chance to start and make an impact on an offensive line that has struggled over the last two seasons. 

In order to feel secure about that, in depth football discussions with new offensive line coach Mike Schmidt were critical. Tyler and Schmidt spoke quite a bit, with Zoom calls sealing the deal. 

"It was pretty quick," Tyler said. "I wouldn't say I was sold right away because I wanted to see how he talked football. That was kind of the biggest thing for me is I wanted to see how he talks football on Zoom. That was kind of big throughout this process. You can talk over the phone all day, but I feel like Zoom is where the real test is when you break down film." 

When Tyler committed to the Syracuse coaches, he received quite the reaction. 

"They were super excited," Tyler said. "Babers was super energetic. I believe it was his wife and his daughters, they were all happy. She was happy, I talked to her during the process some too. I talked to coach Schmidt, I called him at a bad time because he was moving, but he was super excited. He called me back later that night and we talked about it more. 

"After I told coach Babers, I told him 'let me tell coach Schmidt' and then I had to go do something. So it was a little bit of a waiting game but he knew what day I was making my decision." 

What is Willie Tyler bringing to the table as a Syracuse offensive lineman?

"Hard working," Tyler said. "I'm always looking to put in extra work. I feel like I bring great relationships with whatever room I'm in with. I'm a good tackle, I feel like. My strength is pass game. Run game is coming along too. Obviously I'm a big body, so I always critique run game the hardest because I feel like the pass game is easier in my eyes. 

"But just somebody who's going to work hard, and try to bring the most wins and rings to Syracuse that I can."