COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 04 Syracuse at SMU
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DALLAS -- Lost amid a sea of blue-and-white clad field-storming fans was an unstained No. 9 jersey worn by a 6-foot-4, 230-pound quarterback. As people passed by, they'd occasionally say some variation of: "That must have felt good for you."

The 26-20 overtime win over Miami did indeed feel great for Tyler Van Dyke.

He might be reasonably anonymous these days in Dallas, where he's spent the season recovering from a catastrophic leg injury that's kept him off the field since last September, but he's not too far removed from being the 2021 ACC Rookie of the Year with the Hurricanes.

"It was pretty cool to feel that from all the (fans)," Van Dyke said.

Van Dyke, 24, is a college football journeyman. He's speaking with CBS Sports in early November in SMU's end zone complex. Through the glass windows, you can see YouTube stars "Dude Perfect" filming a video of them playing 7-on-7.

There hasn't been much of that for Van Dyke. It's been a year of recovery as Kevin Jennings leads the Mustangs on a second straight ACC championship push, which will continue Saturday against Louisville. 

Van Dyke's long leaned on his former Miami offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee for advice. He was teammates with Mustangs QB coach D'Eriq King in Coral Gables. When Van Dyke needed a new home in the portal this offseason leaving Wisconsin, Lashlee and the Mustangs were an ideal match.

"This was the best situation to get healthy," Van Dyke said. "It meant a lot. I'm super grateful they gave me the opportunity to be back here. It felt great to be back with them."

Some of Van Dyke's best moments as a player were under Lashlee's direction.

King got hurt and in came Van Dyke as a second-year freshman early in the 2021 season. He threw for 2,931 yards with a better than 5-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Then the Miami fired Manny Diaz and SMU hired Lashlee.

Early NIL poster boy

That offseason, Van Dyke became an initial name, image and likeness darling. He drove a $100,000 BMW. Even though at the time he told 247Sports: "I feel like I don't deserve. I want to reach my goals and earn it so I can pay for it myself. But it's hard to say no."

The Van Dyke Mario Cristobal pairing was expected to transform the fortunes of Miami football. Instead, injuries hampered Van Dyke for much of the 2022 season and the Hurricanes stumbled to 5-7.

That's when Alabama called. Van Dyke basically had a deal done to transfer there. The Crimson Tide weren't sure either Jalen Milroe or Ty Simpson could be the guy post-Bryce Young. Van Dyke was the proven answer. That's when Cristobal got wind of the impending move.

"You're more important than you know to this program," Cristobal said. "The guys need you."

"He convinced me to stay," Van Dyke said. "I don't regret that. I wanted to be at Miami. I was just trying to do what was best for my future, so I was listening to what Alabama had to say."

Miami stumbles 

The next year, Van Dyke showed flashes of his 2021 form, including 374 yards and five touchdowns against Texas A&M amid a 4-0 start. Then came an embarrassing loss to Georgia Tech when Miami opted to call a run instead of taking a knee in the victory formation, resulting in a fumble and an embarrassing loss.

Van Dyke hears about that game all the time. SMU's coaches even taught that situation this year about what not to do in the final moments of a game.

That loss began a run of unfortunate results. Miami finished 3-6 after a 4-0 start. Van Dyke played hurt through a knee injury. People just didn't realize he couldn't bend it for three weeks.

At the end of the season both Van Dyke and Miami felt they needed to part ways as the Hurricanes aggressively pursued Cam Ward.

"I thought I needed a fresh start," Van Dyke said. "Trying to find a place that embraced me."

Van Dyke went to Wisconsin. It started well at 2-0. Then came a matchup with Alabama.

A major roadblock

Van Dyke began the opening drive 5-for-5. He dropped back, looking to his slot receiver on an out route. The receiver got held. Van Dyke didn't see the flag, so he scrambled to make something happen. Three yards short of the first down Van Dyke's knee got stuck in the ground. A defensive end hopped on his back.

"Then everything just exploded in my knee," Van Dyke said.

It's not the worst pain Van Dyke's felt. A previous Grade 3 AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder felt worse. But it was a demoralizing injury all the same. He tore his ACL in his right knee and his meniscus. He also damaged cartilage in the bottom of his femur, which required three allograft plugs.

The injury had a recovery timeline of 12-plus months. Van Dyke hobbled around on crutches during the rest of the season. Turning the page in Dallas didn't mean the end of the recovery. The plugs were loose around the femur, which required a cleanup in July. It wasn't a major surgery. It was a setback and the reason he isn't fully cleared yet.

Van Dyke is planning to play college football in 2026: "As of now," he said.

His waiver appeal for a seventh season is being prepped. Van Dyke said he's been told there's around a 75% chance it's granted. He never used a redshirt year, and both the 2024 and 2025 campaigns should qualify for a medical redshirt.

For now, Van Dyke is writing stuff down for the next time D'Eriq -- never Coach King for his former teammate -- asks him to step into practice. There's an hour or two of rehab daily for Van Dyke, everything from acupuncture needles to leg presses to strengthen his quad.

Van Dyke isn't sure where he'll play in 2026 if he returns. He is confident the jokes will come either way. He'll be the 2026 version of Cam Rising. He gets it. He's old -- a member of the 2020 class. He's seen big NIL contracts balloon from $60,000 to $4 million in a matter of a few years. 

Van Dyke just hopes people remember this wasn't the path he chose. His final year was supposed to be in Madison. He's just trying to work his way back to what he knows he can be.

"I'm just looking to prove to myself I'm able to go out and play like I can play," Van Dyke said. "I know when I'm healthy, feeling good and confident I can be better than most quarterbacks in the country. I've proven that."