By Dave Johnson
Over the last three football seasons,
Tyler Hughes played in nine of William & Mary's 36 football games. That no surprise given that two seasoned veterans,
Darius Wilson and
Hollis Mathis, were ahead of him on the depth chart.
Yet instead of pouting, Hughes took the opportunity to watch and learn. Now, he's the heir apparent at QB1, and he feels prepared.
"Darius is one of the best Tribe quarterbacks ever, and Hollis is another one of those guys in the record book," Hughes said. "They always tagged me along and taught me things. I was able to sit in the back seat and learn how to drive the car, which is how I took it.
"And I'm grateful for it. Just being able to sit in that room and take in all that greatness, that has formulated me to become the player I am today, even though I haven't gotten to do too much yet."
That's not entirely true. Although his playing time has been limited, Hughes accounted for 617 yards and seven touchdowns in those nine games. He's 1-0 as a starter, having totaled 199 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-10 win over Hampton in 2023.
And already in his brief career, Hughes has shown big-play potential with touchdowns of 66 yards (on the ground) and 76 yards (in the air).
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"He's one of the fastest guys on our team in terms of start to finish," W&M coach
Mike London said. "You have some guys start slow and finish strong. He's one of the fastest guys, and the ability for him to use his legs is great.
"He also has the ability to use his arm and knowledge. Coach
Bryan Randall (quarterbacks) and Coach
Winston October (offensive coordinator) being there for him has improved his game tremendously."
Growing up, Hughes played every position at one point or another. But when the game got more sophisticated, he found his home at quarterback. He also ran track, which increased his speed and him more dangerous as a dual threat.
In his final two seasons at Marietta (Ga.) High, Hughes
completed 62% of his passes for 6,071 yards and 70 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,145 yards and 14 touchdowns.
In nine games at W&M, Hughes has passed for 357 yards and rushed for 240 yards (8.9 per carry). October likes that option, but he wants him to be judicious.
"All our quarterbacks can scramble and are capable throwers," October said. "The big thing is his decision making — that's where he's going to be judged. The other stuff he does easy."
Hughes isn't the only new starter on offense. The Tribe also has spots to fill at running back at wide receiver. But Hughes is encouraged by what he has seen in the offseason and fall practice.
"These guys are great athletes, and they've also been able to sit and watch the good guys in front of us also," he said. "We've brought in some very good running backs who are explosive.
"We've got some guys at skilled position who are very explosive athletes and have an immense amount of talent. I'm excited to play with them."
London is excited about what he's seen from his new QB1.
"It's rare that your quarterback in waiting stays has the patience to say, 'OK, I'm the next man up, but I'm still going to get better,'" London said. "To stay and see his maturation process has really improved,
"I think he's going to be a surprise to this conference. Yes, he played some, but now he has an opportunity to
play."
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