Ethan Vasko, a promising young quarterback stuck behind starter Jalon Daniels and back-up Jason Bean on the Jayhawks’ depth chart, announced Tuesday that he was leaving the KU football program.
Vasko revealed his plans on social meeting, saying “a lot of consideration and discussion with my family” went into his decision.
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound redshirt freshman from Chesapeake, Virginia, noted in his announcement that it was in his best interest to enter the transfer portal when the window opens on April 15.
“This has not been an easy decision and it was made with much thought,” Vasko wrote in a message he posted on Twitter.
He then thanked KU coach Lance Leipold, offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and quarterbacks coach Jim Zebrowski for “the opportunity to play college football at the Power 5 level.”
Wherever Vasko goes from here, he’ll have four years of eligibility remaining and two years of experience under his belt.
He seemed to be a solid part of KU’s future plans, with the coaches raving about his talent and potential both last season and this spring. He added depth and value to KU’s quarterback room, which features Daniels as the clear starter and Bean as his immediate back-up.
However, with the coaching staff tinkering more and more with the idea of using Bean and his speed and athleticism at other positions on the field, Vasko seemed to fill a more important role than most third-stringers.
That likely came from his experience last season, when he was the immediate back-up to Bean for a handful of games while Daniels was out with a shoulder injury.
Although he played just a limited number of snaps in a road loss at Texas Tech, preparing like he was the starter and knowing during that stretch that he was always one play away from running the offense surely aided his development.
“His understanding and ability to command what we’re doing offensively is impressive as a freshman,” Kotelnicki said of Vasko ahead of KU’s road loss at Oklahoma in mid-October. “Ethan certainly has a sense of confidence about him in what we’re doing.”
While Vasko’s departure certainly will be felt within the program, it’s important to remember than KU recently picked up a commitment from Isaiah Marshall, one of the top dual-threat QBs in the country in the 2024 class.
In addition, the quarterback position is not one that programs really ever stop recruiting.
A three-star prospect out of high school according to 247 Sports, Vasko figures to have opportunities to find a landing spot where he will be able to compete for a starting job or at least to serve as the No. 2 QB upon his arrival.
It remains to be seen what level he will land at and whether any Power 5 programs will give him those opportunities.
Vasko’s departure, along with that of defensive end D’Marion Alexander, who announced his plans to enter the portal late last week, will give KU some flexibility in managing its 85-man scholarship number, with the potential to add a player or two out of the portal should the number of scholarship players on the roster dip below 85.
Redshirt freshman QB Kai Kunz, a walk-on out of Wichita, also announced his plans to enter the portal and leave KU on Tuesday.
Thank you KU! pic.twitter.com/08T8eL4nAB
— Ethan Vasko (@EthanVasko) April 11, 2023
Chance Parker/Journal-World photo
