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Tyler Will is a member of Villanova's football team but he wasn't always a Wildcat. Will used to be a  Nittany Lion at Penn State, where he originally planned to play lacrosse, but de-committed from the team and transferred in the middle of his college career. There are plenty of transfer horror stories to go around, but thankfully, Will has no regrets about his decision. We sat down with Tyler to get his scoop on the transfer experience and why college athletes shouldn't be afraid to make a change.

1. Can you tell me about your decision to go to Penn State and play lacrosse there?

I verbally committed to Penn State for lacrosse in the fall of my sophomore year of high school. I was very fortunate to have had the chance to play in front of coaches and be recruited so young. I considered several other schools that showed interest, but Penn State seemed like the best fit for me. The coaches were great people who treated my family and me with the utmost respect, and they had every academic option I could think of and more than anything, every single person I talked to said “you'll LOVE Penn State!” The entire process couldn't have taken more than a month, so I made that decision rather quickly. But as a 15-year-old kid, how could you not jump at the opportunity to get a scholarship at a huge school to play a sport?

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2. When did you start having doubts?

Due to personal circumstances, I de-committed from Penn State lacrosse but still attended as a regular student for the fall of my freshman year. Coming from a relatively small high school, it was a shock to take classes with hundreds of students in the same class. I also did not fit in well with the social environment as Greek life appeared to be the only viable option to make friends without athletics. After a month or two, I knew that the school simply wasn't the right fit. 

3. What made you choose Villanova?

Having an older brother who graduated from Villanova, in addition to growing up around the area I was quite familiar with Villanova. It was an easy decision to apply, given that Villanova has an incredibly high reputation academically and also has smaller class sizes that were more aligned with the learning environment that I was used to. 

Related: Rate Villanova University

4. When you were going through the transfer process, what questions were you asking yourself?

• What do I want to pursue academically/professionally?
• What learning environment best suits me for success?
• What types of social organizations am I interested in pursuing (size, activity, etc.)?
• Do I want to be close to home or not?
• What kind of area/town would I feel most comfortable in (weather, urban/rural, living situation, etc.)?

5. How hard was it to start at a new school?

It was certainly challenging, however, Villanova was a better fit for me for a variety of reasons which catered to my ability to make friends, perform well academically, and pursue social/athletic organizations 

6. Did the Villanova football program welcome you?

I had to work very hard to get my foot in the door. However, once I was in, they welcomed me with open arms and gave me the opportunity to compete for a spot on the roster. 

7. How did the Penn State lacrosse team react to your decision to transfer?

The head coach was understanding and empathetic about what I was going through and gave me his full support to do what was best for myself and my family. 

8. How did your family and friends react?

They were unbelievably supportive and excited for me to find my new home. Having a support system throughout this process was vital to making unbiased, rational decisions and going about my business in a professional manner. 

9. If you could change anything about the whole process, would you?

I wouldn't change anything about the process, however, one piece of advice I'd give to myself in high school would be to do more research and reflection on my own in order to generate and identify my own opinions and feelings about a school rather than primarily going off of what other people were telling me. I'd also say that it is imperative to understand that lots of things change throughout high school and college and therefore it's important to keep doors open to accommodate changes in interests, whether it be academically, athletically, personally, or professionally. 

Image Credit: Villanova Athletics

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* Originally published on September 15, 2022, by Claire Borman