Jackson Proctor turns backup quarterback role into offensive spark for Coyotes

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Sep. 30—VERMILLION, S.D. — For the better part of his college football career, Jackson Proctor has learned that the path rarely goes exactly as planned.

His latest stop brought him to the University of South Dakota, where the 6-foot-2, 210-pound quarterback arrived in the spring with the expectation that he could be the next starter for the Coyotes. Instead, the sixth-year transfer has found himself in a backup role.

"It's been an up-and-down roller coaster," Proctor said of his college football journey. "I had a lot of success at Dartmouth, but I knew I wanted to play football as long as I could, so I grad transferred to Northern Illinois. I was kind of blindsided and ended up having to take a medical redshirt, which, silver lining, it was a blessing in disguise to end up at South Dakota. I definitely did not expect to come to the Midwest, but I've been super happy here since January. It hasn't been a straight-line type of journey, but I wouldn't want it any other way."

Proctor came to Vermillion hoping to replace Aidan Bouman, who graduated after leading the Coyotes at quarterback the last four seasons. Throughout the spring and into fall camp, however, a quarterback competition developed, with Proctor, Austyn Modrzewski and Nevan Cremascoli all competing for the job.

Eventually, Modrzewski, a redshirt freshman, emerged as the starter. For Proctor, it meant once again accepting a role he had not envisioned for himself. It also meant finding another way to contribute. And through the first five games of the season, Proctor has done exactly that.

Rather than serving only as a backup option behind Modrzewski, Proctor has become a wrinkle in the Coyotes' offense, primarily entering games in designed quarterback-run packages. His biggest opportunities came last Saturday against Youngstown State. Playing in his fifth game in a Coyote uniform, Proctor finally found the end zone not once but twice.

His first touchdown came on USD's opening drive with the Coyotes trailing 7-0, as Proctor took the snap and worked his way toward the right side before making a move on a Youngstown State defender. He then dove for the right pylon for a 7-yard touchdown, tying the game at 7-all and providing an early spark.

His second score came immediately after halftime. With USD trailing by 9 points, Proctor took off and raced past the Youngstown State defense for a 22-yard touchdown, cutting into the Penguins' lead and again providing the Coyotes with some juice. USD ultimately couldn't sustain the momentum, falling 47-28 in its Missouri Valley Football Conference opener. But on a humbling afternoon for the Coyotes, Proctor's performance stood out.

"I think it was five weeks too late," Proctor said about scoring his first touchdowns as a Coyote. "But it felt good. We needed some energy, and I feel like those two touchdowns really gave us that. Obviously, the end outcome wasn't what we wanted, but I think it showed a lot of people my ability and our ability on offense to do a lot of different things, and hopefully we can continue to keep doing that."

Through five appearances, Proctor has completed 2 of 5 passes for 23 yards, but his biggest impact has come on the ground. He has emerged as the Coyotes' third-leading rusher with 154 yards on just 12 carries, an average of 12.8 yards per attempt. His longest run of the season is a 40-yard burst against Northern Colorado, and he now has two rushing touchdowns following his performance against Youngstown State.

For a player who entered the season hoping to win the starting job, it has been an impressive way to make an impact without holding the role he originally wanted.

"Obviously, my role is a little bit different than I kind of anticipated, but being able to just bring juice for the guys and show my electric ability on the field has been great," Proctor said. "There's a lot of different things that I can do really well, and defenses have had a hard time kind of figuring out what we're doing when I'm in the game. So, I am just going to continue to make it hard on them, and give our team the best opportunity to win the football game."

That willingness to embrace an unexpected role has also made Proctor an important piece away from the field. He has been through the quarterback competition process before. At Dartmouth, Proctor spent his first three seasons of college football as a backup before becoming the starter in 2024. He played in seven games in 2023 before taking over the starting job the following season, starting all 10 games and completing 68% of his passes for 1,546 yards, 13 touchdowns and just three interceptions.

He also rushed for 352 yards while helping lead Dartmouth to an 8-2 record. After four years of success with the Big Green, Proctor transferred to Northern Illinois with the goal of carving out another starting opportunity.

Instead, his time with the Huskies ended with a medical redshirt. Then came South Dakota, and another quarterback competition. This time, Proctor was on the wrong side of the final decision.

It was difficult, he acknowledged, particularly after putting so much into the spring and fall battles. But it was also familiar territory. He had already experienced what it was like to be a backup before eventually getting his opportunity at Dartmouth.

That experience has helped shape the way he has handled his role at USD, and how he has approached his relationship with Modrzewski.

"It's tough when you are a young guy and teams are starting to throw a lot of different things at you, so I have just kind of given my thoughts on the sideline to help him grow," Proctor said of his relationship with Modrzewski. "We're watching plays on the iPad together and just kind of being there for him. I have played a lot of college football, and I've seen a lot, and I think that has helped me help him just see things from a different perspective."

For Modrzewski, having a veteran quarterback with Proctor's experience available has provided another asset as he navigates his first season as the starter. And for USD first-year coach Matt Vitzthum, Proctor's attitude has been just as valuable as his production.

"Jackson is a guy that sacrificed a lot and left the place where he had a ton of success, and they were winning a bunch of football games and he was all-conference, but he made a decision to come here," Vitzthum said. "And obviously, when Austyn won the starting job, he easily could have pointed fingers and complained. Instead, he has embraced his role from the jump, and we are going to continue to use Jackson in a lot of different ways. He has been extremely important to our football team."

That role could continue to evolve as the season moves forward. Modrzewski has proven capable of making plays with his legs, too, but Proctor's presence brings a different style when he enters the game. And because defenses have to account for the possibility of him carrying the football, his presence can create opportunities for the rest of the offense.

Proctor still wants to be the starter. That hasn't changed. Every week, he prepares as though he could be the guy taking the majority of the snaps. But he also understands that being part of a team means finding value wherever it is needed.

Instead of being the starting quarterback he envisioned himself becoming, Proctor is carving out a role as one of USD's most intriguing offensive weapons. And he's doing it without complaint. After everything he's been through, he has learned to appreciate the opportunity in front of him.

"The main reason why I came here was because of the chemistry and the guys on the team," Proctor said. "In this day and age, it's hard to really create a lot of relationships with guys over time, just because everybody's moving around, and I think that was big for me in my decision, and I think that's come to fruition with it now being October. Obviously, the town is a football town. It's awesome. Everybody has really good things to say about football players, and I always like seeing people out and about. I'm in a really good place, and I have enjoyed Vermillion."

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