Michigan QB Signee Dan Villari Ready To Silence Critics
Dan Villari had a unique path to Michigan.
Most avid UM recruiting followers know that Michigan made a late run at Villari, a little know quarterback prospect from Long Island, hosted him for an official visit just before the early signing period and earned his signature soon after.
But most don’t know that it was actually a question of sportsmanship that paved the way for Villari to end up in Ann Arbor.
Massapequa (N.Y.) Plainedge head coach Rob Shaver was suspended for a game after a sportsmanship committee determined he ran up the score in a 61-13 win over Rockville Centre (N.Y.) South Side.
Debate over the validity of the suspension made national news and found its way into Michigan’s recruiting office. In that game, Villari scored five total touchdowns, and a few days later, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh was on the line.
“They said we ran up the score because there is a 42-point rule in my league, which is a terrible rule,” Villari said. ‘It made national headlines and was all over Twitter. One of the Michigan recruiting coordinators saw that, and I guess he spread the word to Coach Harbaugh.
“After that, Coach Harbaugh called my head coach and left a voicemail and asked about me. He said he watched my film and wanted to know more about me.”
With four-star quarterback commit JD Johnson medically retiring, the door opened up for Villari.
While the Wolverines didn’t jump into the mix until late in the process, Villari knew it was home after his official visit. When the opportunity finally presented itself in the form of an offer on early signing day, Villari was quick to take advantage and signed with the Wolverines.
“I really like all the coaches,” Villari said. “There are some schools you visit, and there are a few coaches you can’t relate to. But I want to be around the Michigan coaches for four years. The facilities were mind-blowing. The academics are great. It was just a win-win for me.”
Villari, a three-star prospect, was once committed to FCS program Fordham. He started to gain some traction in the fall, earning offers from Kent State and UMass. However, that doesn’t exactly scream Michigan recruit.
Villari knows there are many Michigan fans that have doubted his abilities publicly. And that’s given him extra motivation.
“I have a huge chip on my shoulder,” Villari said. “Every day, I’m thinking about how I’m going to prove myself. I have the biggest chip in the class. I want to prove everyone wrong. I’ve seen a lot of hate about me. But none of those people have seen me live or seen what I do in the weight room to get better every day. I think time will tell, and they’ll see.”
Villari is putting in extra work this offseason and will arriving on campus in May — he is graduating high school a few weeks early.
And no, he's not just happy to be a Michigan signee. Villari has a competitor's mindset. He wants to eventually compete for the starting job under center.
"The first year I'll probably get used to everything," Villari said. "But then I'm going to be ready to compete for that job. I'm always going to compete, but I'm going to start being more of a leader. I see myself fitting into the offense well. Coach (Josh) Gattis is installing a lot of zone reads and quarterback runs. I can do that well."
Villari passed for 1,306 yards, rushed for 1,522 yards and scored 38 total touchdowns en route to leading Plainedge to a 12-0 record and the Long Island Class III state championship as a senior.
At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, Villari is ranked as the No. 13 overall prospect in the state of New York, per Rivals.com.