Ethan Vasko, sometimes viral TikToker, will he be CCU’s starting quarterback? What to know
The Teal throne Grayson McCall once sat on will have a new quarterback calling it home.
One year ago, Ethan Vasko, Coastal Carolina’s third-string quarterback, was named CCU’s game-one starter against Jacksonville State on Aug. 29, 2024. Second-year head coach Tim Beck declined to announce if Vasko is the starter at a press conference on Monday, Aug. 26, 2024.
“It’s an advantage for us, so why would I let Jacksonville State know that,” Beck said.
Vasko competes for the job with former Michigan State passer Noah Kim for the position. While Vasko is a favorite to get the job, Beck and offensive coordinator Travis Trickett previously stressed the similarities between players’ games.
“They’re kind of the same until they show me otherwise,” Trickett said in an Aug. 22, 2024 interview. “They’re both athletic.”
However, Beck always emphasized selecting a quarterback who knew the offense the best over who was more skilled. While there’s room for debate about each quarterback’s ability, Vasko had the edge in familiarity within the Chanticleer system, having started four games for Coastal during the 2024 season.
“That’s probably one of the biggest issues between the two of them at this point,” Beck said in an Aug. 25, 2024 interview.
Kim and fellow Coastal quarterbacks DJ Moore, Tad Hudson, and Alex Walker might also have a chance to play in 2024. Both Beck and Trickett have previously said that they expect to use multiple quarterbacks, as in 2023, Coastal used three starters during the season.
“In the day of college football, one quarterback lasts the whole season. It’s rare,” Beck added in an Aug. 25, 2024 interview. “We just never know who’s going to be that guy and when we need to call on him.”
Here’s what Ethan Vasko showed when playing in 2023
On the field, Vasko has shown flashes of his quarterback potential both through the air and on the ground to match his social media status.
In his first-ever start during the 2023 season against Old Dominion, a school he de-committed from playing for in high school, Vasko helped the Chants rally from a 15-point deficit in the third quarter to win the game. He tied the game with a two-point conversion run despite the Monarch’s defense initially stopping him yards away from the endzone in the fourth quarter, and he threw the winning touchdown with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game.
In his fourth and final start of the 2023 season in the Hawai’i Bowl against San Jose State, despite missing his second-best wide receiver and other offensive weapons, Vasko threw three touchdowns to secure CCU’s second-ever bowl game win.
Vasko’s physical style of play is an asset, especially when fighting for extra yards, but his mobility is also a concern due to injury risk. Vasko had to briefly exit CCU’s win against Texas State in 2023 due to injury before returning. Considering that McCall’s Coastal career ended while he was scrambling with the ball, despite trying to protect himself, balancing those factors is an issue for CCU.
For Vasko, being calculated with his running is the most important factor.
“We actually had this talk after (Grayson McCall) and got injured, like sometimes sliding, you’re giving yourself up, and so it could almost be more dangerous,” Vasko said in a July 2024 interview. “If it’s third down and four, and I have to get a first down, I’m going to fight for a first down and try to get it.”
In Coastal’s offense, that situation could occur. Quarterback run is built into many plays that Trickett calls, and Beck frequently used mobile quarterbacks during his career before coming to Coastal. While he doesn’t want Vasko to lose his aggressiveness or, worse, become afraid of taking a hit, Beck added safety is an emphasis.
“We’re very cognizant to make sure that we’re not putting him, we’re not using him over and above what we feel is what we need,” Beck said in a July 2024 interview. “The more they understand the offense and the system. They’ll stay in there and make that throw, or they’ll slide to the right or slide to the left and make that throw, as opposed to just taking off and running.”
Going viral on TikTok helped Ethan Vasko become a brand. It could also hurt Coastal
Vasko frequently posts on the social media app TikTok; his videos of lip-syncing, dancing, having fun with teammates and other comedic skits garnered him 35,000 followers on the platform.
While the videos provide a good laugh, they also offer Vasko and other college football players like him a lucrative opportunity to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). He’s appeared in paid partnerships with McDonald’s and the NIL branding agency Postgame, and Vasko could receive more opportunities once the season starts. Vasko’s predecessor under center, McCall, used his brand to become a player celebrity and receive considerable NIL compensation.
While a significant portion of NIL revenue typically goes to the most famous athletes in Power Four Conferences, having an off-field established social media brand is also a proven way to generate NIL revenue in the internet age, able to take a bench warmer and making them a notable internet personality in some cases.
A solid 2024 campaign could raise Vasko’s profile in college football and NIL earning potential. It could also attract other teams looking for their future quarterback, accompanied by a lucrative NIL deal CCU might be unable to match that draws the dual-threat player away from Conway.
In a July 2024 interview, Vasko said no other teams have reached out.
This story was originally published August 26, 2024 at 11:28 AM.
