Garrett Shrader is currently the starting quarterback for a 6-0 Syracuse squad ranked No. 14. Not bad for someone who left Mississippi State after entering the NCAA transfer portal as a wide receiver.

Shrader was profiled by ESPN senior writer Andrea Adelson ahead of Syracuse’s showdown with No. 5 Clemson. The exit from Starkville is touched on, with Shrader looking back at what happened in 2020.

In the ESPN.com article, Shrader is quoted as saying “I don’t know what they were thinking,” but it appears he’s able to see why Leach’s staff asked him to try another position 2 seasons ago.

“I don’t know what they were thinking — they saw me as a big, athletic guy,” Shrader said. “They knew I ran the ball well, and I was a really good athlete, and so they thought I would be a better contributor for the team there. It ended up not being that way. But it’s just part of my story. Things have all worked out well and I’ve got a greater appreciation for the game where I’m at now, and I’m grateful for the opportunity coach Babers has given me.”

Interestingly enough, Shrader’s offensive coordinator at Syracuse is Robert Anae, who was on Leach’s Texas Tech staff and uses Air Raid concepts in the Orange’s scheme. As Shrader said, everything has worked out. Will Rogers has set records as Mississippi State’s quarterback and Shrader is leading a top-15 team.

The Syracuse-Clemson game is set for noon ET on ABC.