At the beginning of the 2023 campaign, the Ashland University Eagles football team had no idea who would be the team’s starting quarterback after the departure of Austin Brenner. 

Throughout preseason camp, the battle was close between three players, but ultimately Trevor Bycznski won the job to be at the helm for the Eagles. Transferring after two seasons at Buffalo University playing only in one contest, Bycznski found his way back to his home state at AU.  

Bycznski was thrust into the starting quarterback position at times last year with injuries to Brenner, but this season is his first time really owning the job week in and week out.  

“This is his first extended time [as a starter] in three years, and it’s a process you have to go through when you are breaking in a new quarterback,” said Head Coach Doug Geiser. “We had the same quarterback for six years in Austin Brenner, and that left a big void especially leadership wise,” he continued. 

It seems like everything fell into place for Bycznski, ending up being a starting quarterback at Ashland, just over an hour drive from where he grew up in Berea, Ohio where he graduated from Berea-Midpark High School.

During his time there, he set a number of records for his school.

But when making the decision to come to college, his football goals were the main reason why he decided to give higher education a chance. 

“Without athletics I am not sure I would have gone to college at all. I probably would have picked up a blue collar trade, or followed the route I am on now and worked towards becoming a law enforcement officer,” said Bycznski. 

Ashland has given him the chance to not only see the playing time he wants to have, but also pursue a degree on the educational side in Criminal Justice. 

Finding a connection with the receivers has been a little bit of a growing pain this season for Bycznski through six games, because most of the receivers are non returnees from a year ago. Along with the fact he simply hasn’t played a consistent amount of football over the past three years. 

“Trevor coming from the University of Buffalo had not played a lot of football and we knew that. Plus we’ve got some younger receivers having lost Logan Bolin and Garrett Turnbaugh and some of those guys,” said Offensive Coordinator Tom Stacy. “It’s a work in progress, but we are making strides each week and continuing to improve.”

Bycznski is coming off two of his most efficient games as an Eagle this year, throwing for a season-high three touchdowns, and running in a two point conversion against Walsh, and finding three touchdowns again against the Northwood Timberwolves.

Bycznski’s journey as a starter continues as the Eagles are set to take on the Lake Erie College Storm on Oct. 21 with kickoff set for 1:00 P.M.