The date was December 2, 2017. West Virginians descended on Wheeling Island Stadium for the Class AAA state championship game. Defending state champion Martinsburg was set to take on Spring Valley. Led by quarterback Tyson Bagent, Martinsburg had won 27 straight games. Bagent threw for 232 yards leading Martinsburg to a 44-16 victory and its second straight state title. The Bulldogs finished the year ranked No. 19 in USA Today’s Super 25 national high school football rankings. Bagent finished the season with 3,199 yards, and 41 touchdowns and ran for eight more. He had an impressive 72% completion rate and would go on to win the Gatorade State Player of the Year award.
Tyson Bagent was brought up in a competitive family. While Tyson was lighting up opposing high school defense his dad Travis was dominating the arm wrestling circuit. Travis, known as “The Beast” is a 6’3″ 265 lbs. arm wrestling legend. He has won 25 national titles and 13 world titles. That genetic grip comes in handy when firing a football into tight windows. For such a decorated high school quarterback one might expect the younger Bagent would be flooded with offers from blue-blood college programs. One would be wrong. He was a zero-star recruit. After being overlooked by most programs Bagent opted to play at an unheralded tiny Division II school only 10 miles from where he played high school football in Martinsburg. He would go on to put this college on the map. Bagent won the starting quarterback job immediately during his freshman year. He had a solid debut finishing with 3029 yards passing on a 65.4% completion rate. To accompany this he passed for 29 touchdowns. He continued to ascend his sophomore year leading all Division II quarterbacks with 362 yards passing per game, 36 touchdowns, and an impressive 71% completion rate.
Then everything stopped.
This new virus circulated the United States putting everything into lockdown. It was the new age of Covid 19. Premier college programs made every effort to get back to football due to the incredible amount of revenue it generated. Division II schools like Shepherd shut the whole program down. The entire 2020 fall season was canceled. Shepherd would play only one spring game.
Despite the layoff, Bagent didn’t miss a beat. The Shepherd Rams’ offense in 2021 was an absolute juggernaut. In their 10-game regular season, they had nine games above 30 points. In six of the games, they scored above 50 points. It was behind the arm of Bagent that the Ram’s offense flourished. Bagent threw for a gaudy 5,000 yards and 53 touchdowns. He received the Harlon Hill award as the top player in Division II. In the playoffs, little-known Shepherd would beat #6 Notre Dame College and #12 Kutztown before falling to division II powerhouse and eventual champion Ferris St. in the semifinal game.
Bagent’s senior year was largely a mirror image of the air show he displayed in 2021. Shepherd again eclipsed the 30-point mark in nine of the 10 regular season games. Shepherd again made it to the Division II semi-finals. Bagent threw for 4580 yards ranking second in Division II and 41 touchdowns. His completion percentage was 69.9%. Bagent was voted PSAC East conference player of the year. During his decorated college career, Bagent set several Division II career records, including throwing for 17,034 yards and being responsible for 171 total touchdowns. Bagent received invitations to the NFL Combine and the Senior Bowl. March 27, 2023, numerous NFL scouts descended on Shepherdstown, West Virginia for Bagent’s Pro Day. However, once again Bagent would be passed over. Draft Day comes and goes and Bagent goes undrafted. No problem. Bagent has been looked over before. Bagent could be forgiven if he has a Mount Everest-sized chip on his shoulder.
According to his CBS draft profile, Bagent exhibits the following strengths and weaknesses…
Strengths:
- Very experienced
- Quick release and quality footwork when in the pocket
- Passer’s amnesia isn’t afraid to rifle the ball through tight windows
- Has a good feel for zone coverage
Weaknesses:
- Decision-making is subpar
- Mechanics breakdown when pressured
- Low-level of competition
- Average-at-best athletically
- Needs to move through reads quicker
He has adequate height at 6’3″. However, his 213 lbs. frame is too lean to withstand the rigors of an NFL season. Bagent is a very good athlete even by NFL standards. Given his bloodlines, this should not come as a surprise. Bagent scored a 9.01 out of 10 in his Relative Athletic Score. This ranked 92 out of 916 QBs from 1987 to 2023.
The Chicago Bears signed Bagent to a 3-year $2.7 million contract. Bagent reportedly turned down more lucrative offers from other teams as he saw a clearer path to starter in Chicago. He was correct. His best game was in week two vs the Indianapolis Colts. Bagent was 9 for 10 passing for 76 yards. Bagent received a 91.5 PFF grade for his pre-season performance. This was good to be the second-highest-graded offensive rookie in the entire NFL. He outplayed P.J. Walker and then surpassed Nathan Peterman to become the backup to polarizing starter Justin Fields.
That brings us to the preset.
Bears still hope for clarity at the end of the week regarding whether or not Justin Fields will need surgery on his thumb. The team wants to see if Fields' grip strength improves/what his functionality looks like.
Eberflus: "Again, the grip strength, he’s working better. The…
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) October 18, 2023
Justin Fields’ immediate future is murky due to a thumb injury suffered in Sunday’s 19-13 loss to the Vikings. Bagent came on in relief of Fields and sputtered his way to a 10-14, 83-yard passing performance with one interception. If Fields is out for longer than expected Bagent will have every opportunity to prove himself as a capable NFL starter. Bagent has risen to the occasion at every stop of his football career so far. He has proven all the doubters wrong and now has risen to the pinnacle of his profession as a starting quarterback in the NFL. He is a fun story to root for. Everyone loves an underdog and Sheperd University alum Tyson Bagent exemplifies this as much as anyone..
I hope you enjoyed reading my article. My goal is to provide actionable advice you can utilize to improve your Dynasty team. You can follow me on Twitter @force_fantasy. #DFFArmy #FantasyFootball #AlwaysBeBuilding #NFL #NFLDraft #NFLTransactions #NFLTrades #AlwaysBeScouting
Click here for a 12-month DFF Membership.
Pingback: The Incredible Journey of Tyson Bagent | Dailywise