Northern Iowa quarterback Theo Day on 'everybody's radar' heading into 2023 season
CEDAR FALLS – Northern Iowa quarterback Theo Day walks into a meeting room at the UNI-Dome on a July morning and finds a seat. Day is rocking a Harley Davidson t-shirt, some old Vans, khaki shorts and high white socks.
“Most people probably wouldn’t describe me as the typical quarterback who's kind of uptight, who’s kind of always on edge and worried about everything,” Day says with a smile. “I kind of try to be more relaxed.”
This isn't what a lot of people would expect one of the top quarterbacks in the nation to look like. And this isn't exactly where you'd anticipate finding him, either. But Day, a redshirt senior at Northern Iowa this fall, is considered one of the best at his position.
“If you would have told me this before I came here that this would happen, I really wouldn’t believe it,” Day said. “But I really started believing it and getting really confident in myself.”
Since transferring to Northern Iowa, Day has been so good that NFL teams are now keeping close tabs on him.
“He’s on everybody’s radar,” said Northern Iowa football coach Mark Farley.
'Theo was lost.' Day looks for a new home after things don't work out at Michigan State
Day appeared to be on the track for stardom when he was in high school. The Canton, Mich., native was among the best high school quarterbacks in the nation. During his senior season at Dearborn Divine Child High School in 2017, Day completed 120-of-203 passes for 1,622 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also ran for 878 yards and 13 scores.
ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports ranked him as the top senior quarterback prospect in Michigan. 247Sports tabbed him as the seventh-best pro-style quarterback prospect in the country. Boston College, Missouri and Minnesota all wanted Day to play for them. So did Michigan State and then-coach Mark Dantonio, who landed Day’s commitment in January of his junior year.
“A couple of bigger schools tried coming after me, wanted to come see me throw,” Day said. “But I was never really thinking of flipping.”
Day loved Michigan State, and it seemed like the perfect fit. Day grew up following mock drafts and had seen the type of success Michigan State had in developing quarterbacks. He also followed the school’s strong football history, which included a win in the Rose Bowl in 2014. After developing a good connection with Dantonio and his staff, Day figured it was the right place for him to follow his NFL dreams.
But things didn’t work out. He redshirted in 2018 and appeared in just two games in 2019 before Dantonio retired in February of 2020. Michigan State brought in Mel Tucker, and Day didn't see game action in 2020. By the end of the spring in 2021, it became clear the Spartans didn’t have room for Day as Tucker massively reshaped his roster. Day was among the many players who left the program.
“Theo was lost,” said his mother, Marilyn Day.
The timing couldn’t have been worse for Day, who entered the transfer portal in April along with a lengthy list of players throughout the country. Many programs had already decided on their quarterbacks. Day, who hadn’t played much for three seasons, didn’t have much of a resume or game tape to show teams.
The interest in him this time around was limited. Day said Power 5 and FBS programs wanted him as a walk-on. In the end, only three or four schools really showed interest in him, and they were all from the Missouri Valley Football Conference, including Northern Iowa.
The Panthers had the most interest. Farley, the longtime UNI coach, watched film of Day in high school and liked what he saw. So Farley reached out to former Panthers player Jay Johnson, now the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Michigan State. Johnson raved about Day.
"That's when it all came together," Farley said.
Farley he did everything he could to lure Day to Cedar Falls. He and his staff called and texted the quarterback multiple times a week. While there weren't many teams after Day at the time, the Panthers made it clear they really liked him.
Day didn't know much about the conference, so he researched the teams and the league's history online. He was vaguely familiar with Northern Iowa. Two of his Michigan State teammates, Rocky Lombardi and Cole Hahn, were Iowa natives and raved about life back home. So did Johnson, the former UNI quarterback responsible for keeping NFL Hall of Famer Kurt Warner on the bench.
Warner's story of staying patient and waiting for his shot to shine at Northern Iowa late in his career inspired Day. Still, Day wasn't completely sure that he wanted to continue playing. After years of riding the bench, self-doubt crept into his mind.
Maybe he should walk away from the game and move on to the next chapter in his life, he thought. A talk from his mom, who had never pushed him to play sports, helped convince him to give it another shot.
"I said, 'Theo, I know you haven't played in the last three years, but we know and you know you're a phenomenal football player, you just have to be given a chance,'" she recalled.
After the talk, Day decided to go to UNI.
Day regains his confidence and becomes a star for UNI
Day knew his shot would come at Northern Iowa. But it didn't happen right away in 2021.
Day sat during the Panthers' season-opening loss to Iowa State and was back on the bench during the first half of their second game at Sacramento State. After UNI mustered just seven first-half points against Sacramento State, Farley decided to make a change. Day had thrown the ball well in practice but was still behind Will McElvain, a Des Moines native who had a breakout season in 2019.
With just a couple of minutes before halftime warmups ended, Day learned he'd be starting the second half. It was a huge opportunity, possibly a make-or-break chance for the transfer. Perform well and he could get more playing time. Struggle and his opportunity might not come again.
"That is the turning point in my career," Day said.
Day seized the opportunity and guided the Panthers to touchdown drives on their first four offensive series of the half. He stayed in the game, completed 6-of-11 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns and led UNI to a come-from-behind 34-16 road win.
"Everyone was like, 'Wow, he's really good,'" said UNI tight end Alex Allen.
The job was his for the rest of the season. The Panthers finished with a 6-6 mark and Day became a star, throwing for 2,316 yards and 16 touchdowns. During a loss to South Dakota, he threw for a season-high 303 yards. Day was even better in 2022, when he completed 65% of his passes for 3,121 yards and 26 touchdowns. He also ran for 66 yards and four more scores.
Day cracked UNI's top 10 in single-season passing yards, passing touchdowns, pass completions, completion percentage, pass efficiency and total offense. He also led the MVFC in passing efficiency, passing yards, total offense and yards per attempt.
"The growth has been in his confidence," Farley said. "I mean, he's got all the physical skills of any quarterback that I've ever had. It's just his confidence. He's regained his confidence."
It hasn't waivered since. Not just confidence in himself, but also the confidence others have in him. After showing what he can do for two successful seasons in Cedar Falls, Day is once again on everyone's radar.
Farley said other college teams have tried poaching him but Day has stayed loyal. He loves the school and the program so much that when Day had a front tooth knocked out in a game last year, he had a temporary one with a UNI logo put in.
"He's just really committed on staying here at UNI," Allen said. "He really likes all the guys on the team."
A pro career could be next for Day
Day is drawing attention from NFL teams and popping up in various publications as a possible selection in the 2024 draft. Pro Football Network lists him among the best quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft. Jim Nagy, the executive director of the Senior Bowl, mentioned Day on social media as a possible selection.
Day has the skills and intangibles to play at the next level. He's cool, calm, collected and extremely relaxed, traits that Farley believes have helped him navigate through the tough times and get to where he is now.
Day checks in at 6-foot-5, 231 pounds and has a strong, accurate arm. The challenge for an FCS player is proving that he can do it on a bigger stage. Farley believes he's well on his way.
"He's captured the eye of every team," Farley said.
Day is putting in the work, including vigorous offseason workouts. He has done extra running on the beach and participated in special throwing sessions with his receivers at the UNI-Dome. His mom said Day carries a football with him wherever he goes, including a trip to Europe over the summer. While others were trying to relax, Day was throwing passes to his father, Jim.
Day said he understands what is at stake for him this season.
"It's pretty big," he said. "Especially for opportunities that I'll have down the road."
Day figures if UNI has a successful season, the rest will take care of itself. Still, it's hard for him to grasp that he's even in this situation after all he's been through. Farley calls him not only the best college quarterback in the state but the entire region.
"It was always, 'I want to be an NFL player,'" he said. "So it's always been my dream and at some points, I've thought, 'Oh man, maybe that might not happen' and I'm going to have to figure something else out. But I was lucky enough to where it's obviously worked out right now and I have the opportunity to go show what I can do this year."
Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018 and 2020 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468. Follow him on Twitter @TommyBirch.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: UNI's Theo Day gets attention of NFL evaluators
