INDIANAPOLIS — College football recruiters regularly check for linemen from the Cornhusker State, but skill position players, especially ones outside of Nebraska’s largest cities can easily go overlooked.
Despite a decorated Seward (Nebraska) High School career in which he amassed over 5,000 total yards and earned All-State honors in football and baseball, Gavin Sukup was ready to transition into the post-playing phase of his life after high school.
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“Usually you know where you’re going (to college) before your senior year,” Sukup, UIndy‘s quarterback, said. “Before then, I was just going to get a job. No college. I probably wasn’t going to go. I was just going to get a job in construction.”
It can be hard for a kid from rural Nebraska to dream of life outside of his small town of 7,600 people and high school of about 600. Playing in the NJCAA national championship, becoming a JUCO All-American and a two-time Great Lakes Valley Conference player of the year at UIndy likely felt worlds away.
UIndy quarterback Gavin Sukup directs the offense. The Greyhounds are 19-4 with Sukup as the starter.
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Sukup was always the best athlete on the field. His offense at Seward ran through him, and he carried a heavy offensive load for his team. Deficiencies along the offensive line forced him to become a creative scrambler. His ability to extend plays frustrated defenses, but it could be easy to question whether he could play within the structure of an offense.
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“You’re a quarterback running this offense, you may not have a guy who can separate from 1-vs-1 coverage. You may not have what you need to be an elite offense so you make due with what you have,” Seward coach Jamie Opfer said. “He’s been a master at that. He won us so many games just based upon his mind set, attitude and persistence. Basically refusing to lose.
“It was either create something out of nothing or we’re losing ground. His ability to understand when it’s third-and-9, and they’re bringing pressure — what are you going to do? You’ve got to be the man beater. You’ve got to be the guy who wins and he was able to do that for us.”
From the start of his high school career, Sukup carried himself like an experienced upperclassman. His workman-like nature in the weight room. The way he stayed after practice to put in extra work. His combination of talent and hard work made him a special player, he just needed an opportunity to showcase his skill at the next level.
Larger Division I schools showed no interest in Sukup, but NAIA schools in Nebraska were well aware of his talent. Matt Frazen, coach at Hastings College knew Sukup could be a special player. He knew Sukup had the talent to succeed on a bigger stage, so he reached out to a contact at College of DuPage, a junior college powerhouse in suburban Chicago.
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Playing on the most talented team of his career, Sukup blossomed. He led the Chaparrals to the 2022 NJCAA national championship, throwing 23 touchdowns to just one interception, and adding 406 yards on the ground.
Now, college coaches around the country knew what Sukup could do.
“It was a lot different having guys that can run, and guys that can go get the ball, big guys,” Sukup said. “The size was just kind of shocking, and the speed of the game was shocking. I played against a lot of undersized kids in high school then going to where we had a couple of D-I receivers. We had a couple of D-I offensive linemen. It was a whole different ball game.
“Just the speed of the game. I was really shook the first couple of days, first couple weeks of practice in college.”
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Greyhounds go all in on Sukup
After a strong freshman season at College of DuPage, UIndy won the services of Sukup. The Greyhounds have always had a dominant running game under longtime coach Chris Keevers, but Sukup’s dual-threat ability adds another element to the offense.
In two seasons, Sukup has passed for 5,337 yards, 46 touchdowns to just 12 interceptions while completing 65% of his throws. He’s added 638 yards rushing and 12 scores.
“He can spin it. That’s the first box you check,” Keevers said. “He’s dynamic. He’s a risk taker and he plays loose and runs around and makes plays. He extends plays and it’s fun to watch. You watch his highlight tape and you’re like, ‘I want this guy on our football team.’
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“We don’t really recruit junior college guys very often. We only have two on the roster. So, it was a change for us, but we found him late and our quarterback coach, offensive coordinator, Michael Engle said, ‘We got to take this guy’ I was like, ‘I’m in.'”
UIndy is 19-4 in two seasons with Sukup as its starter, but none of those wins have come in the postseason. The Greyhounds fell to Pittsburg State 35-14 in 2023 and lost to Grand Valley State 24-7 last season, both games were in the first round of the Division II playoffs.
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UIndy enters the 2025 season ranked 20th nationally and the preseason favorites to win the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Keevers believes this team has the pieces to make a postseason run, the Hounds just need to eliminate the crucial mistake and rely on Sukup’s ability to make big plays in key moments.
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“When we lost to Grand Valley, two plays here and two less mental mistakes and we win that game,” Sukup said. “That’s what I’ve been working on every day myself, no mental mistakes today. It’s your job to execute and let the extra stuff come.
“When it’s time to extend the play, extend the play. When it’s not, don’t worry about it. Just take what the defense gives you. If you gotta throw the ball away, throw it away.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Gavin Sukup: UIndy quarterback wins, national champion, All-American
