| No. 89 – Syracuse Orange | |
|---|---|
| Position | Tight end |
| Class |  |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (2002-06-29) June 29, 2002 Manhasset, New York, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Plainedge (North Massapequa, New York) |
| College | |
| Stats at ESPN | |
Daniel Hunter Villari (born June 29, 2002) is an American football tight end for the Syracuse Orange. He previously played for the Michigan Wolverines.
Early life and high school
Villari attended Plainedge High School in North Massapequa, New York. During his senior season, he rushed for 1,522 yards and 23 touchdowns on 121 carries and completed 67 of 113 pass attempts for 1,306 yards and 13 touchdowns. Coming out of high school, Villari was rated as a three-star recruit and the 40th overall quarterback in the class of 2021 by 247Sports, and committed to play college football for the Michigan Wolverines over offers from other schools such as Buffalo, UMass, Fordham, and Albany.[1][2]
College career
Michigan
During his two seasons with Michigan in 2020 and 2021, Villari completed just one of his three pass attempts for 26 yards, while also running for 35 yards on nine carries.[3]
Syracuse
Villari transferred to play for the Syracuse Orange.[4] After transferring, he transitioned to play tight end for the Orange.[5] During the 2022 season, Villari made three starts, recording one catch for 22 yards.[6][7] In week 5 of the 2023 season, he totaled two catches for 65 yards and a touchdown against Clemson.[8] In week 11, Villari ran for 154 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries in a win over Pittsburgh.[9] On the season, he caught 20 passes for 180 yards and three touchdowns, rushed for 326 yards and two touchdowns on 55 carries, and completed 23 of 33 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown.[10] During the 2024 season, Villari hauled in six passes for 57 yards.[11] In week one of the 2025 season, he hauled in four passes for 55 yards against Tennessee.[12] In the regular season finale, Villari rushed for 44 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries in a loss versus Boston College.[13] He finished the 2025 season with 39 catches for 412 yards as well as one rushing touchdown.[14][15]
References
- ^ Sang, Orion (December 18, 2019). "Michigan football lands three-star quarterback Dan Villari to 2020 recruiting class". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- ^ Zuke, Ryan. "Michigan lands NLI from New York 2020 quarterback Dan Villari". MLive.com. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- ^ McMann, Aaron. "Michigan QB Dan Villari enters NCAA transfer portal". MLive.com. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- ^ Curtis, Mike. "Syracuse quarterback Dan Villari pleased with 'growth period' during spring ball". Syracuse.com. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- ^ Carlson, Chris. "Dan Villari's position change required a shift from 'quarterback tough' to 'football tough'". Syracuse.com. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- ^ Slaughter, Marquel (October 5, 2023). "He can catch, block and throw. Can versatile Syracuse TE be key to win at North Carolina?". Democrat & Chronicle. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- ^ O'Brien, Henry. "Dan Villari serves as lone offensive bright spot in Syracuse's 31-14 loss to Clemson". The Daily Orange. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- ^ Carlson, Chris. "Syracuse tight end Dan Villari, who left breakout Clemson game with injury, says he'll play against UNC". Syracuse.com. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- ^ Leiker, Emily. "Dan Villari's big day was set in motion with a 1-on-1 meeting and the bestowal of a wristband". Syracuse.com. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- ^ Hole, Isaiah (January 21, 2024). "Where are they now? How former Michigan football players fared at transfer schools in 2023". Wolverines Wire. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- ^ Carlson, Chris. "Why tight end Dan Villari might have the toughest job on the Syracuse football team". Syracuse.com. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- ^ Stepansky, Aiden. "Is Villari the solution to Syracuse's Oronde Gadsden-sized offensive gap?". The Daily Orange. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- ^ Lacy Jr., Kenny. "Fran Brown turns to Dan Villari to give tight end a fitting ending: 'Just a versatile player'". Syracuse.com. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- ^ Carlson, Chris. "Dan Villari reflects on 4 years with Syracuse football: 'A guy that made nothing into something'". Syracuse.com. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- ^ Wolf, Zak. "Dan Villari tried to pull off his wildcat magic 1 more time — it didn't work". The Daily Orange. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
External links
- Michigan Wolverines bio
- Syracuse Orange bio
