Villanova Football Commit McAden Learns From Time at QB

Villanova Football receiver commit Greeley McAden had a hand in more than 3,000 offensive yards across eight games during his senior season, switching from his native position to wildcat quarterback and even a traditional signal caller as a result of an injury to his team’s starting quarterback.

“I’m not a quarterback, I didn’t practice quarterback all summer, I didn’t do anything like that.” McAden said. 

Stepping Up

“Our first game [after the injury] me and other kids split snaps, I was mainly back there running the ball. But by the second game I threw the ball a little bit more and ended up earning that spot, being able to lead the team. The guys around me made it so much easier, my coaches really found creative ways to get the ball in my hands and help me get it in others’ hands. They were very open to the adjustment and the change, and I feel like everybody supported each other and really made it easier for a kid that never played quarterback.”

Necessity forced a quick learning curve for McAden, a 5-foot-11, 190 pound target who said he can play as both an outside and slot receiver. He said he gained a new appreciation for the amount of dedication quarterbacks need out of their receivers in order to make a play work after ending up on the other side of those connections. 

“I learned so much about how timing works, routes, and you can’t take your time off the line. You have to get to your spot — you have to go through your progressions as a quarterback, and it’s crucial to the play,” McAden said. “The receiver has to be where he needs to be when he’s supposed to be there, there’s no if’s, and’s or but’s about it. It gave me a whole new perspective and I think it’ll be a tool that I’m able to use in my career.”

Villanova Culture

McAden sounded the part of a quarterback chewing out a receiver for running the wrong route as he described what he now expects out of himself. He committed to Villanova on Feb. 6 as a preferred walk-on, but his relationship with the Wildcats dated to a recruiting camp in the summer of 2025. McAden said he built strong relationships with offensive and tight ends coach Lachlan Kline and former receivers coach Nate Pagan, who now works for the Kansas City Chiefs.

While McAden said he was sad to hear the news of Pagan’s departure, he has high faith in the program culture he saw on his visits.

“I felt like there was a lot of security in that. I loved Coach Pagan a lot, he was a big reason why I had such a good impression initially from the summer camp. Seeing him leave is hard, but at the same time I’m happy for him. He seems like an incredible guy from all the experiences I’ve had around him,” McAden said. 

“It was a concern for me, but it seems like there’s so much security, it seems like there’s a real culture there. I really trust that whoever they bring in… or if they go with somebody who’s already in the organization, it’s going to be the right guy. It seems they have a culture that they don’t want to change there.”