FAIRLAND – Jace Stuckey will receive his diploma in May with his classmates but he will not take another class at Triton Central High School.

The highly-successful quarterback of the football program will sit in on his first collegiate class at Eastern Michigan University on Jan. 8. Three days earlier, he will be involved in his first workout with the Eagles’ football program.

On Wednesday, Stuckey celebrated his signing with Eastern Michigan University with family and friends at Triton Central. He has known for months he would be leaving in January for Ypsilanti, Michigan.

“Over the summer, they presented the idea to me and how important it was as a quarterback. I also recognized, credit wise I was ready to graduate last year,” said Stuckey on enrolling in college so soon. “I thought it would be good to push myself. Also the passion of football is hard to neglect for a semester each year, so being able to get into it is very good.”

Stuckey’s final classes are today. He will leave immediately after school to join the Eastern Michigan football program in Mobile, Alabama, and be on the sidelines for Saturday’s 68 Ventures Bowl against South Alabama.

The home-grown Fairland quarterback has every intention of pushing to be Eastern Michigan’s starting quarterback as soon as next season.

“Throughout the process, they’ve told me coming in early is important,” said Stuckey. “They don’t plan on redshirting me until they have to. I am 100% in the competition for the first, second or third spot (on the depth chart). From there, they will decide what they will do with my eligibility.”

Triton Central head coach Tim Able, who has given Stuckey more and more responsibility with the offense each season, sees a young man driven to succeed but with a steep learning curve in his immediate future.

“Mentally, Jace is way ahead of most kids at this point in their lives,” said Able. “It doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. It means he has a lot of work ahead.

“He has to prioritize his time. He has to realize he can’t please everybody. He has to know who to have in his inner circle and who not to have in his inner circle. All those little things are life skills that sometimes you learn the hard way.”

In three years as the varsity starting quarterback at Triton Central, Stuckey (photo, right) rewrote the record book. The following are some of his records:

• Single game passing yards: 417 vs. Indianapolis Lutheran in 2022 (In fact, he holds six of the top 10 marks in this category and is the only QB to top 400 yards in a game)
• Season passing yards: 2,827 in 2023 (all three of his season totals are in the top nine, and he has the top two)
• Career passing yards: 7,042 (no other TC quarterback has topped 5,200 career yards)
• Completions in a game: 21 vs. Lutheran in 2022
• Completions in a season: 164 in 2022
• Completions in a career: 353
• Graduating class career victories: 39

“With 11 players being out there, I have to have five guys that block well and five guys to catch the ball well,” said Stuckey. “I had that each of my three years. I would say I am very lucky with what was presented to me in my career.

“I would like to say our legacy as a class is reflected with our total wins record. I feel great about that. I hope the class behind us can keep that up.”

That will be Able’s challenge. How do you replace a record-setting quarterback in a program that has won five straight sectional championships?

“Jace was not only talented as a quarterback running and throwing but also getting kids lined up in the right position,” said Able. “When we are working with receivers, he has a feel for what they need to be doing and the timing of it.

“I coached him but when you have somebody that talented you have to be careful not to over coach him and let him be in the flow. He got to have more control of the offense than I’ve ever had at quarterback.”

Stuckey will find a more detailed offense at Eastern Michigan led by offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Piatkowski.

“I have a great relationship with the quarterbacks coach which is probably one of the main reasons I chose there,” said Stuckey. “Their head coach is great. I like the offense they run. I like the conference they are in. And their history of quarterbacks and their success going on to the next level is very good.”

Like many boys in the Fairland area, Stuckey joined Future Tiger Athletics to get his first football experience. Many of the boys he started playing with were in attendance Wednesday for his signing ceremony.

Stuckey recalls first being made a quarterback in sixth grade.

“But it wasn’t to throw the ball. I was the first guy to touch the ball so that made running easier,” he said. “So me and Brayden (Wilkins) did that. In seventh grade I threw the ball a couple times. And in eighth grade I threw the ball a couple times and it went from there.”

Now Stuckey has to start all over – a challenge he is embracing.

“I have to bet on myself. I think I have the ability physically, mentally and leadership wise to be the guy,” he said. “It’s going to come down to a lot of things like lockerroom relationships that have already been built, and being able to earn the spot.”

In 2022, Eastern Michigan finished a program-record 9-4. While only 6-6 this year, Stuckey was impressed the Eagles fought through a tough season and still became bowl eligible.

“They are 6-6 this year, so definitely not what they expected, still a successful year being bowl eligible,” he said. “There are high expectations from head coach (Chris) Creighton with the culture he has built. When you are 6-6 and making a bowl game and are not satisfied, that shows something about them.”

Stuckey has been preparing himself for Division I football for several years. The academic load of pursuing an Engineering degree is not intimidating. He believes his biggest challenge will be living on his own for the first time in his life.

“It’s a different breed … a different animal,” said Stuckey of the rigors of being a Division I athlete. “I am not really worried about that. I think the thing I am worried about the most is being alone. You don’t have mom and dad in your ear telling you to get your homework done.”

What he will have is hardened college athletes and veteran college coaches pushing him to his limits.

“Experience is the best teacher and the only way to do it is to get the reps,” said Able. “He will get up there and get the reps, get into the college weight room, film, tutors that most kids don’t have at that level. Also, he doesn’t have to take a heavy load. He will learn a lot and hopefully have a chance to play a lot.”

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