In college football, we’ve seen father-son stories unfold under stadium lights. Few more public than Deion Sanders coaching his sons, Shedeur and Shilo, in Colorado. Their bond, built on shared ambition and high expectations, has become a defining narrative of the program. Shedeur and Shilo, having their father as coach, is the best part: they get to experience each high and low alongside one another, making memories that extend far beyond wins and losses. But now, a quieter yet equally meaningful version of that story is emerging on the East Coast.

Dante Reno, a standout quarterback from South Carolina, is following in his father, Tony Reno’s, footsteps to Yale University. Tony, the Yale head coach, gets to coach his son. Just like Deion and his sons, the Renos are about to experience something only very few players in college football do: a father guiding his son on and off the field, through the rigors of D1 athletics and pressures of campus life.

Family photos are always special, particularly when they’re commemorating a new chapter. Recently, a tweet by ESPN’s Pete Thamel went around that nailed this sentiment. “Former South Carolina quarterback Dante Reno has committed to play at Yale next season, he told ESPN. The move will unite him with his father, longtime Yale head football coach Tony Reno. He’ll have four years of eligibility remaining.” The picture has it all—Dante ready to take on his next challenge, clutching the Yale jersey, his mom proudly smiling, and his dad, HC Tony Reno, proudly posing as dad and mentor.

Dante spent a year at South Carolina, acclimating to the high-level SEC environment, going through the motions, and biding his time. But as La Norris Sellers’ role as the Gamecocks’ starting quarterback solidified, two other top recruits, Air Noland and Cutter Woods, were entering the pipeline, making the road to playing time crowded. Dante decided to step into the transfer portal—a clean slate, a new page. But this was no ordinary transfer. Dante was going to a place that had the warmth of home in more than one sense: Yale University, where his father, Tony Reno, is the head coach. Full circle indeed.

For a three-star prospect and the state’s fifth-best high school player in Connecticut. Dante’s transfer to Yale offers one of the most prestigious academic environments in the country. For Dante, it’s a chance to grow both as an athlete and as a scholar, under the guidance, who knows him best, his father.

Dante Reno’s new chapter

When Dante Reno called to depart South Carolina and enter the transfer portal, quarterback Air Noland, the new kid on the scene spared a moment to bid Dante farewell with a short but heartfelt comment on Instagram: “Wishing you the best bro 🫡.” In a day where competition and transfers can make teammates into adversaries, Air’s message was one of respect and brotherhood.

Fans, naturally, had their response too. Some playfully noted that Noland’s arrival was the cause of Dante’s departure, while others blamed Cutter Woods. But the reality is, college football is a revolving door. Noland is well aware of that feeling himself, having just transferred from Ohio State to South Carolina for a chance. As Bravo Charlie put it on X, “The second Julian Sayin flipped from Alabama to OSU, Air Noland was bound to transfer unless he beat Sayin out.” His words to Dante were not so much a goodbye as a tip of the hat from one quarterback to another. For Dante, the transfer to Yale isn’t solely about getting away from a deep depth chart. It’s about the pursuit of playing time, yes, but it’s also about family, heritage, and an opportunity to pen his script.