COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - In different ways, Aaron Syverson and Alex Larson found their way back to Collegeville this fall.
 
Syverson elected to use a final year of eligibility to return for his fourth season as the Johnnies' starting quarterback.
 
Larson – the tight end who was one of his top targets while earning All-American honors the past three seasons – was out of eligibility. But he is now a member of the coaching staff, working with players at his old position – including junior Joey Gendreau, his top backup a year ago and now his successor in the starting lineup.
 
"I think the way the guys view me may have changed a little bit," Larson said. "I'm a coach now and my job is to help them get better. Off the field, we can still goof around and have fun. But once we're on the field, we're there to work. And they know that."
 
For Syverson, seeing his longtime teammate in this new role has been an adjustment.
 
"It's taken some time getting used to not having him in the huddle anymore," said Syverson, who begins his final season ranked third in program history in career completions (652), passing yardage (8,506) and touchdown passes (96).
 
"But it feels natural for him to still be part of Saint John's football. I think it's going to be a really good thing for the tight ends to have a coach of their own. Especially a guy like him who's been around and done so much over the past few years."
 
The 6-foot-7, 240-pound Larson – who finished his career first among tight ends in school history in career receptions (171, fourth overall), touchdown catches (30, seventh overall) and receiving yardage (2,097, 10th overall) – drew the attention of pro scouts and attended rookie camps with the NFL's Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints this past offseason.
 
But when a training camp invitation didn't materialize, returning to SJU seemed like the natural choice.
 
"Obviously, my hope was to be at training camp, but when that didn't work out and this opportunity came up, I jumped at it," he said. "It just felt like my heart was calling me to go down this path. I'm really excited about it."
 
SJU head coach Gary Fasching is also excited about Larson's addition to the coaching staff.
 
"Any time you have a guy who's played that position as long as he has, and can pass that knowledge on, it's invaluable," Fasching said. "He's been doing a great job so far. It helps that he was able to go through a couple of minicamps this offseason and pick up a few things from NFL coaches. Now he's passing those lessons along to our players as well."
 
Fasching is, of course, equally ecstatic about getting Syverson back for one more season. The 6-foot, 195-pound Minnetonka High School graduate ended the regular season in 2023 tied for the NCAA Division III lead in passing touchdowns (45) and second in passing yards (3,436).
 
The two-time All-MIAC pick threw for 300 yards or more five times a year ago and 400 yards or more on three occasions. He also recorded four touchdown passes or more in eight of his team's 10 games and five touchdown passes in four of SJU's matchups.
 
"Any time your quarterback returns, it's huge," Fasching said. "But especially a guy as experienced and talented as Aaron. Having him back makes things a lot easier from an offensive standpoint. He understands what we're trying to do and he's a great leader on the field."
 
Syverson spent two seasons at Division I Colorado State (one as a redshirt) before transferring to SJU at the semester break of the 2020-21 school year. He had one more year available because of an NCAA ruling granting an extra year of eligibility to all student-athletes as a result of the impact of COVID-19.
 
But the accounting major was initially unsure he'd use it.
 
"I took some time to decide," he said. "I tried to talk to people outside the coaching staff and my own family. I wanted to hear input from people who didn't have a bias either way. And everyone I spoke with thought it was something I should do."
 
He was also motivated by a desire to help the Johnnies return to the NCAA Division III playoffs after missing the postseason a year ago. Though he said that wasn't the decisive factor in his decision.
 
"(Missing the playoffs) made me decide quicker, but I think I would have reached the same conclusion anyway," Syverson said. "Once football is over, it's done. It's not like basketball or golf where you can keep playing in leagues or on your own. I didn't want to look back and regret not taking advantage of the chance to play another season when I had it. There are things I still want to accomplish."
 
At the top of that list is making a deep playoff run. A season-ending broken leg meant Syverson was sidelined as his team advanced to the second round of the Division III playoffs in 2021, and he played through a sprained shoulder as his team reached the second round again the following year.
 
This season, he has his sights set on going further.
 
"It's the one thing we haven't really been able to do," Syverson said. "We got to the second round (twice). But we know we're capable of going further than that. I think that's something that's important to everybody on this team."
 
That's Larson's goal too.
 
"It's what we're all shooting for," he said. "Seeing this team get over the hump and do some damage late in the year."