Southwestern graduate Cole Snyder is signing with the University of Buffalo and will play football for the Bulls. Snyder is transferring after spending his first three collegiate seasons with Rutgers University. AP photo

Cole Snyder’s coming home.

The 2019 Southwestern graduate announced Thursday that he is signing with the University at Buffalo and will play football for the Bulls.

“I’m excited that I found the perfect fit right in my backyard. Location wasn’t my biggest priority,” Snyder said Thursday evening. “I wanted a culture fit, an academic fit and a football fit. I thought UB was literally a perfect fit and checked all my boxes. It just happened to be in my backyard, so that was cool.”

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound quarterback spent his first three collegiate seasons at Rutgers University, playing for two full-time head coaches and an interim head coach.

“I definitely considered Buffalo (out of high school). Rutgers was the first one to offer me (a scholarship),” said Snyder, whose uncle, Rob, played baseball at UB. “At that point and time, having the opportunity to play at a Big Ten school, I just couldn’t pass it up.”

Following his exit interview with the current Scarlet Knights coaching staff last month, Snyder decided to enter the transfer portal.

The former Post-Journal Player of the Year redshirted his freshman season in Piscataway, New Jersey, and all college players were given a free year of eligibility last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so Snyder will have three years of eligibility remaining when he joins the Bulls.

After entering the transfer portal, Snyder said it was important to choose a new school before the spring semester begins so he could join the team, participate in spring practices and compete for the starting quarterback position.

A three-time New York State Sportswriters Association Class C all-state selection, Snyder received offers from UB, Bowling Green and Wagner, among others, when he entered the transfer portal.

He made official visits to Bowling Green and UB last weekend before accepting the Bulls’ offer Thursday. Snyder will enroll in time for the spring semester and start classes Jan. 31.

Buffalo is coached by second-year head coach Maurice Linguist, who last spring left the University of Michigan where he was the co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach under head coach Jim Harbaugh. The 37-year-old replaced former Bulls head coach Lance Leipold, who became the head coach at the University of Kansas last spring.

“I’m excited about the relationship I have with Coach Linguist,” Snyder said. “I think he’s a great coach and an even better person.”

The Bulls’ offensive coordinator is Shane Montgomery, who most recently called plays at James Madison University.

“The relationship with the offensive coordinator is crucial, too,” Snyder said, “and I think I have strong relationships with both of those guys.”

This season, Buffalo went 4-8 overall and 2-6 in the Mid-American Conference.

Quarterbacks Kyle Vantrease and Matt Myers each saw action in 10 games, combining for 2,564 yards and 12 touchdowns while throwing 11 interceptions.

Vantrease, a senior, has another year of eligibility, while Myers, a West Seneca West graduate, is a junior. Other quarterbacks on the Buffalo roster include sophomore Trevor Bycznski, redshirt freshman Casey Case, sophomore Aaron Chase and freshman Brian Plummer.

“I think their offense fits my skill set well. I’m a predominantly pass-first, run-second guy. Doing a little stuff with some quarterback run fits my play style well,” Snyder said. “Ultimately the big thing was just getting an opportunity to compete for the starting job. That was really the biggest thing.”

The Bulls will open the 2022 season Saturday, Sept. 3 in College Park, Maryland, against the University of Maryland and will play their home opener the following weekend against Holy Cross. Nonconference trips to Coastal Carolina and UMass are also on the schedule.

The drive from Southwestern Central School to UB Stadium is approximately 82 miles. You can bet that trip will be made multiple times by Snyder’s family and friends beginning next fall.

“It’s really cool to come back home and play in the 716,” Snyder said. “Playing for your hometown team means more. When you go out there every week, you know what you are representing just from growing up here.”