Ezayi Youyoute was frustrated, and he did what a lot frustrated people do — he decided he needed a change of scenery.
    And, like a lot of people who make changes out of frustration, Youyoute discovered the grass was not greener on the other side of the fence.
    However, unlike many who find themselves in those situations, Youyoute learned  he could turn back the page. And, that’s what he did.
    The Georgia Southern redshirt freshman quarterback left the Eagles last summer, and transferred to Valdosta State. However, as he prepared for pre-season practice with the Blazers he realized he had made a mistake.
    A phone call to GSU coach Jeff Monken was all it took to get him back to Statesboro.
    “He was there for their (Valdosta) first day of camp,” Monken said. “He called and said he wanted to come back. There was no question with Izzy coming back.
    “Izzy is a great kid. He wanted to be where he knew people cared about him, and loved him. We welcomed him back. ... The players love him.”
    Youyoute was redshirted last fall after suffering a painful turf toe injury while battling fellow freshman Jerick McKinnon for the job as the backup to Jaybo Shaw.
    While Youyoute sat McKinnon gained valuable experience. When Shaw left after one series at The Citadel it was McKinnon who came in and engineered a 20-0 win. He started the following week against Samford.
    An injury this spring was another set back for Youyoute who decided he might be better off elsewhere
    “It was a very tough, tough decision,” Youyoute said. “I talked it over with my family, and decided I would be better off transferring. My freshman year was very tough.”
    The decision to come back was Youyoute’s alone, and as far as he’s concerned it was a no brainer.
    “I called Coach Monken, and I’m just very thankful he took me back and gave me another chance,” Youyoute said. “I get very emotional when I talk about it.
    “It’s a great family atmosphere here, and the coaches really take care of us. They’re very demanding, which is their job, but at the end of the day they care, and we know it.”
    In last Saturday’s 52-20 win over Western Carolina the 5-foot-11, 173 pound Wachula, Fla., product gave fans a glimpse of his potential.
    Youyoute carried the ball only four times, all in the fourth quarter, for 119 yards  including an 83 yard touchdown run. For the season he has 182 yards and two scores on only nine attempts.
    For his play against Western he earned Southern Conference Freshman Player of the Week honors. And, it gives Elon (3-1, 1-0) something else to think about as it prepares to host the No. 1 Eagles (3-0, 2-0) at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.
    “After getting to Valdosta I realized the things I had here,” Youyoute said. “I missed the brotherhood…my teammates There’s nothing like the brotherhood we have here. It’s something that goes unsaid. That, and the people at Georgia Southern, the coaches, and the atmosphere in Paulson Stadium. I found out that’s something more important than playing ball.”