It is rare in college football for a quarterback to stay at the same school for four seasons these days, and even more rare to do it as a backup. In an era where the transfer portal can change a players’ surrounding on a year to year basis, Nick Patti has opted to stick it out at the University of Pittsburgh since he signed four years ago.
After redshirting in 2018, Patti has served as the primary backup to Kenny Pickett in each of the last three seasons. Patti has fought through injuries that limited him in 2020, and has appeared in spot situations and mop-up duty, and even made one start over these past three seasons.
Thursday night’s Peach Bowl against Michigan State is set to be just the second starting assignment in Patti’s career after leading Pitt to a 17-14 win over Delaware back in 2019 in his lone start. It is one he is anxious to make with a lot to prove about himself heading into the offseason as tries to take the starting role full-time in 2022.
“I made a start my redshirt freshman year,” Patti told reporters on Monday. “Seems like forever ago. But still it's experience playing. And I played a little bit this year and got a chance to get in some pretty big moments. So I don't have many reps but a still a little bit battle tested. And I'm excited to get out there and play again.”
Patti watched as his teammate and good friend explode this past season. Kenny Pickett threw for 42 touchdowns in 2021 and earned his way to the Heisman Trophy ceremony earlier this month. As Pickett is projected to be a high draft pick in the spring, he opted out of playing against the Spartans on Thursday to avoid injury, which helped give Patti this starting opportunity. The two have remained in contact throughout the past couple of weeks leading up to this game.
“We talk all the time,” Patti said of his relationship with Pickett. “We talk almost every day, whether it's about football, about the game, just about what he's doing, life after being a Pitt Panther. So I have a great relationship with him. I talk to him a lot.”
While the play of Pickett kept Patti on the sideline through the years, it never deterred him from having an important role on the team. Patti has appeared in five games this season with 140 passing yards on the year. For his career, Patti has thrown for 458 yards and three touchdowns and has also rushed for three scores.
He’s made appearances in a pinch this season when Pickett went down with minor injuries, and those plays have given him the trust of his teammates and coaches for Thursday night.
“Nick comes to practice everyday prepared,” Pitt interim offensive coordinator Tim Salem said of his quarterback. “Even though he’s not getting many game reps in front of the crowd and TV audience, he’s at practice. He understands reads, understands the offense and can communicate…I think the players have seen what he is, who he is and they’re just glad he’ll be in the huddle with them.”
Patti has had a strong voice on the team in the past, but for the game preparation this week, he’s been the voice in the huddle, something his teammates say he has taken ownership of as the starting quarterback.
“He's definitely a great leader,” Pitt running back Israel Abnikanda said of Patti. “And it feels like the same, just like as Kenny's in the huddle.”
Pitt’s offense had been centered around Pickett all season long, but on Thursday the star of the team will be sophomore wide receiver Jordan Addison. The Biletnikoff Award winner is now the face of this offense, and he’s appreciated how he and Patti have worked together to get to a point where they feel they can have success against Michigan State.
“He's been doing a pretty good job,” Addison said of Patti’s preparation. “Everybody, when he talks, everybody stays quiet and listens. So he has that dominance in the room. And I think we're going to be fine.”
Of course Patti is a rare case in today’s college football, staying as a backup at the same school for four years. He has been thrown a recent challenge with Pitt adding Kedon Slovis, a transfer quarterback from USC, to the quarterback room for next season.
Thursday, however, is his chance to make a name for himself. Patti has waited for his opportunity for a long time, and he has the backing of his teammates in a big-time atmosphere of a New Year’s Six bowl game.
“I think that's why we had so much success, was just because we have the family environment,” Patti said of his teammates. “When someone has to step up, everyone's excited for them because they see the work that they do behind the scenes and in practice every day. And I think the guys have just rallied around me mostly because they've seen how hard I've worked this year. They're excited to play one last game.”
