Boise State Football: 3 Reasons QB Nick Patti Could See the Field as a Freshman

Nick Patti comes to Boise via Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida. In his high school career, Patti went 34-4 as a starter. In his senior year he was a finalist for Mr. Football Florida and the National Gatorade Player of the Year. He was also named the 8A Florida Player of the Year and had several other awards and accolades.

He comes to the Broncos with the weight of fan excitement and the daunting task of replacing Boise State legend Kellen Moore. Those same excited fans also bring some heavy expectations, and it will be quite the task for Nick Patti to keep it all in check.

Spring practice brought a quarterback battle between the freshman Patti, redshirt sophomore Grant Hedrick, redshirt freshmen Jimmy Laughrea and redshirt junior Joe Southwick. During the Spring game, it appeared to most that Southwick and Patti separated themselves from the other pair of hopefuls.

Southwick looked better than most expected, and he seems to be the leader to take the starting job going into fall practice. Still, Patti was impressive and no one expects him to just roll over and let Joe take the job.

It will be an interesting fall as Patti learns more of the playbook and the knowledge gap between he and Southwick begins to shrink. It will be interesting to watch, and from what we have seen of Patti so far, no one should count him out.

Coach Petersen probably redshirts Patti if Southwick wins the job outright, but there are at least three scenarios where Nick could see the field in 2012. Let's look at those scenarios.

1. Patti Wins the Job Outright

There is still the possibility of Patti winning the quarterback job outright. Coach Petersen, in this interview on KBOI 2 Sports, states that Patti "might be the most impressive guy in the quarterback race right now just from being here for such a short time."

Patti joined the Broncos early, choosing to enroll in January of this year rather than waiting until the fall. Coach Petersen has to be happy about that kind of commitment. Petersen was impressed and so were some veteran players that Patti was able to command the Bronco offense with such limited time with the team.

If he was able to do this good with such a small amount of preparation, it may be shocking what he is able to do with his remaining time before the season starts. One thing is for sure, even if Southwick is the leader right now, no one should count out Nick Patti.

2. Southwick Is Ineffective and so Are the Other Backups

If Joe Southwick does win the starting job, look for coach Petersen to redshirt Patti. However, if Southwick is ineffective and the backups, Laughrea and Hedrick can't get the job done, expect Petersen to burn that redshirt.

If you watched Joe Southwick over the last two seasons as a backup and his performance in the spring game, then you realize this probably won't happen.

Southwick seems poised and quite capable to lead the Bronco offense. Still, if for some reason he struggles in a big way, others will get their shot.

From the spring game, it doesn't appear that Laughrea is ready to lead the Broncos offense, and Hedrick seemed uncomfortable at times. Both had very little results when commanding the offense, and you wonder if either could be the guy Petersen goes to for a long term solution.

This is the most unlikely scenario of the three, but it is college football and crazy things can happen.

3. Injuries

Injuries to quarterbacks do happen, but the Broncos haven't had to deal with that for some time. Kellen Moore banged his knee up a little, which gave him a few troubles, but nothing significant ever kept him from playing.

If Joe Southwick is named starter, he brings a new dynamic that the Boise State offense hasn't had in a while. That dynamic is, of course, the ability to effectively scramble.

A mobile quarterback always makes a coach and the fans a little nervous. The mobility can be a tremendous weapon, but that weapon can also backfire.

Southwick is mobile, but he is also patient. He only scrambles if he has to, and that should bode well for him as the season progresses. Still, if an injury, God forbid does happen, Petersen will be forced to play his backup.

Again, if that backup is anyone other than Patti and he is ineffective, Petersen may elect to burn Patti's redshirt. This scenario also seems unlikely, but it is one of the way Nick would no doubt be called on to lead the offense.

The 2012 season will be one of the most intriguing seasons for Bronco Nation in recent memory. The position battles and unknown dynamics will keep fans on the edge of their seats.

Fall practice starts in early August. Look for the quarterback battle to heat up in the summer sun.