TomVH: An Interview with Nick Patti
Nick Patti is a 2012 quarterback prospect out of Dr. Phillips High in Orlando. He was just up in Ann Arbor with his teammate Demetrius Hart, and I caught up with him to see how it went. Take a look at his highlights first, and then the questions.
TOM: How did this visit come about? What made you decide to go up there?
NICK: I got a hold of Coach Smith, and they invited me up there to get the recruiting thing going. I decided to invite Demetrius up with me, since he's on their radar too. We just kind of made it a good thing, and made it a good trip.
TOM: You're only a junior to be, so I imagine you haven't seen to many campuses yet. What were you expecting to see in Ann Arbor, and what did you see?
NICK: You're expecting to see a lot of tradition, and you're expecting to see a lot of stuff that makes Michigan, Michigan. That's exactly what we saw. We saw everything that makes that program special, a lot of things that mean a lot to the program, and saw that it would be something cool to be a part of.
TOM: Run me through the two days that you had there. What all did you get to see?
NICK: The first day we headed right over to Schembechler Hall, and we got to see the weight room, locker room, the practice facilities, and then the Big House. The Big House is really something special. That was all on the first day, so we did a lot. The second day we kind of took our time, and slept in a little. We headed back to Schembechler Hall and met with Coach Smith. He talked offense with us, and what they try to do offensively. We talked for about two to three hours with him about football, and then he took us around for a bit. We got a lot done in a short period of time.
TOM: A lot of people come away impressed with the coaches when they meet them, what was your impression?
NICK: You meet the coaches, and you meet Rich Rodriguez, and when ever you meet a head coach you're meeting an important person. But, he's so down to earth. You can talk to him about anything. With Coach Smith it was all about business, but you still feel really comfortable. It's really easy to be around all of them.
TOM: Your dad was up there with you, did he feel the same way?
NICK: Yeah, my dad liked it. He was very impressed with the facilities, and how new everything was. He's basically on the same page as I am.
TOM: When you were talking to Coach Smith about the offense, how was he saying you fit in? Did he try to compare you to anyone?
NICK: With my size I'm sometimes compared to Tate (Forcier). He compared me to Tate, Denard, and Devin all mixed into one at some points. It really just all comes down to intangibles, and who can make the decisions. They have a set characteristics and intangibles that they want their quarterbacks to have.
TOM: You said with your size, how tall are you right now?
NICK: I'm 5-foot-11, and I weigh 185-pounds.
TOM: You're young, but how do you see your recruitment playing out? How do you want to dictate the way your recruitment goes?
NICK: I've heard from a lot of schools early, and I'm going to take some visits and see what I'm going to see. I don't want to drag it out all. I don't want to say I'm going to end it as soon as possible, but I definitely don't want to drag it out.
TOM: So if you think you'll decide relatively quickly, do you have some schools that stick out right now?
NICK: Michigan is definitely a school that sticks out. Oregon, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and Florida State are all schools that stick out right now. I'll probably have a better idea as things get more serious.
TOM: On a non football note. Were you close with Ricardo Miller when he was at Dr. Phillips?
NICK: Yeah, I was pretty close with Ricardo when he was here, and we still have a good friendship. We're real close, so it was good to see him, and have him up there.
TOM: What's next from here? Are you going to try to make it back up to Michigan any time soon?
NICK: Coach Smith wants me to get up there as much as possible. We're planning on going up September 4th, for the first game against U Conn. I think that's our plan right now, and we'll try to get up there again as soon as possible.
And a good Saturday morning to you too. I like this kid and I like the connection he already has with UofM's #1 recruiter Ricardo Miller.
Good interview, Tom. Patti's an interesting prospect. He definitely has some arm talent. It seems that size will be his biggest obstacle, so hopefully he can grow a couple inches or so in the next couple years. I originally read that he was 5'9", but he doesn't look that short in his highlights...which is good for him.
I thought the same thing Magnus. He didn't seem that short to me either. I know athletes often "fudge" the numbers, especially in basketball, but 5'9" just seems little. Drew Brees is what, 6'0", so if Patti is 5'11" and has the potential to still be growing then that's not so bad.
I saw Hart, Patti, and Miller in the Union yesterday. I wasn't going to post about it until this topic came up, but I will chime in and mention that Nick is not 5'11". I'm around 5'9" and he wasn't taller than me.
That said, he could well put on 3 or more inches still, and I've always thought that height was not nearly as important for college quarterbacks as it is for pro quarterbacks. I hope Nick chooses Michigan, his highlights are impressive.
Yeah, I think the 5'9" stat is outdated. He's probably still growing, but I agree that if he was taller he would have a lot more schools after him.
I came away very impressed with him after talking on the phone. He is very well spoken, and he seemed to be a smart kid. I don't think he wanted to give away too much this soon, but I have a good feeling about Michigan's chances.
this guys film. He's got good pocket presence, nice arm, seems acurate. The defensive backs were terrible in coverage and he took what they gave him. I'm not to worried about his height. Tom does he play anyother posistion?
Quarterbacks with that pocket awareness and accuracy are not easy to find...I'd think he's a quarterback to stay and I think we need to get on this guy fast
this kid makes all the right decisions and he was only a sophomore here. I hope we land him down the line.
I don't mean to be debbie downer, but it's a highlight tape. Of course he made all the right decisions.
Lots of highlight films are filled with bad decisions. It's just that elite athletes make up for the bad decisions with their athleticism.
Seemed to have pretty quick feet, and appeared to sense pressure well. Nice escapability, and was accurate on the run. A bit of a wind-up on the throws, but that's hardly unusual at his level. Pretty impressive for a sophomore.
Wow.
It wasn't that long ago that Michigan wouldn't give a QB under 6'3 the time of day, regardless of his talent.
How far we've come in a few short years .
His video reminds me of Tate's junior video, but with a bit more speed and better pocket presence.
Absolutely LOVIN' this pipeline so far.
We need to suit this kid up as a highschool kid (probably not a stretch) and send him into some other schools of highly toughted kids. He seems to close the deal better then any other kid we have seen recently. Greaet job Mr. Miller.
I remember what I looked like as a sophomore in high school. I'm a a little awed at this kid.
...for a sophomore. I saw a QB with touch on the long ball, some zip on the intermediate pass, good synch with his receivers on passes over the middle (didn't hang them out to dry), accuracy when throwing on the run, willingness to stand in the pocket and take a hit, presence to step up in the pocket, and some wind up issues. It also looks like he's got pretty good speed and quickness.
Certainly one to watch and you have to love his enthusiasm for Michigan. The quotes about the newness of the facilities is absolutely significant. Newsterbaan and the Bigger House are huge, huge plusses in our favor. It's different to read about RichRod and Smith as the loose one and the serious one. In the storied history of Michigan football I don't think there's ever been an HC who'd be characterized that way by a recruit. There's simply no doubt that we're in a differerent era in Michigan football.
Wow Nick seems pretty composed; I know this is his highlight reel, but he looks to have a good head on his shoulders. I also like the pocket presence he exhibited. He's going to get better as time goes on; by his senior year I wouldn't be surprised to hear he has more than just a few offers sent his way. If he has a growth spurt, he might need a bigger bandwagon.
Wow that kids passing looks effortless
He looks pretty damn good. Those QB sneaks were nice. Hopefully he grows 2-3 inches this year.
kid looks great.
wonder how much these highlight reelz is costing kids.
Both Hart and Patti are welcome. Good job Ricardo.
In most of the plays on that reel he either delivers the ball very quickly and accurately, or buys time with his feet while keeping his eyes downfield, often making the throw while on the run. On some, he turns it upfield and runs very effectively. We also seem him running the read option. Looks like a great fit for the UM offense. Plus a 3.3 GPA on top of that. Thanks TomVH and Ricardo! Nick, we'd love to see you in Maize and Blue.
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