Former North Dakota State and Virginia Tech quarterback Quincy Patterson is transferring to Temple, he advised ESPN on Wednesday.

Patterson is a former ESPN 300 recruit who went 7-0 at North Dakota State as a starter final yr earlier than getting injured. He performed in 11 video games over three seasons at Virginia Tech from 2018 to 2020.

“It is a shot to be the most effective me I might be, in a way…” Patterson advised ESPN on Wednesday. “I advised all of the coaches, I did not want any ensures (to begin). I simply wished a shot and take it from there and show what I can do. I do know lots of people know what I can do. I simply must go do it.”

Patterson is arguably essentially the most high-profile recruit to hitch first-year coach Stan Drayton’s rebuild effort at Temple. Drayton took over a program that went 3-9 final season and misplaced the ultimate seven video games of the yr.

Patterson stayed linked with Drayton, who he famous the Temple gamers raved about as being “actual” due to his capacity to forge real connections via sharing relatable tales from his personal life.

“That claims rather a lot about him,” Patterson mentioned of Drayton. “Most individuals wish to play for a coach like that. I positively do.”

Patterson pointed to his robust relationship with vast receiver coach and passing sport coordinator Jafar Williams, who got here from Virginia Tech, as one motive he felt snug at Temple. He additionally clicked with veteran offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf, who he mentioned will seemingly run the offense 30-percent from below heart and 70-percent from shotgun.

Patterson could have two years of eligibility remaining. He plans to get a graduate diploma from Temple’s Fox Faculty of Enterprise in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Administration.

Patterson will be part of a quarterback room that options one other high-profile switch, because the competitors for the beginning job will embody former Georgia quarterback and Ohio State dedication D’Wan Mathis.

Patterson is a proficient dual-threat quarterback who rushed for seven touchdowns and threw for six extra final season for North Dakota State. He averaged 5.8 yards per rush and accomplished 54.5-percent of his passes. He pointed to Langsdorf teaching Tommy Armstrong at Nebraska and envisioned enjoying that fashion at Temple.

Patterson began the primary seven video games of the season for the Bison earlier than spraining the AC joint in his throwing shoulder. His alternative, Cam Miller, led the Bison to the nationwide title. NDSU designed a package deal for Patterson all through the FCS playoffs, together with a 34-yard run within the first quarter of the nationwide title sport victory over Montana State. He completed that sport with 98 speeding yards on 11 carries.

Patterson confused he had a superb soccer expertise in Fargo and was handled effectively there. He mentioned he was unfortunate with the harm and his choice to switch was primarily based on easy logic.

“It was the conclusion that we did win a nationwide championship with a unique quarterback,” he mentioned. “If I used to be a coach, I might do the identical factor. It is laborious to interchange the man you simply gained the nationwide championship with. Earlier than spring ball, I used to be oblivious to that. So I’ve to go do one thing about this if I plan on doing something with enjoying quarterback. That is in the end why I made a decision to go away.”

At Virginia Tech, he began a sport towards Notre Dame in 2019. His most memorable second at Virginia Tech got here towards North Carolina that season when he scored the game-winning two-point conversion to finish the longest sport in ACC historical past, a six-overtime win, 43-41, over North Carolina.

Patterson was a extremely regarded recruit out of Chicago who selected Virginia Tech over colleges like Iowa, North Carolina and Penn State.