The University of Washington may have missed out on signing Jake Heaps, one of the top quarterback prospects in the state of Washington. However, they didn't miss out on signing a big name quarterback for their 2010 recruiting class. Nick Montana, son of Hall of Fame and former NFL quarterback Joe Montana, will be wearing purple and gold after he graduates high school.
The Huskies were able to impress Montana enough during his visit to the UW campus that they were able to get a commitment shortly afterward. Montana, the 11th ranked quarterback prospect in the nation by rivals.com, was also heavily recruited by Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Stanford. While being the son of a Hall of Fame NFL quarterback may garner national attention by itself, Nick Montana has done more than enough to create a name for himself, leading Oaks Christian High School (Westlake Village, CA) to a 14-0 record as a junior, while passing for nearly 2,500 yards with 33 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions.
In an article done by the Seattle Times, the 6'1", 185 lb. Montana said that the decision by Heaps to sign with BYU had no impact on his decision to sign with the Huskies, and that his visit to the UW campus "made everything a lot easier. It cleared everything up." The article also listed the fact that new Husky head coach and former USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian having coached Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, and Mark Sanchez, two of them being Heisman trophy winners and all high first round NFL draft picks, as an important factor in Montana's decision as well.
The University of Washington has a long history of being a quarterback factory. Mark Brunell, Chris Chandler, Billy Joe Hobert and Warren Moon all went on to have successful careers in the NFL, while guys such as Damon and Brock Huard, Marques Tuiasosopo and Cody Pickett set many Pac-10 and Washington records while there. With a new coaching staff turning current Washington quarterback Jake Locker into a dark horse Heisman contender, the decision by Montana to play for the UW definitely looks promising.
Many argue that Locker is the best quarterback and athlete in the Pac-10 over the likes of Jeremiah Masoli of Oregon, Matt Barkley of USC, and Jahvid Best of California, and a lot of that can be credited to Sarkisian and his staff. With a developing Montana possibly taking over for Locker as a redshirt freshman, Coach Sarkisian continuing to recruit very well and the young talented skill position players that will be juniors and seniors when Montana arrives, the enthusiasm around Husky nation is as strong as ever. Husky fans are ready to turn the page and start a new chapter of Husky dominance in the Pac-10, all while hoping that the UW can climb back into the national picture and compete for national championships sooner rather than later.
UW hopes to continue QB tradition with Nick Montana
Published: Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Updated: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 03:11
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