Quote:FARGO — North Dakota State lost one dual-threat quarterback to the NFL Draft but is expected to gain another one via the NCAA transfer portal. Virginia Tech quarterback Quincy Patterson II will transfer to NDSU but will not be eligible for the spring season.

The news was first reported by 247 Sports and confirmed by The Forum on Friday.

Patterson, 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, was a four-star quarterback out of high school at Solorio Academy in Chicago and participated in the 2017 Elite 11 quarterback camp with former Bison quarterback Trey Lance, who declared early for the NFL Draft earlier this fall.

Patterson left the Hokies with two games remaining in the season, a move that was met with approval from the Virginia Tech coaching staff.

“Through thought, prayer and countless discussions with my parents and other important people in my life, I felt it was in my best interest to enter my name into the transfer portal,” Patterson wrote on his personal Twitter account. “Despite the weird timing, my decision wasn’t made hastily.”

Out of high school, Patterson had offers from Virginia, Penn State, Iowa State, Iowa, Northwestern and North Carolina, according to the Daily Press newspaper in Newport News, Va.

“I just want to publicly thank Quincy for his time here,” Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente told the Daily Press. “Just a fantastic young man. (Patterson) played a vital role in our football team. Quincy knows how I feel about him and his folks. We stand ready to help him in any way we can moving forward. I’m sure when the news hits, his phone will be blowing up with a lot of people trying to find out about him, and our phones will be blowing up, too. We’ll have nothing but great things to say about him moving forward. I look forward to watching him play and watching him get on the field on a more consistent basis.”

Patterson II, a redshirt sophomore, appeared in three games this fall, completing 7 of 10 passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns. As a redshirt freshman in 2019, he played in seven games, completing 14 of 37 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns. He had 50 carries for 254 yards averaging 4.8 yards per attempt.

Patterson II started one game, against Notre Dame, completing nine passes for 139 yards and running eight yards for a touchdown.

He played sparingly as a true freshman in 2018 as part of the NCAA's four-game eligibility rule.

Patterson II is the second FBS quarterback to transfer to NDSU in three years. Zeb Noland, the apparent heir to Lance this spring, came from Iowa State after the 2018 season. Noland appeared in mop-up duty behind Lance last season completing 9 of 14 passes for 120 yards.

Included in Patterson II's Twitter followers is Noland and most members of the Bison coaching staff. With Patterson II, NDSU stands to have five quarterbacks competing for the starting job next fall with the senior Noland, junior Noah Sanders, redshirt freshman Logan Graetz and true freshman Cam Miller.

Moreover, looking to next fall in which Noland would also be eligible because the NCAA waived this year for all players, the QB position will include the prize of NDSU's signing day recruiting class this week in quarterback Cole Payton from Omaha Westside.