Nate Montana Transfering to JUCO

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Nate Montana will enroll at Pasadena City College for the fall.

nate-montanaNate Montana, Joe Montana’s oldest son, has decided to transfer to Pasadena City College in the hopes of getting some reps as a starting quarterback to better prepare him for division 1 football according to a report from the South Bend Tribune.  The report states that Montana does intend to transfer back to Notre Dame in the spring.

“I’m going there with the intention of getting playing time and then returning to Notre Dame in the spring to join back up with the team and compete again for the job,” Montana said in a phone interview Friday afternoon from California. “Nothing’s ever certain. That’s a long way down the road, and I guess we’ll just have to see where things go.”

With Evan Sharpley returning for a fifth season, Montana was going to be relegated to the 4th QB again this year and with Tommy Rees and Andrew Hendrix both committed to the Irish for next year, Montana knew he would need some reps somewhere for him to have much of a chance to ever see the field at Notre Dame.  Remember, Montana did not start in high school as he concentrated on basketball.

It will be very interesting to see how this pans out for Montana.  Can he play a year in junior college and be ready to compete for a spot on the depth chart in the spring?  That remains to be seen, but it will be interesting to watch.

Good luck, Nate.  We hope to see you back at Notre Dame in the spring.

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17 Comments

  1. Not playing football as a starter in HS and walking on at ND through daddy’s connections is crazy. Then to go to a scrub jc like Pasadena is a joke. Just to get reps and experience, wont happen. Then he will have 3 or 4 QB’s at Pasadena to beat out. Do you think they will just roll over and let this kid be their starter? Just won’t happen, he needs to blaze his own trail, and move on with life.

  2. I am a 67 year old senior citizen from the east coast. I have been a ND fan for about 55 years. If ND does not get something going soon,they will be the forgoten college football power. Play Nate Montana.Like father,like son. Joe Montana took ND to glory and so will his son if he is allowed to play.

    1. Joe was a great quarterback. The best, as far as I’m concerned. But why do we assume his sons (Nate and Nick) will have the same success in football? The overwhelming odds are they will not be the same players their father was.

      I think fans get a little too excited over getting the big name. How many truly “great” players have kids that end up matching or surpassing their accomplishments?

      Michael Jordan’s son quit at Illinois after two years as a walk on. John Elway’s son quit ASU after a couple years as well. I’m sure Joe’s kids are talented athletes, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to replicate his success.

      You’ve got Oaks Christian grooming Will Smith, Wayne Gretzky, and Joe Montana’s kids. It’s easy to get excited hearing names like that, but are these really going to be the marquee guys in college football three to four years from now? I just don’t think so.

      I feel the hype is more a product of the name and money behind the name, than the athletic talent of the players themselves. It’s unfair to the kids in a way, because the bar is set ridiculously high long before we know if they’re even that good.

  3. Besides learning the system, I think that this is a commendable move at this point in time. He is doing what he can to better prepare himself with experience that is much needed to perform, opposed to sitting the bench behind three other players where he knows that he will never see the field unless a miracle happens in his favor and at the Irish demise with injuries. Now, if he were to transfer to another school besides ND, then that would be a backstabbing move, and we would be having a different conversation. As of now, he is doing something that can greatly benefit ND in the future. Sounds like the leadership of good ‘ol pops. Good luck Nate.

  4. II think the JUCO rules are more liberal since they aren’t part of the NCAA. If he sticks to the plan this is a very smart move. Look, the kid has been over hyped for being Joe Montana’s kid. There’s no science that says he’s got the stuff. In fact physically, Joe shouldn’t have had the stuff. Undersized and underpowered, Joe did it with great intellect and leadership. That’s not necessarily genetic.
    But this kid sounds smart. Look if he takes reps in JUCO and doesn’t progress, he either comes back to ND and plays a role, or merely gets an education that will last a lot longer than a longshot at the NFL Someone recently told me that most of the NFL football players go bankrupt within 5 years of playing. If anyone thinks that beats getting a real job doing something productive in the world, I know some halfway houses you can check into with people named Corky.
    Good luck Nate, take whatever comes your way and turn it into success. You’ll be fine.

  5. yes he is a walk-on, but what are the ncaa rules on this type of “double” transfer? does he need to sit out at all either at nd or the juco he is going to???

  6. Im using Montana now on 10..Clausen is out for the season and Crist cant scrammble..come back Nate..lol

  7. I think it’s important to note that there’s almost no way Clausen considers the NFL short of a heisman season and NC. You have Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford and possibly Jake locker all entering the draft after this year. This QB class is just outrageously stacked. We can almost assuredly look forward to #7 playing for ND for two more seasons.

    1. Bill,
      This years QB group is average at best. Jake Locker is the top guy right now.
      Tebow is a runner, doesn’t play in a pro-style offence, and is a “Lefty”. Not what your looking for in a pro QB.
      Bradford would be the guy but there are questions about his injured shoulder. McCoy will garner some intrest as will the kid from Florida St. Ponder. Jimmy Clausen plays in a pro style offence and can make all the throws. He is particullarly good on the deep balls although his receivers do bail him out at times. He would probably go in the first round. I for one think he is still a little undersized for the NFL at this point. Time will tell.

  8. Premature? No. Weis always has plans for “what if’s”. IMO, I think it is a calculated move probably discussed with Weis and Joe Montana. Clausen enrolled early and will probably finish early – maybe next spring? Obviously, he and the team would have to have a great 2009 year to think about turning pro, but it is possible. Worst case scenario would leave Nate still buried in the depth chart upon his return, but at least he’s prepared himself for the “what if”. Without Sharply and Clausen next year, Crist would be the only scholarship player for next spring unless Nate returns as promised.

  9. Nate – you making a mistake. You think about being a team player and stay with the team and learn the system. Sounds self centered to me regardless of wanting to play. He knew his role and his psoition on the depth chart long before now. If I were a teamate of his, I dont think I’d want him back.

  10. I think it is very premature to say that Clausen would even consider going pro after the 2009 season. He would have to have a Heisman type of year for that to even be a consideration, don’t you think?

  11. Good timing. The added experience is what ND needs next year, especially if Clausen goes pro. Otherwise it would be Crist and two inexperienced freshman.

  12. Good Luck Nate. What happened with basketball. I know he was playing AAU and was good but then hurt his knee?? Did he never come back from that?

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