'I've been thinking about leaving since end of season'; Bison quarterback Patterson to transfer from NDSU

Two sources confirmed to WDAY Sports that the dual-threat quarterback entered the NCAA transfer portal Monday morning.

The 6-foot-3, 242-pound Patterson originally came to NDSU as a transfer from Virginia Tech, a Division I FBS program where he spent the first three years of his collegiate career.

"This time was a lot harder to pull the plug and be like, I’m actually leaving just because it's like wherever you go now is the end all be all," said quarterback Quincy Patterson.

When reached for comment on Patterson, Bison head coach Matt Entz wanted to discuss the players that are still committed to the team. Patterson wrote he's an "NDSU alum" on multiple social media accounts.

Patterson was named the Bison starting QB last August right before the season kicked off. He started the first seven games, throwing six touchdowns and rushing for another seven scores.

He was replaced midway through NDSU's game against Missouri State by backup Cam Miller. Miller started the final eight games of the season, leading the Bison to a Division I FCS national championship, the program's ninth in the past eleven seasons.

“I was thinking about the idea of me leaving really since the end of the season," said Patterson. "I’m not oblivious and I know after winning a national championship its kind of hard to bench whoever you won it with."

Entz said the following week there were a few reasons that Patterson was replaced with inconsistent play and a shoulder injury at the top of the list.

Patterson returned to the Bison lineup as the backup quarterback against Youngstown State in mid-November and was used as a running threat for the rest of the season.

The Bison offense tailored a package for Patterson during the FCS playoffs where he would come in and run the football, which included runs of 32 and 34 yards, the latter being in the championship game win against Montana State.

"At the end of the day, I need to do what's best for me and my goals and future with this sport," Patterson saind. "To be a quote on quote wildcat quarterback is not part of those plans, or something that will allow me to achieve those goals.”

Patterson told the Forum's Jeff Kolpack in December: “You have to stay true to yourself and know who you are,” Patterson said. “I had six weeks of terrible practice and ultimately I shot myself in the foot. Cam has done a great job, but ultimately I shot myself in the foot and didn’t give myself a chance to do anything because of me not taking everything with a grain of salt and letting all the negative comments being booed weigh me down.”

Patterson did not have a pass attempt after the game with Missouri State. He finished the 2021 season 55 of 101 on pass attempts for six touchdowns with four interceptions. Patterson's struggles with intermediate throws was part of why he was replaced by Miller.

Patterson participated in all of NDSU's spring practices as the No. 2 quarterback last month, wrapping up on April 23rd.

Patterson has used the one-time transfer rule when he moved from Virginia Tech to NDSU, so if he transfers to another Division I school, he would need a waiver to play or he would have to sit out the upcoming year.

Since entering the transfer portal, Patterson has received attention from Temple, Troy, Memphis and Hawaii just to name a few schools

"They all let me know that we have a situation where you can compete and that’s really all I want to do," said Patterson. "I’m not scared of competition or going to shy away from it.”

NDSU's quarterback depth chart now consists of junior Cam Miller and redshirt freshmen Cole Payton and Peter Anderson. Incoming freshman Nathan Hayes from Illinois will be on campus in June.