Nick Tiano has seen a lot in his college career. He was recruited hard as a deft dual-threat quarterback out of The Baylor School in Tennessee, and the Miami Hurricanes and Mississippi State were the loudest teams chasing him. He opted for the Bulldogs and head coach Dan Mullen's staff over the 'Canes, and began his career in the same QB room as Dak Prescott and Nick Fitzgerald.
He only threw one pass at MSU before deciding he'd try to get on the field at his hometown FCS school, Chattanooga … and then an injury cut short his 2017 season. But he rallied and started the last two years to cap his career as nearly a 6,000-yard passer and 750-yard rusher … and then took MVP Honors at a postseason scouting bowl game, the NFLPA. That winding road has landed him a serious shot at being picked up by an NFL team this weekend.
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[divider]NFL Draft Feature Stories:
Derrek Tuszka, NDSU | Adam Trautman, Dayton | Jeremy Chinn, Southern Illinois
Bryce Sterk, Montana St. | Christian Rozeboom, SDSU | Jonah Williams, Weber St.
J.J. Koski, Cal Poly | Bronson Rechsteiner, Kennesaw | Pete Guerriero, Monmouth
Ron'Dell Carter, JMU | Nick Tiano, Chattanooga | Cam Gill, Wagner
Riley Stapleton, JMU | Kevin Davidson, Princeton
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NFL Scouts have mentioned that they love his mobility, and his size (he's 6-foot-4, 231 pounds). He impressed in the postseason game, completing 8 of 10 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown to former Texas A&M and Oregon WR Kirk Merritt. And one of his better college games was against South Carolina in 2018, when he threw for 254 yards and even caught a touchdown on a trick play. His resume is strong.
"I definitely think I have made a lot of progress this spring, and there have been many interviews," Tiano told HERO Sports. "Some of them have just been phone calls, others with FaceTime and Zoom. I'd say 19 or 20 teams total. I think it's gone well. We've pulled out the pen and paper and talked football, drawn up plays. We've talked about my transition from Mississippi State to Chattanooga. It's been good, really … If we'd been able to have Pro Days, my times would have been better than most people would think. Scouts and coaches have said they like my athleticism. I like to think I'm more athletic than many QB prospects, and I've found the last five years teams seem to like these younger, more athletic quarterbacks."
He's right. In the Draft Scout notes package purchased by HERO Sports, Tiano's athleticism is pointed out in more than one place. In his career, he rushed for nearly 750 yards and 10 touchdowns. That certainly won't be hurting his case, and you can expect that if Tiano doesn't get picked late in the draft on Saturday, he'll have a home soon after via free agency — and expect it to be a lengthy opportunity to make a roster.
There are arguments every year — is it better to be locked in with one team with a late 7th round pick, or is it better to be able to pick your team in a flashback to the recruiting days going back to high school, except this time maybe you have even more options to choose from — and it's the NFL?
"You hear that a lot, and there's definitely an advantage to both ways (being drafted vs. getting to pick your team via free agency)," Tiano said. "If you get drafted, it feels like they've invested something in you. And there's that lifelong dream of hearing your name in the draft. But maybe it's better to have four or five options. There's definitely positives to both. Either way, it's a good way to start your career … I think Saturday, if I hear my name called or can agree to a deal, it's a lifelong dream for me and the road hasn't been easy. But I've fought through it and I've tried to become the best football player I could be."
A former SoCon rival's name was brought up to Tiano to see what his reaction would be: Devlin Hodges. The 2018 Walter Payton Award winner (the FCS' equivalent of the Heisman), Hodges broke all kinds of FCS passing records and then took a free-agent contract last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers and out of the blue started six games, played in eight and threw for 1,000 yards in a season when injuries decimated the QB position in Pittsburgh. Nobody saw Hodges coming, except for those in the FCS who knew what he could do. Tiano proudly went 2-0 against Hodges in two very close SoCon wins against Samford, and he also remembers when Hodges came to Mississippi State as a sophomore in 2016 and honestly lit up the SEC team's defense.
"I'm so happy for that guy," Tiano said. "I got to know Devlin a little bit and I first remember him hanging like 40 points on us at Mississippi State before I transferred. He had a huge game. I couldn't be happier for him, and he's a FCS guy who has proven what we can do. He tore it up here and he got a big chance there (in the NFL). He has really made a name for himself."
Time will tell what Tiano has ahead of him, but he is certainly another intriguing talent coming from the FCS level. Hodges proved what an FCS quarterback out of the SoCon could do. Tiano would like nothing better than to get a shot at doing the same, and he has the tools to do it.
That's a wrap for the 2020 #NFLPABowl! Congrats to all of the players on a great game.
FINAL
NATIONAL– 30
AMERICAN — 20
MVP: QB @NickTiano (@GoMocsFB) pic.twitter.com/afpfYAPHW4— The Collegiate Bowl (@NFLPABowl) January 19, 2020
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