Dantonio eager for Nichol's arrival
Nichol
Dantonio
Coach Mark Dantonio is excited.
The return of quarterback Keith Nichol has finally given the MSU head football coach what he wanted — three quarterbacks competing for a starting spot when starter Brian Hoyer graduates.
“We are thrilled to have (Nichol) back and thrilled to have our quarterbacks on campus in a very competitive situation,” Dantonio said. “We are very excited for him and his family and for the entire MSU family.”
Dantonio said Nichol has an uncanny ability to escape from sticky situations and make big plays happen. But there is another quality that Dantonio finds even more impressive in him.
“He is a proven winner just like all the quarterbacks who come here,” he said. “It’s a good fit.”
Nichol verbally committed to former head coach John L. Smith and his pass-heavy spread offense, but decided that Oklahoma would be a better option when Dantonio was hired to replace Smith because Dantonio runs a pro-style offense.
Nichol’s return will force him to sit out a season, but he looks forward to practicing and learning the ropes of the new offense from Hoyer.
“It will help my game to sit under a fifth-year senior and watch his leadership and how he does things,” Nichol said. “I’m going to take advantage and I can always add a little more to my game.”
In the 2009 season, Nichol will likely compete against fellow sophomore Kirk Cousins for the starting spot.
No promises have been made to anyone as the quarterback position will be earned on the field, Dantonio said.
“We understand that this is just the first step (for Nichol),” he said. “He has a lot of steps to climb, just like our other quarterbacks.”
Growing up about 60 miles away in Lowell, Nichol grew up an MSU fan, and said he looks forward to living closer to home.
“I’m excited to wear the Green and White,” he said. “My heart has always been at MSU.”
Published on Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Comments
Rich
05/22/08 @ 11:57am
“I’m excited to wear the Green and White,” he said. “My heart has always been at MSU.” WHAT!?!?!?? So why did he go to Oklahoma, lose the QB battle there and now come back? Character is a trait in a QB and this kid doesn’t have it. From an alumni calss of 1993.
SpartanAlum03
05/22/08 @ 1:39pm
I find some of the comments that folks make humorous. People act like 17 and 18 year athletes always make the best decisions. What would you do if a program like Oklahoma is throwing stuff your way in the midst of the John L. Smith fiasco? Get real.
I was very disappointed when he left MSU but what are you going to do? It’s called move on. Nichol was highly regarded coming out of high school and I’m sure he has matured with this process. Before Foles decided to transfer, Nichol knew the position wasn’t his for the taking and it still isn’t with Cousins and our incoming recruit Maxwell.
After this season we should see some serious competition for the starting spot which is great. I hope Nichol is the QB who can make the play and get MSU those close wins that eluded the team last year. Then we will start hearing a different tune from those complaining that he transferred back to the school that maybe he felt he should have never left.
Spartan Alum 03
'05 Sparty
05/22/08 @ 5:46pm
I agree with you ‘Rich’ somewhat. I mean I was really excited to when I first heard about Nichol coming to State, it was something to look forward to after our ‘short-comings’ with a great QB in Stanton. Then the kid takes a trip to Norman, OK for a weekend and comes back saying he’s a Sooner. I understand he built a relationship with John L. Smith, but if his “heart was always with MSU” why did you abandon ship when things look rough. Drew Stanton could have gone to any college in the country to play OB, but he rode with MSU because he was a true Spartan fan. Things did not look great for us in 2002, but Stanton still came to State. Well look what happened Coach Dantonio got us to win some ball games and we were a few plays away from an outstanding year. Now the kid loses his job to a better QB and he leaves OU. It’s not that I want this kid to fail, I hope he leads us to the Rose Bowl, but this controversy won’t go away anytime soon. It’s tough being a State fan, and it’s even tougher when recruits turn their back us. So when this kid comes under center for the time he will have all of Spartan Nation on his back. Because of the circumstances this kid owes us all a lot of TD passes. In the end it doesn’t matter what I think or what anyone thinks. “Just win baby, win!!!”
-repin’ the ’05 Sparty Alums…
alum00
05/22/08 @ 5:48pm
i understand that people are going to be a little burnt, and i think nichols understands that too. it was a big deal when he left, and people will feel like he’s a bit of a traitor.
I DON’T AGREE. but i can see where people will feel that way.
the reality is, you’re right, spartanalum03. he’s a kid. and kid’s make bad decisions, or different decisions. not even to say that was a bad decision, just one that he made that has led him to this spot.
he’ll pull out of it if he works hard and comes ready to go. let’s give him that chance.
i like to hear things like dantonio is excited b/c he’s getting what he wants. even if it’s something as simple as 3 qb’s competing when hoyer leaves. dantonio was brought in b/c we believe in his system and him as a coach… it’s good to hear that things are unfolding the way he wants them to.
alum00
05/22/08 @ 7:44pm
and just as i say that, i read that foles is leaving.
damn.
alum00
05/22/08 @ 7:45pm
and just as i say that, i read that foles is leaving.
damn.
bob smith
06/02/08 @ 9:26am
all the coments I read up there talks about the athletes, I think you should look at the whole program and think about getting a new athletic director in place.if you look at all the sports there you will see that the whole progam is average or lower since Ron Mason took over. Out with him