At a press conference on Monday, Nevada football head coach Jeff Choate was asked about a statement he made during fall camp, when he said quarterback Chubba Purdy could be the one to lead the Wolf Pack to a Mountain West title, and whether he still believed it.
“I feel like this league is really open,” Choate said. “There’s been some kind of inconsistent quarterback play across the board in this league.”
As conference play opens this weekend, Nevada looks to turn things around after a slow 1-3 start. The Wolf Pack now looks to see a big performance from Purdy that may spark confidence in the team as Mountain West games approach.
After spending his first year at Nevada in the shadow of previous quarterback Brandon Lewis, Purdy entered the transfer portal. However, when Lewis left for Memphis, Choate was able to bring Purdy back to Nevada, where he claimed the starting position.
Starting in three of Nevada’s four games so far this season and playing the majority of offensive snaps as quarterback, Purdy has yet to deliver a standout performance.
He has completed 40 of 73 passes (54.8%) with six interceptions, one touchdown and a 6.8-yard average per attempt. He has shown his mobility as well, rushing for 276 yards and two touchdowns so far this season.
In Choate’s response, he highlighted Purdy’s progression. “I see improvement in him. I haven’t seen steps backwards, and I think that’s the whole objective,” Choate said.
Looking at Purdy’s college football history, the progress Choate sees is evident. A four-star recruit and the nation’s No. 126 player out of high school in 2020, Purdy initially committed to Florida State University. In his two years at Florida State, he struggled to get on the field, playing behind transfer Jordan Travis, who became the starter in the third game of the 2020 season, and UCF star McKenzie Milton. Purdy saw action in three games his freshman year (2020), with one start, and appeared in just one game in 2021.
Sitting third on the depth chart at Florida State, Purdy transferred to Nebraska seeking more playtime and “greener pastures”. In his two years there, he played in 12 games, passing for 529 yards with two touchdowns and rushing for 180 yards with one touchdown. Suffering multiple injuries during his time at both Florida State and Nebraska, as well as the Nebraska recruitment of quarterback Dylan Raiola, Purdy sought a new opportunity, which he found at Nevada.
Now the starting quarterback, Purdy, is set to lead the team through the remainder of the 2025 season and attempt to make an impact in Mountain West play.
Nevada’s next matchup, the first conference game of the season, will take place at Fresno State on Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
