STARKVILLE — Mississippi State football redshirt freshman quarterback Nick Tiano said he will explore his options outside of MSU via a Twitter post posted Wednesday afternoon.
Tiano served as the third-string quarterback behind sophomore starter Nick Fitzgerald and junior backup Damian Williams this season.
“After much thought and consideration, I have decided to explore my options to continue my education and football career outside of Mississippi State University,” Tiano tweeted. “I have had an incredible experience here in Starkville as part of the Bulldog family and will always have great memories of my time here. As much as I have enjoyed my experience at MSU, I feel that it is best for me to explore my options. To the fans, I truly appreciate the support during my time here. You made me feel right at home and I will always appreciate that. Thank you to my coaches for giving me the opportunity to come here and play. Most importantly, I would like to thank my teammates. I have loved going to work every day with you guys, and I wish you all nothing but the best in everything you do. Thank you to everyone for the support through all of this. I love football and will continue to work to get to where I want to go. I am excited about the opportunity to continue my career and chase my dream. Thank you.”
The Chattanooga, Tennessee, native played in five games and was 1 of 1 for 5 yards. A team spokesperson said he hasn’t pursued any of those options yet and hasn’t transferred. Tiano could travel with MSU (5-7) to a bowl game if it receives an invitation.
MSU began training camp with four players battling to be starting quarterback. Fitzgerald won the job and started all 12 games. Sophomore Elijah Staley transferred to Tyler (Texas) Junior College in August. Williams, who had the most experience entering, posted a picture on Instagram with a caption saying the Battle for the Golden Egg was going to be his last game at MSU.
MSU coach Dan Mullen said Saturday he had preliminary discussions with Williams and will help Williams find another place to play if he wants to continue his career.
MSU has one quarterback commitment in the 2017 signing class, four-star dual-threat signal caller Keytaon Thompson, of New Orleans, Louisiana. He is expected to enroll in January and go through spring practices with the Bulldogs. Walk-on Wyatt Roberts, who played two seasons at East Mississippi Community College, also is on the roster. He served as the scout team quarterback.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.