2017 National Signing Day Profile: Nick Tronti

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

Nick Tronti, 6’2”, 210 pounds, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (Ponte Vedra High School), ATH, 247Sports Composite Ranking: 3-star (82.50)

 It is not often that “Mr.Football” in the talent-rich state of Florida gets overlooked but that’s exactly what happened to 6’2” quarterback Nick Tronti. Tronti was committed to Charlotte before being pursued by IU quarterbacks coach Shawn Watson. He was only a 2-star but Watson saw a lot that he liked and IU landed the quarterback they critically needed to get after his January 24 official visit. Tronti completed 217 of his 325 passes for 3,328 yards with a remarkable 34 touchdowns to only four interceptions. In addition, the dual-threat ran for 615 yards with 19 rushing touchdowns and he led Ponte Vedra High School to the state title game, a rarity for a school that typically struggles in football. 

So why was he “under-recruited”? For one, he’s 6’2” and that’s not considered ideal height for a high-major quarterback. There are countless examples of “undersized” guys that have excelled at a high-level and Watson, new OC Mike DeBord and Tom Allen are clearly not concerned by his size. One reason for their lack of concern is that Tronti is very well-built and he looks like he can take the physical hits that come as a result of scrambling from the pocket. Second, Tronti rarely spoke to writers and he barely attended any scouting combines or camps. The recruiting experts and rankers just weren’t exposed to him much. 

His high school quarterbacks coach, Aaron Avery, believes there’s no reason for IU fans to be anything other than excited. “You can turn on his highlight film and see him make every throw you would ask a guy to make in college. His lower-body footwork in the pocket, it’s at a four- or five-star level. He’s one of the best guys in the pocket with his footwork.” 

While he’s not seen by the experts as a 4-star prospect, all Tronti did in high school was produce and win. He also appears to have all the intangibles you could ask for in your future quarterback. Tronti was a mentor in his school’s Best Buddies program and he was looked at as a role model by his coach’s children. Every person that spoke publicly about him raved about his leadership ability, his competitive spirit and his overall character. Nick Tronti was a very late addition to this recruiting class but he could very well end up being one of the biggest signees in the 2017 Hoosier Army in terms of impact. He joins a quarterback group that has senior Richard Lagow, redshirt sophomore Austin King and redshirt freshman Peyton Ramsey and it would not be surprising to see him redshirt as the three returnees battle it out for the starting spot. That being said, Tronti is a bona fide winner and you don’t produce huge numbers in Florida without being a highly-capable player. He appears to be a great fit for Mike DeBord’s scheme and his ability to compete for playing time shouldn’t be completely discounted.