CHICAGO — Seated at a table inside Eric Solorio Academy High School, a few miles from Midway International Airport, Quincy Patterson and his father exchange smiles. It is November 18, almost a month from the day when he will officially commit.
Wearing a bright orange sweatshirt from Virginia Tech—the program he will play for this fall—the 4-star quarterback eases back into his chair. Free of shoulder pads, it's clear this is what an NFL quarterback is supposed to look like.
At only 17 years old, Patterson is 6'4" and 230 pounds, despite no formal weight training.