Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
2021 Football Roster
Roster
Vattiato, Nicholas
DE
/ FootballS
/ FootballWR
/ FootballCB
/ FootballLB
/ FootballCB
/ FootballWR
/ FootballWR
/ FootballPK
/ FootballLB
/ FootballWR
/ FootballRB
/ FootballQB
/ FootballS
/ FootballQB
/ FootballWR
/ FootballP
/ FootballDB
/ FootballQB
/ FootballS
/ FootballQB
/ FootballQB
/ FootballWR
/ FootballS
/ FootballTE
/ FootballWR
/ FootballCB
/ FootballCB
/ FootballRB
/ FootballPK
/ FootballRB
/ FootballWR
/ FootballCB
/ FootballLB
/ FootballCB
/ Footballs
/ FootballS
/ FootballS
/ FootballS
/ FootballCB
/ FootballRB
/ FootballCB
/ FootballRB
/ FootballLB
/ FootballRB
/ FootballS
/ FootballLB
/ FootballP
/ FootballLB
/ FootballLB
/ FootballLB
/ FootballLB
/ FootballS
/ FootballRB
/ FootballLB
/ FootballHB
/ FootballDE
/ FootballHB
/ FootballDE
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballDE
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballDT
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballLS
/ FootballLS
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballTE
/ FootballWR
/ FootballTE
/ FootballWR
/ FootballWR
/ FootballWR
/ FootballWR
/ FootballWR
/ FootballDT
/ FootballDE
/ FootballDL
/ FootballDL
/ FootballDE
/ FootballDT
/ FootballDT
/ FootballDE
/ FootballDL
/ Football
PK
/ Football
DL
/ Football
CB
/ Football
LS
/ Football
LB
/ Football
Jersey Number 18
Nicholas Vattiato
- Position:
- QB
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-1 / 185
- Class:
- Freshman
- Hometown:
- Plantation, FL
- High School:
- University School
Bio
Honors
• 2021: Voted to the CUSA All-Freshman Team, Named the Bahamas Bowl Offensive MVP
• 2023: Named the TSWA Offensive Player of the Week 11/21, CUSA All-Academic
• 2024: Invited to the Manning Passing Academy, AFCA Allstate Good Works Team, Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, Manning Award Watch List, Golden Arm Award Watch List, CUSA All-Academic, CSC Academic All-District
• 2025: CUSA Preseason Watch List, AFCA Allstate Good Works Team, Nominee for the William V. Campbell Award, Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, Manning Award Watch List, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, MTSU Offensive Player of the Week 9/14
2025 (r-Senior)
• Voted a Team Captain
• Down 13-0 with under seven minutes to play, Vattiato directed two TD drives to complete the comeback victory at Nevada. Vattiato completed 27 of 44 passes for 247 yards with 166 yards coming in the second half
• Had 299 yards on 19 of 32 passing and two touchdowns against Marshall
2024 (r-Junior)
• Played and started all 12 games
• Finished the year completing 269 of 418 passes (64.4) for 3,092 yards and 16 touchdowns
• He became just the second player in MTSU history to record multiple 3,000-yard seasons
• The 3,092 yards also went down as the most ever by a junior in program history
• Final National Rankings: 17th in completions per game; 19th in passing yards per game and 24th in passing yards
• His 774 snaps played was tops on the team
• Threw for 210 yards on 20 completions against Tennessee Tech and engineered a game-winning 75-yard drive in 44 seconds
• Had 209 yards through the air at Ole Miss
• Completed 24 of 31 passes for a personal-best 456 yards and three touchdowns against WKU (the 456 yards went down as the second-most in a game at MTSU)
• Threw for 283 yards on 21 of 31 passing at Memphis, including a 69-yard completion
• Completed 24 of 39 passes for 276 yards and two TDs at LA Tech
• Was extremely ill against KSU but managed to play and get the win
• Had 297 passing yards on 25 completions and two touchdowns at JSU while earning the top PFF grade on the team at 84.7
• Connected on 22 of 33 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns against Liberty
• Threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns against NMSU
2023 (r-Sophomore)
• Started all 12 games
• Ended the season with 3,092 passing yards on 286 completions to go with 23 touchdowns, while ranking second on the team with a career-best 397 rushing yards
• Became just the third different quarterback in MTSU history to record a 3,000-yard passing season
• Totaled nine games with 200 or more yards passing
• Averaged 69 snaps played per game
• Voted a permanent team captain by his teammates
• Completed 22 of 36 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns at Missouri
• Threw for 291 yards and two touchdowns on 28 completions against Murray State
• Connected on 30 of 41 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns against Colorado State
• Threw for a career-best 408 yards and two touchdowns on 26 completions against Jax State
• Had 332 yards passing at Liberty while tossing a career-best four touchdown passes
• Rushed for a career-best 96 yards on 18 attempts at NMSU
• Completed 18 of 25 passes for 275 yards and four touchdowns in just three quarters of work against FIU
• Threw for 242 yards and three touchdowns in win over UTEP to go with a team-high 92 rushing yards
2022 (Sophomore)
• Played in two games and had one start
• Was able to redshirt
• Completed eight of 17 passes against Louisiana Tech in his first action of the season following an injury to Chase Cunningham
• Connected on 22 of 29 passes for 203 yards in win over Charlotte
2021 (Freshman)
• Played in six games and had five starts
• Ended the season by completing 115 of 171 passes (67.3%) for 1,047 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for 27 yards
• Was in on 326 total snaps and graded out a winner four times
• Voted to the C-USA All-Freshman Team
• Played late against USM and completed both of his pass attempts and rushed once for five yards
• Made his first career start at WKU and completed 24 of 41 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns but did toss five interceptions
• Completed 20 of 24 passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns in win over FIU to earn the team’s offensive player of the game award
• Set an MT true freshman record in completions (34), attempts (49) and passing yards (304) against ODU
• Started at FAU and completed 12 of 20 passes before leaving the game with an injury
• Earned the Bahamas Bowl Offensive MVP award after completing 23 of 35 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns in win over Toledo
High School
• Rated a 3-star recruit by 247Sports
• Attended University School but played his senior year at TRU Prep Academy because University School canceled the 2020 football season
• Led TRU Prep to the 2020 state championship
• Invited to the Florida-Georgia All-Star Game
Personal
• Full name: Nicholas William Vattiato
• Parents: Nicholas Vattiato Jr. and Julia Philyaw
• Born: 9/29/2002
• Major: B.S. in Exercise Science (working on MBA)
• 2021: Voted to the CUSA All-Freshman Team, Named the Bahamas Bowl Offensive MVP
• 2023: Named the TSWA Offensive Player of the Week 11/21, CUSA All-Academic
• 2024: Invited to the Manning Passing Academy, AFCA Allstate Good Works Team, Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, Manning Award Watch List, Golden Arm Award Watch List, CUSA All-Academic, CSC Academic All-District
• 2025: CUSA Preseason Watch List, AFCA Allstate Good Works Team, Nominee for the William V. Campbell Award, Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, Manning Award Watch List, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, MTSU Offensive Player of the Week 9/14
2025 (r-Senior)
• Voted a Team Captain
• Down 13-0 with under seven minutes to play, Vattiato directed two TD drives to complete the comeback victory at Nevada. Vattiato completed 27 of 44 passes for 247 yards with 166 yards coming in the second half
• Had 299 yards on 19 of 32 passing and two touchdowns against Marshall
2024 (r-Junior)
• Played and started all 12 games
• Finished the year completing 269 of 418 passes (64.4) for 3,092 yards and 16 touchdowns
• He became just the second player in MTSU history to record multiple 3,000-yard seasons
• The 3,092 yards also went down as the most ever by a junior in program history
• Final National Rankings: 17th in completions per game; 19th in passing yards per game and 24th in passing yards
• His 774 snaps played was tops on the team
• Threw for 210 yards on 20 completions against Tennessee Tech and engineered a game-winning 75-yard drive in 44 seconds
• Had 209 yards through the air at Ole Miss
• Completed 24 of 31 passes for a personal-best 456 yards and three touchdowns against WKU (the 456 yards went down as the second-most in a game at MTSU)
• Threw for 283 yards on 21 of 31 passing at Memphis, including a 69-yard completion
• Completed 24 of 39 passes for 276 yards and two TDs at LA Tech
• Was extremely ill against KSU but managed to play and get the win
• Had 297 passing yards on 25 completions and two touchdowns at JSU while earning the top PFF grade on the team at 84.7
• Connected on 22 of 33 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns against Liberty
• Threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns against NMSU
2023 (r-Sophomore)
• Started all 12 games
• Ended the season with 3,092 passing yards on 286 completions to go with 23 touchdowns, while ranking second on the team with a career-best 397 rushing yards
• Became just the third different quarterback in MTSU history to record a 3,000-yard passing season
• Totaled nine games with 200 or more yards passing
• Averaged 69 snaps played per game
• Voted a permanent team captain by his teammates
• Completed 22 of 36 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns at Missouri
• Threw for 291 yards and two touchdowns on 28 completions against Murray State
• Connected on 30 of 41 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns against Colorado State
• Threw for a career-best 408 yards and two touchdowns on 26 completions against Jax State
• Had 332 yards passing at Liberty while tossing a career-best four touchdown passes
• Rushed for a career-best 96 yards on 18 attempts at NMSU
• Completed 18 of 25 passes for 275 yards and four touchdowns in just three quarters of work against FIU
• Threw for 242 yards and three touchdowns in win over UTEP to go with a team-high 92 rushing yards
2022 (Sophomore)
• Played in two games and had one start
• Was able to redshirt
• Completed eight of 17 passes against Louisiana Tech in his first action of the season following an injury to Chase Cunningham
• Connected on 22 of 29 passes for 203 yards in win over Charlotte
2021 (Freshman)
• Played in six games and had five starts
• Ended the season by completing 115 of 171 passes (67.3%) for 1,047 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for 27 yards
• Was in on 326 total snaps and graded out a winner four times
• Voted to the C-USA All-Freshman Team
• Played late against USM and completed both of his pass attempts and rushed once for five yards
• Made his first career start at WKU and completed 24 of 41 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns but did toss five interceptions
• Completed 20 of 24 passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns in win over FIU to earn the team’s offensive player of the game award
• Set an MT true freshman record in completions (34), attempts (49) and passing yards (304) against ODU
• Started at FAU and completed 12 of 20 passes before leaving the game with an injury
• Earned the Bahamas Bowl Offensive MVP award after completing 23 of 35 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns in win over Toledo
High School
• Rated a 3-star recruit by 247Sports
• Attended University School but played his senior year at TRU Prep Academy because University School canceled the 2020 football season
• Led TRU Prep to the 2020 state championship
• Invited to the Florida-Georgia All-Star Game
Personal
• Full name: Nicholas William Vattiato
• Parents: Nicholas Vattiato Jr. and Julia Philyaw
• Born: 9/29/2002
• Major: B.S. in Exercise Science (working on MBA)
Raider Report Week 5 - MTSU vs. Kennesaw State University
Friday, September 26
Derek Mason LIVE: Presented by The Boulevard Bar & Grille Week 5 (Video)
Monday, September 22
MTSU Football Weekly Press Conference 9/22/25
Monday, September 22
Blue Raider Breakdown Postgame Show - September 20th
Sunday, September 21
