Maine South football coach Dave Inserra has been rooting for his former star Matt Alviti to become the starting quarterback at Northwestern.
It hasn’t happened.
But during frequent conversations between the two, Inserra has not had to spend time cheering up Alviti, who passed for 2,740 yards and ran for 843 as a senior in 2012.
“I would say he keeps our spirits up,” Inserra said about Alviti, who will be a redshirt junior this season. “He says, ‘We’ll get it worked out,’ and, ‘I’ll get my chances.’ But he’s always been upbeat. He’s disappointed he hasn’t gotten on the field, but he’s a true competitor and the ultimate team guy.”
A four-star recruit and the No. 22-rated quarterback nationally by Scout.com in high school, the 6-foot, 200-pound Alviti entered the spring of 2015 in a three-way quarterback competition, from which then-freshman Clayton Thorson (6-4, 220 pounds) emerged victorious. Zack Oliver, who has since graduated, was listed alongside Alviti at No. 2 last fall, but the fifth-year senior got more playing time.
Alviti saw action in two games in 2015, completing one of three passes, as the Wildcats went 10-3. Much of the success was built on a strong defense and the rushing of Justin Jackson.
After winter surgeries on each hip — which caused him to miss spring practice — Alviti began preseason camp looking to prove his health and solidify his position as the team’s No. 2 quarterback.
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“It’s been a long, long offseason and I’m excited to get back on the field and back out there with the guys,” Alviti said ahead of preseason camp. “I’ll practice and prepare like I’m going to be the No. 1 guy. That’s how I’ve been approaching it at Northwestern. If you don’t approach it that way, and you get in the game, you will let your teammates and coaches down.”
Mick McCall, Northwestern’s ninth-year offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, said his No. 2 quarterback always has gotten playing time, either because of injuries or in a platoon system.
Though Alviti did not take snaps during spring practice, he was there for every workout and film session, and he and McCall both believe there could be advantages to sitting back and watching.
“Sitting out, you learn a lot, you learn differently,” Alviti said. “You don’t get physical reps, but you take every mental rep and process things mentally. Things start to slow down and you start to understand things and see coverages and schemes the defense is running, disguises. You don’t have all that pressure, and you calm down a little and get a better feel for everything that’s going on around you.”
McCall added: “I think that was good for (Alviti) this spring.”
McCall said there are similarities in size and ability between Alviti and former Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa, who threw for 2,581 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2010.
Persa’s success in the Wildcats’ dynamic spread offense, and Northwestern’s academics, were the main reasons Alviti was drawn to the Wildcats, according to Inserra.
But in recent seasons, injuries to key offensive playmakers and Thorson’s inexperience, coupled with a much better defense — ranked No. 12 nationally in fewest points allowed per game in 2015 — has altered what Northwestern has required of its quarterbacks.
“Football-wise, I think it was the right offense (for Alviti). The one with Dan Persa, that was the offense he was looking at,” Inserra said. “But they’ve become used to their quarterback being more of a manager and not as much of a playmaker.”
Alviti insists the offense is ready to turn a corner this season.
“The offensive players are sick of having to rely on the defense, and it’s time for us to step up if we’re going to make it to the Big Ten Championship and hopefully beyond that,” he said.
This year’s offense could be more explosive. But if Thorson is the architect, it could mean Alviti spending his entire career as a backup.
If faced with that possibility, Alviti will have the option to graduate at the end of this year and be eligible to play one final season at another school. But Alviti, a communication studies major, insists that isn’t part of his thought process.
“I chose Northwestern because of the school and the football program, and I have every intention to stay and be a Wildcat,” said Alviti, an Academic All-Big Ten selection in each of the last two seasons. “Transferring or leaving has not crossed my mind.”
Dan Shalin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press