Nick Montana hopes to enroll at UW in time for spring practice

Jake Locker will hold a news conference Friday to talk publicly for the first time about his decision to stay at Washington for another year, a senior football season that begins with spring practice on March 29.

And when the Huskies hit the field that day, Locker could be joined by the team's presumed quarterback of the future, Nick Montana, son of Hall of Famer Joe Montana.

Nick Montana is a senior at Oaks Christian High in Westlake Village, Calif., and has committed to sign with UW in February as part of the recruiting class of 2010.

And he hopes to be the latest to join one of the hottest trends in college football by graduating early from high school and enrolling at UW in time for spring practice.

Montana's coach at Oaks Christian, Bill Redell, said this week that Montana is exploring options and is optimistic it will happen. UW coaches cannot comment on players until they sign their letters of intent. Signing day is Feb. 3.

"It's a possibility," said Redell. "He's trying to work it out so he can be up there in time for spring practice. I don't think it's taken care of yet, but I do believe it's something that he wants to do. He just wants to make sure it's done correctly, so he's trying to work that out."

Montana committed last summer to sign with UW. He said at the time he did not think he would be able to graduate high school early due to some issues with transferring credits after having moved from De La Salle High in Concord, Calif., to Oaks Christian after his sophomore year. But Redell said some alternatives such as taking classes online has opened up some options for Montana to get his work done early.

"He would like to be up there for the spring," Redell said. "That would be ideal. It would be good for him to participate in a spring practice, then have a redshirt year, then have another spring and then maybe battle for the position (in 2011)."

The Huskies figure to have a wide-open battle for the position in 2011 after Locker graduates. The other two scholarship QBs on the roster are Ronnie Fouch, who will be a junior next season, and Keith Price, who will be a redshirt freshman.

Notes

• LB Donald Butler has been invited to play in the Senior Bowl on Jan. 30 and DE Daniel Te'o-Nesheim in the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 23.

Bob Condotta: bcondotta@seattletimes.com