The University of Washington is confirming tonight that backup quarterback Nick Montana is transferring.

School officials say Montana has been granted his official release to transfer to another school.

Rumors of Montana's potential transfer have circulated for a few weeks, and there were specific reports late last week from a couple of media outlets in Texas that Montana will transfer to a junior college in Brenham, Texas, Blinn College.

At that time, UW officials said Montana was enrolled at UW, was on campus and expected to be on the roster in the spring.

The release from the UW stated simply that:

Quarterback Nick Montana has requested and been granted a release from the University of Washington so that he may transfer to another program, UW football coach Steve Sarkisian confirmed today.

A highly-touted recruit from Oaks Christian in Thousand Oaks, Calif., and the son of NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana, Nick Montana served last season as the backup to Keith Price.

His expected enrollment at a junior college would allow him one season to play there and then head to another four-year school.

Montana was 24-42 passing for 226 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in six games played this season as a redshirt freshman in what will turn out to be his only season as a Husky.

He got one start, at Oregon State, going 11-21 for 79 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in an eventual 38-21 Husky loss.

Price figures to be UW's starter for the next two years and the Huskies also have Derrick Brown, who redshirted as a freshman in 2011, on the roster. UW also has commits from two of the top QB prospects in the Class of 2012 in Mercer Island's Jeff Lindquist and Cyler Miles of Mullen High in Denver.

Also on the roster is walk-on Thomas Vincent of King's High in Seattle.