Villanova Quarterback Pat McQuaide Earns Eligibility Waiver

Villanova Football should have quarterback Pat McQuaide back in the fold for the 2026 season after an Ohio court injunction awarding him with an extra year of eligibility. McQuaide threw for 3,092 yards, 24 touchdowns and just four interceptions during his first season with the Wildcats, adding three more touchdowns on the ground.

The six foot tall, 205 pound lefty led Villanova to the FCS Semifinals in 2025, providing valuable experience under center in an offense centered around the running game. While the Wildcats lost valuable receivers like Luke Colella and Lucas Kopecky to graduation, the retention of All-American candidate and rising sophomore Braden Reed, who developed a strong connection with McQuaide down the stretch, should provide a valuable thread of continuity.

Although the Wildcats listed McQuaide as a graduate transfer last season, he received the favorable injunction because of a season played at the junior college level with Mississippi Gulf Coast. An NCAA ruling in 2025 made it so that playing JUCO ball don’t count against eligibility, so McQuaide has only used three seasons of eligibility so far: two at Nicholls State and one with Villanova.

With an abbreviated offseason — the Wildcats’ opener will come on Aug. 28 against William & Mary — McQuaide will need to ramp up quickly, but his experience should help in that regard. Freshman Nolan DiLucia and senior Robert Russo competed for the No. 1 spot in his absence.