Patti finds home at Boise State
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But the Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips quarterback, who committed to the Broncos in May, definitely shows a few similarities.
Patti, a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, is the shortest high school quarterback in attendance. Working as a camp counselor, Moore is dwarfed by his college buddies.
It's a motivational tool Patti is using - that quarterbacks don't have to look like small forwards to success on the college level, that height isn't everything and Moore is an example to prove it.
One of the big reasons Patti said he chose Boise State is just for that reason - he found players just like him that might have gone unappreciated in their recruitment and go there to prove people wrong.
"It's a bunch of guys just like me, just like Kellen, with a chip on our shoulder," Patti said. "There's something to prove.
"Our recruiting class is really shaping up and you see it more and more with the guys committing. It's a bunch of guys saying, 'We're going to Boise and we're going to show them what's up.' It's kind of cool. It's unique."
Moore is listed at 6-foot by Boise State but it's hard to believe that's accurate. He's tiny compared with Florida State's E.J. Manuel and Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden. Even Michigan State's Kirk Cousins, hardly a giant, dwarfs the Broncos' signal-caller.
But after throwing for 3,845 yards with 35 touchdowns and only six interceptions last season, with a trip to the Heisman Trophy ceremony as a reward - along with talk that Boise State could have another undefeated season this year - there's no doubting Moore's ability.
Patti wants to be next in line.
"It's awesome," Patti said. "It's a great opportunity for anyone. It's a great place. It's a place set up to succeed. That's their philosophy. Kellen has done a great job there and he's won a lot of games there. We're pretty similar in size and it's really good to see him come out here and compete a little bit.
"We had similar paths in the recruiting process so that was important."
Before Patti could get too excited about Boise State, though, he had to visit. After all, Orlando and Boise don't exactly have many things in common. When he took his unofficial visit, Patti said he just knew it was the right place for him and there was no question the Boise State coaches had a plan to help him succeed.
"Right when I got there I fell in love with it," Patti said. "They say once you know, you know and I knew right away that was the place I wanted to be. It is a different place from what I'm used to. Florida and Idaho are polar opposites but it's my kind of place. It's awesome and I'm excited about it.
"I was with the coaches the whole time and most of the stuff we were doing was talking about where the program is going, what they're doing, offense, defense, everything.
"I met every single one of the coaches and sat down with every single one of them when I was there, and I was the only recruit there. They treated me great and I felt they wanted me most. I knew exactly where they're going and exactly what they wanted and exactly where I stood."
Rivals.com rates Patti as the No. 13 dual-threat quarterback in the 2012 class and No. 73 in the Florida state rankings. In his junior season, he threw 2,390 yards with 32 touchdowns and only four interceptions.
Patti, who also had offers from Indiana, South Florida, UCF, Louisiana Tech and Middle Tennessee State, couldn't be happier. He found his home. He has a good relationship with Moore. And he found the coach he wants to play for in Chris Petersen. That was also a big part in his decision-making process.
"You sit down with him and you immediately think you want to play for this guy," Patti said. "I want my name with this guy. That's the kind of guy you want to win for because you want to see him succeed. He's just an amazing dude. It's an amazing place."
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