Eagles UNLTD Mailbag: April 3, 2020

Welcome to the first official installment of the new Eagles UNLTD Mailbag. I'll be answering questions related to Boston College athletics and providing some in-depth analysis into the things burning through the downtime we're all currently experiencing. If you'd like your question answered, please feel free to email athcomm@bc.edu to submit!

What is the status of Anthony Brown? I haven't seen anything beyond his entry into the transfer portal. -Henry V.

Quarterback Anthony Brown entered the transfer portal over the offseason, meaning he is no longer a member of the Boston College football program. This week, he announced via social media that he transferred to Oregon.

Brown's departure means the Eagles will move forward with a new stable of quarterbacks. Dennis Grosel is back as the incumbent starter, but the Eagles entered spring practice with five signal callers on the roster, adding one more, Matthew Rueve, on National Signing Day.

"It's a great group of guys," offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti told The Perch podcast this week. "They're good character guys that work hard, and their priorities are in order in terms of being total student-athletes. They do a great job in the classroom and in the meeting room, and they (were doing) a great job in strength and conditioning and in practice. They adapted fast and understood the footwork, the training of the eyes and the feet. We have a bunch of winners in that room."

BC received good signals from all five quarterbacks at spring practice. Each picked up the offense's fundamentals during the abbreviated time period, though the immediate cessation caused by the coronavirus pandemic ultimately prevented them from addressing more specific, situation-based case studies. They all applied the basic concepts of the offense, but now shift towards a virtual environment to continue learning about two-minute drills and red zone ideals within Cignetti's scheme.

"We were able to get base concepts down," Cignetti said. "We weren't able to get into the red zone or situational (football), but we were able to get into the fundamentals and techniques from an offensive standpoint. (Now) we have a great plan (to move forward). We have video meetings with our players, and we're able to scheme evaluate from the first five practices. We're able to have install meetings to install those red zone or situational concepts and aspects."

So there's enough to instill confidence in the position before fall. Redshirt sophomore Phil Jurkovec is a particular highlight after he showed his potential in spring practice. The Notre Dame transfer reinforced a solid recruiting profile by assuming command and maximizing his initial repetitions. He drew the lion's share of attention, though his eligibility waiver remains under review by the NCAA.

"I think he looked like a different kid in the first five practices," head coach Jeff Hafley told the media last month. "He looked comfortable in the system, and he started to show some leadership pop. He was just having fun being out (on the field). I think the biggest jump was his confidence, and he's earning the respect of the team. It would have been fun to see him through 15 practices, but I'm really proud of him. I appreciated the hard work."

It's resulted in an open competition between the quarterback stable. Jurkovec has the highest reputation and likely retains the loftiest expectations, but every quarterback received equal repetitions in the five practices. That included Grosel, the only quarterback remaining with starting experience. Brown's season-ending injury against Louisville last year thrust him into the role, and the former walk-on displayed an endearing level of both grit and toughness.

"Experience is invaluable because it's how you truly get better," Cignetti said. "I'm sure every game Dennis played in (last season) probably slowed down a bit for him."

Grosel ultimately earned the No. 2 role at the beginning of the season by outworking Matt Valecce, but the duo went head-to-head for much of last year's preseason. Valecce is a very different quarterback than Grosel physically, and his style of play reflects a different skill set. He's more of a pocket passer at six feet, five inches, though Grosel had a clear advantage when making plays on the move. The duo exhibited a friendly battle during their repetitions, though they remained tight teammates who explained and examined football through their own personal lenses. In that respect, Valecce helped make Grosel a better passer, while Grosel assisted Valecce's development as a scrambling quarterback.

The duo's camaraderie offered learning experiences to the two youngsters who both redshirted last season. Sam Johnson III is the better-known of those quarterbacks, but Daelen Menard pushed him for the bulk of their preseason and prep period reps. Johnson, a high three-star recruit, clearly offered a number of raw, physical tools by way of arm strength and speed, but Menard had a polish that charged him into the conversation when the two worked with third team and scout team players. Neither saw public game time, but the clear development revealed itself at points during the season in practice and scrimmage time.

"I think it's wide open," Cignetti said. "We're giving everyone a chance to get reps to show what they can do. The best quarterback is going to play, and we're far from making that decision. It's a great group that pushes each other, and they work very well together. It's going to be a great competition."

The playbook remains the great equalizer. Cignetti talked about reviewing game film from last year as a way to temper the coaching expectations in the new offense. Nobody played last year under Jeff Hafley or Frank Cignetti, so there's a newness for everyone. Jurkovec exhibited great confidence in practice, and Grosel played last year as a starting quarterback. That ultimately doesn't translate well to an extrapolation into the new offense because neither ran the offense against an opponent in a real-game situation. Additionally, losing valuable practice time is a factor since nothing replaces face-to-face interaction. That means the most-ready players are the ones who are able to translate the current system into the gridiron once football activities can resume.

"Fortunately, we were able to have five practices," Hafley said. "In that time period, the main objective was to build the culture. We wanted to show the guys what practice and meetings would look like. We wanted to outline what our expectations were for them and what their expectations were for (the coaches). I believe we got that accomplished. We weren't all about X's and O's as much as we were about how we would practice. I wished we had more time to get into the playbook, but (practice) unfortunately got cut off."

Players Mentioned

Anthony Brown

Dennis Grosel

Sam Johnson III

Phil Jurkovec

Daelen Menard

Matt Valecce

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