What will Brown football look like in the fall? Here's what we know as EJ Perry graduates
PROVIDENCE — One obvious question lingered above all others throughout Brown’s spring football practices.
Who will be the next starting quarterback for the Bears? Who will line up under center for the Sept. 17 season opener against Bryant? The answer to that remains a mystery as head coach James Perry and his program break for the summer months.
EJ Perry could hear his name called later this week in the NFL Draft. The coach’s nephew was the Bushnell Cup winner in 2021, which goes to the Ivy League’s top offensive player. His production and leadership won’t be easily replicated.
“That room mirrors our team — we're so much deeper,” James Perry said. “We’re never going to replace EJ. Don’t bother trying. But what we can do is have a deeper room.”
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Brown wrapped up its sessions on a drizzly Tuesday afternoon at Berylson Family Fields. Dozens of players in black, red or white jerseys buzzed between drills over a crisp two hours. Jake Willcox and Aidan Gilman each called signals over the final 20 minutes as the top offensive and defensive units went head-to-head — they were locked in a personal competition to determine the best completion percentage in camp.
“Every pass mattered,” Brown receiver Wes Rockett said. “Everyone was live. You could tell — it's affecting everybody. That’s the thing that we need.”
EJ Perry's final season at Brown
The Bears went just 2-8 last fall — even Perry’s contributions weren’t enough to put them among the conference contenders. Brown has been steadily rebuilding its roster since before the COVID-19 pandemic and finished this spring with 84 players in camp. Perry was in a senior class of just 12. His uncle will welcome 27 pending graduates back to campus later this summer.
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“I want dispersed leadership,” Perry said. “They’ve all shown some moments. It can’t come from me. It can’t come from some coach. It can’t come from a small group of people.
“This is football — it's got to permeate the entire locker room. They knew that going into the spring. I wanted dispersed leadership — here's your moment.”
Willcox, Gilman, Cortland Dicks and a pair of former Interscholastic League standouts all took snaps with various offensive units throughout the afternoon. La Salle standout Nate Lussier and Moses Brown star Michael Walsh are also in the mix along with what looks like a pair of clear leaders for the Bears. Rockett is among a talented pass-catching core returning, working alongside the likes of Graham Walker, Hayes Sutton and Allan Houston III.
“I think everybody here brings their own value and brings a lot of value,” Rockett said. “I think that’s why we’re making a lot of strides on the field. I think that’s why we’re flying around.
“There’s nobody huffing and puffing. We’re just rolling guys out there. It seems like there’s no hitch, and that’s what gives me a lot of confidence.”
Brown's long offseason
Players will complete final exams over the next couple of weeks while the coaching staff hits the road recruiting. The conference’s late start to the schedule will result in a long offseason — most FCS programs will have played twice prior to Brown locking up with the Bulldogs. The Bears also visit the University of Rhode Island in an Oct. 1 matchup for the Governor’s Cup and travel to Central Connecticut State on Oct. 8.
“I was telling people on campus when I first got here this is a depth game,” Perry said. “We want to play fast and we’re going to play a ton of people. It’s how you practice, it’s how you train — it's everything.
“When you have that depth, it changes everything.”
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Brown football looks deep for 2022 but quarterback question remains
