Pedigree draws Perry to Eagles
E.J. Perry had several recruitment options, from the Ivy League to Ohio, but chose history and location at the Heights.
The Andover quarterback is one of three early enrollees in the Boston College football class of 2020, along with offensive lineman Alec Lindstrom of Dudley and tailback Travis Levy of Sandy Springs, Md. Eagles’ coach Steve Addazio will officially announce BC’s 18 other freshmen recruits this afternoon.
“It’s the local school, so I can have my parents and my family watch me play, and obviously it has a great history behind it, not only at my position but overall as a program,” said Perry. “In the 2000s they had Matt Ryan and in the 1980s it was Doug Flutie.
“BC has had a good couple of years recently and it’s a building program and I think it’s a good place to be right now. They had a really good bowl win and a really good coaching staff.”
Perry visited all the Ivies, Wake Forest, UMass, New Hampshire and Ohio, and met with recruiters from Wisconsin and Iowa. He’ll instead be part of the group seeking to build off a 7-6 season capped by beating Maryland in the Quick Lane Bowl on Dec. 26. The departing Patrick Towles started all 13 games at quarterback, leaving a trio of incumbents on the roster.
Redshirt junior Darius Wade and true sophomore John Fadule both started games in 2015. Addazio and offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler are very high on freshman Anthony Brown, an authentic dual-threat field general who best fits the prototype of an Atlantic Coast Conference quarterback.
“The first two weeks have been awesome, meeting with the guys and working out and stuff,” said Perry. “It is going to be a fun challenge and, for me, it is always fun to compete and work with unbelievable athletes who have dedicated themselves to football.”
Perry is already taking classes and will be eligible to participate in spring ball, giving him an upper hand of the three other quarterbacks in his class: CJ Lewis of Cheshire, Conn.; Tate Haynes of San Diego; and Drew McQuarrie of Weare, N.H.
Perry was a four-year starter and a two-time Herald All-Scholastic at Andover. Perry threw for 3,398 yards and 47 touchdowns as a senior, the latter tying BC junior receiver Troy Flutie’s state record set at Natick.
“Anywhere in the Power Five there are high expectations for quarterback play, and especially in the ACC,” said Perry. “Those types of quarterbacks compete for the Heisman and are potential first-round picks.
“Obviously my position is held to a high standard in the ACC and it’s something to look forward to in a challenging sense.”