Brown QB EJ Perry is the real deal. I came in a bit skeptical. Perry plays for a bad Ivy League team. How good could he be? The answer is quite good. Having watched them both in back-to-back weeks, I can definitely say he is the better FCS quarterback over Aqeel Glass.
Perry is a transfer from Boston College. He set the Ivy League record for total offense in 2019. The pandemic disrupted all of football in 2020 but the Ivy league were the only ones who turfed the entire season. And since they don’t allow redshirting, Perry, along with several other players had to make the decision to de-enroll from school for a semester in order to be able to play in 2021.
Unfortunately for EJ Perry, Brown had to replace almost all of the offensive playmakers and offensive line from the record-setting 2019 team. To say Perry is wanting of weapons is an understatement.
EJ Perry has an okay frame at 6’2” 210-pounds. He maneuvers well in the pocket and consistently extends plays. Perry has a big arm. He made several throws from the far ash 15-20 yards downfield. Late in the game with the team down 40, Perry rolled left and threw a strike on the move 43 yards for a touchdown. He finished the game against Harvard 34/45 for 346 yards with two scores. Both TDs came in the fourth quarter.
The one interception came in the red zone when his receiver ran the wrong route. To his credit, Perry made the tackle on the defender 80 yards down the field. He also gave up a scoop-and-score on a strip sack after his left tackle got beat like a snare drum.
I truly hope we get to see him in an all-star game environment with better players surrounding him.
MARSHALL @ APPALACHIAN STATE
Appalachian State won a thriller over Marshall 31-30. There were several fringe draftable prospects in this game and one who I feel is a Top-100 level player.
MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD
The best prospect in this game for me is Marshall cornerback Steven Gilmore. The younger brother of All-Pro NFL corner Stephon, Steven isn’t quite on that level as a prospect. However, he does have excellent man cover skills. In ten games last year, Gilmore had 11 PBUs. This year it appears teams are not poking the bear. Against App State, they tried him a few times but it didn’t go well. Gilmore uses his length well while blanketing wideouts. In my latest big board that I released yesterday, I had him ranked 99th overall.
Redshirt sophomore QB Grant Wells didn’t wow me. His accuracy was all over the place as he completed a little over 50% of his throws. The good news is that he likely won’t declare after this season and he can continue to develop.
APPALACHIAN STATE MOUNTAINEERS
One of my favorite unheralded defensive players to watch last year was App State defensive lineman Demetrius Taylor. At 6’1” 290-pounds, Taylor mostly plays on the edge or as a five tech for the Mountaineers. He is as strong as an ox at the point of attack. Taylor consistently beats double teams to wreak havoc. He truly makes everyone around him better.
It feels like Corey Sutton has been playing in Boone forever. The stout wide receiver was targeted an astounding 17 times against Marshall. He caught ten of those for 127 yards and one TD. Sutton is probably going to be selected late or not at all but he has the skillset to make a roster.
Speaking of being around forever, let’s talk about double transfer QB Chase Brice. Brice started at Clemson, moved on to Duke, and now finds himself at App State. He is not a great athlete but he isn’t without skill. Brice doesn’t have the strongest arm but he is fairly accurate. Against Marshall, Brice completed 24/39 for 283 with one score and one pick. Age will be one of several things holding him back. Brice will be a 24-year-old rookie.
App State also has one of the top return specialists in this class. Wide receiver Jalen Virgil had zero targets against the Thundering Herd but he did have a 40-yard kickoff return. This comes after he diced up Miami’s kick coverage unit for a 100-yard TD return two weeks ago. You would like to see him contribute something on offense but you can make a long-term living in the NFL on special teams.