New UVA quarterback Perkins 'built for this'
Mike Barber·23 hours ago
CHARLOTTESVILLE
N early four years into his time as a college football player, Bryce Perkins has never started a Division I game. That will change next month.
Perkins will be Virginia's quarterback when the Cavaliers, who opened fall practice Friday evening, host Richmond on Sept. 1. It's a job he officially won after spring practice but, in reality, one that was his to lose from the moment he stepped on campus.
The former Arizona State and Arizona Western Community College player doesn't deny there's plenty of pressure on him at his latest destination.
"Definitely, but I love it," Perkins said. "I've been working my whole career for this. It's been a long journey for me. I believe I'm here for a purpose and I'm going to try to not let my teammates down."
Friday, Perkins took the snaps with the first-team offense during the 30 minutes of the practice that was open to the media, running option sets with both Olamide Zaccheaus and Jordan Ellis.
Virginia had freshman Brennan Armstrong and sophomore Lindell Stone also rotating at quarterback.
Another transfer, former Rutgers guard Marcus Applefield, worked at right tackle with the first team, with sophomore Dillon Reinkensmeyer at center, junior R.J. Proctor at left guard, senior Jay Fieler at right guard and sophomore Chris Glaser at left tackle.
Sophomore guard/center Tyler Fannin still has his left foot in a walking boot after being injured in June, and was on crutches. Offensive line coach Garett Tujague said he's expected back "pretty soon."
Defensively, graduate transfer end Dylan Thompson wasn't at Friday's practice. He's still at Ohio State finishing up the necessary classes to graduate, coach Bronco Mendenhall said.
Mendenhall officially named Perkins the team's starter - replacing Kurt Benkert, a senior last season and now an Atlanta Falcon - following spring practice, but Perkins began taking the first-team practice repetitions early on. The offense has been reworked around him, morphing into a scheme reminiscent of what Mendenhall and coordinator Robert Anae ran with Taysom Hill at BYU.
Perkins' mobility will be used both as a weapon - designed runs from his quarterback position - and an insurance policy - his ability to make positive yardage on broken plays, a particularly important capability considering the Cavaliers' questionable offensive line.
Perkins immediately impressed his new teammates with his physical attributes - he's considered the fastest athlete on the roster and was clocked running 22.2 miles per hour - his work habits and his demeanor.
If the pressure is mounting on Perkins as he heads to his first D-I start, he's not letting his teammates see it.
"He's built for this. It's in his nature," Zaccheaus said. "He came in and just showed out. He really performed well and I don't think any stage is too big for him. Obviously he's got to prove himself. He hasn't had college experience. I'm excited to see what he can do for us."
That Perkins has shined in offseason workouts comes as no surprise to his new strength coach. See, U.Va.'s Shawn Griswold is also Perkins' old strength coach, having been at Arizona State with him for two years.
So Griswold had a good idea of what to expect. He said, back in Arizona, Perkins would come to campus starting in February of his senior year of high school to work out with Griswold.
And Griswold, hired this offseason as the Cavaliers' strength coach, said the pressure of being the focal point of the offense won't be too much for Perkins to handle.
"He's a pretty even-keeled dude," Griswold said. "He doesn't get too high and he doesn't get too low. If he makes a mistake, he goes on to the next play. He's a great leader."
Note: Former Texas quarterback Matthew Merrick, who transferred to U.Va. before last season, is no longer with the program for medical reasons.
