Football season preview: Quarterbacks

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – All eyes were on the quarterback position when the Bryant University football team opened camp in early August. With the first game of the season just three days away, the Bulldogs feel they have the right players for the position.  

This is the eighth of an eight-part season preview for the Bryant football team. BryantBulldogs.com previewed the special teams on Thursday, the defensive backs on Friday, the linebackers on Saturday, the defensive line on Sunday, the offensive line/tight ends on Monday, the wide receivers on Tuesday and the running backs earlier today.

"The QB position controls the tempo of the game," head coach James Perry said. "He allows us to play fast while being efficient and mentally on point."

Perry, a former standout QB at Brown University, made it very clear when he was hired in January that he wanted to play fast. That all starts at the quarterback position and the Bulldogs entered spring ball needing to fill the void left by Dalton Easton. A three-year starter, Easton broke nearly every single season and career passing record in Bryant history over the course of three seasons.

And so, for the past eight months, the Black and Gold quarterbacks have been working tirelessly to get ready for the 2017 season. Bryant returns two QBs from last year in junior Kyle Presti (Kinnelon, N.J.) and Timothy Graham (Darien, Conn.), and it also brought in four new ones. Two are transfers, Devin Ray (Bedminster, N.J.) and Price Wilson (Marietta, Ga.), and two are freshmen, Chris Hindle (Cranston, R.I.) and Broghean McGovern (Haverhill, Mass.).

Heading into the first game of the season, Wilson and Ray find themselves on the top of the depth chart. Wilson comes to Smithfield after spending three seasons at FBS-member Louisiana Tech. He redshirted his true freshman season and appeared in four games total over the last two years. Ray enrolled at Bryant in January after spending the previous three years at Monmouth. He played in four games for the Hawks last season, finishing 2-of-3 for 30 yards.

"Price has competed very well since he came to campus and is an older guy who loves football," Perry said. "He has picked up the system well for being here such a short time. Devin came here last spring and continues to make huge strides both in his knowledge of the offense and in his ability to let his athletic abilities translate to success on the field."

As far as the rest of the group, Presti has the most varsity experience of the bunch. He appeared in three games last season and earned a start against Maine. Graham did not appear last year but was an accomplished passer in high school, throwing for over 5,000 yards and 65 touchdowns in his career.

Hindle and McGovern have both come to camp and competed, as well. A local product, Hindle guided Rhode Island powerhouse Bishop Hendricken to back-to-back undefeated seasons the last two years. He finished his career with 2,458 passing yards, 42 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. McGovern was a three-year starter at Haverhill, throwing for 1,500 yards and 17 scores as a senior.

"All six QBs in the room have worked hard together and now look forward to pulling for each other so the team can have a great season," Perry said.