CHARLOTTESVILLE — The quote was the kind that makes a fan’s heart flutter, especially when it’s concerning a guy nobody’s seen play in a game — even more so when that guy has just been named the starter on the most important position on the field.
“I don’t think anyone on our team can catch him,” Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall said of quarterback Bryce Perkins. “That’s what I’ve seen this spring. Once he’s in the open, we don’t catch him.”
A reporter had an important — and fair — follow-up question.
“OK, but what about other teams?”
Mendenhall smiled.
“I guess that remains to be seen, doesn’t it?” he said.
It does. All of it does at Virginia, where on Saturday they concluded their spring session with an open practice and quasi-scrimmage at Scott Stadium. The Cavaliers will enter the fall with a lot of questions on defense, the offensive line and other spots.
But for a program that didn’t score an offensive touchdown in its final nine quarters of the 2017 season, Perkins represents hope.
We saw some of it Saturday. A fake handoff and a dash up the middle for a gain of about 25 yards. A nicely thrown fade pattern to Hasise Dubois for a touchdown. A moment when Perkins calmly corralled a high snap, set his feet and hit tight end Evan Butts for a huge chunk of yardage.
“As of today, Bryce is our starter,” Mendenhall said. “At this point, it’s his job to lose. He has moved our team the most effectively. I think not only does he have the coaches’ trust, but he has the team’s trust.”
Perkins had to earn that in very little time, having transferred to UVa in January from Arizona Western Community College. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound right-hander quickly endeared himself to the locker room with his work ethic and obvious ability.
“He’s humble,” Mendenhall said. “He’s driven. He’s zero drama. He doesn’t want any special attention. He’s a quick learner, a natural leader and just a productive, dynamic athlete.”
With frosted dreadlocks hanging out the back of his helmet, Perkins looked confident running the offense Saturday. He overthrew his lone deep ball but said he’s seen that facet of his game improve this spring, along with his chemistry with his receivers.
“I see so much potential in the offense,” Perkins said. “We have all the pieces as far as height on the outside, speed in the backfield, power in the backfield, speed in the slot. You look at all the other teams in the country, we match up to them physically and athletically.”
Perkins perhaps most of all. The younger brother of New York Giants running back Paul Perkins, UVa’s new quarterback began his career at Arizona State. He redshirted as a freshman before suffering a near-catastrophic neck injury and transferring to Arizona Western, where he led the Matadors to the 2017 NJCAA national title game.
He’s learning his fourth different playbook in as many years, but it’s been tailored to fit his strengths following the departure of pro-style QB Kurt Benkert. Halfback Olamide Zaccheaus described the new scheme simply as “slash and dash.”
Most of the passes Saturday were short ones, and the running backs were featured heavily. Perkins showed some comfort in the option, which he ran in high school and while practicing at ASU.
In short, he’s impressive. Impressive enough to be named the starter after only four months on campus.
“It’s a target on your back,” Perkins said of being deemed the No. 1 QB. “You’ve got to keep the job. I think there’s more pressure when you have the job than when you’re competing for the job. You’ve got to do everything right. Everybody behind you is aiming to take the spot.”
Can they catch him? Mendenhall essentially already gave us that answer. All the rest of it, though, remains to be seen.