Boston College Head Coach Bill O'Brien Speaks on Quarterbacks After First Spring Practice

The Eagles head coach talked about the team's new quarterbacks Mason McKenzie and Grayson Wilson after spring practice on Tuesday.

Sep 28, 2024; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; Boston College Eagles head coach Bill O'Brien signals during the first half against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — Boston College football opened spring practice on Tuesday morning. 

The team has a lot of new faces on the roster. During the offseason, Boston College added 26 players out of the transfer portal and 23 freshmen and incoming freshmen for the class of 2026. 

Most notably, BC picked up two quarterbacks out of the portal in Mason McKenzie from Saginaw Valley State and Grayson Wilson from Arkansas. 

The pair showed off their abilities, both in the air and on the ground, during drills. 

After practice, Eagles head coach Bill O’Bien talked about the two quarterbacks and what they bring to the program as well as also credited the staff that helped recruit them. 

“There were some guys that we looked at, but give our staff a lot of credit,” said O’Brien. “Kenyatta Watson, Julian Rowe-Cohen, they did a really good job of finding guys and vetting guys and making sure that they were really good fits for BC because that's a big, huge part of it. Like their ability to come here and go to class and assimilate into this culture of Boston College. And I think that's huge. And so those two guys are awesome guys. They've been fantastic.

"Femi’s [Babalola] been great, Anthony Coellner, the whole room,” said O’Brien. “Enzo [Arjona], Jake Coniglio, it's been a fun room to be a part of. We've been working hard for two months. This is the first day of practice, but we've been working a lot leading up to this, and it's been a great group to work with. I give our scouting staff a lot of credit.”

O’Brien continued on McKenzie and Wilson and shared what abilities have made them stand out early on into preparation for next season. 

“Grayson's a good athlete, too,” said O’Brien. “He can run. He's a little bit bigger than Mason, but Mason is very athletic. He's a good runner. He's got a quick release. He's very smart. He's got good poise. He shows up every day ready to work. He's a really bright guy and very instinctive. So, we're excited and I would say the same thing [about Grayson]. Grayson's a different type of player. They're different in some of the things that they can do, but both very smart, competitive, good leadership qualities. Yeah, really good.”

Boston College will continue spring practice at Fish Field House on Thursday morning.

Follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky, and Instagram for the latest Boston College Eagles news.