McKenzie has a long way to go to reach that echelon, but on Day 1 of spring practice, he displayed a powerful arm, an ability to scramble, and impressive processing speed.
Though the starting job isn’t his just yet — with Grayson Wilson, Femi Babalola, and others in the mix — McKenzie is eager to prove himself in the coming weeks and cement his spot.
He watched Trinidad Chambliss earn 2024 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference player of the year honors before starring at Ole Miss. While garnering that same honor himself last year as one of Division 2’s best quarterbacks, McKenzie mapped out a similar blueprint.
“Seeing the success he had was pretty cool for the D2 world,” McKenzie said. “I was cheering him on all year. The better he did, the better chance I was going to have to come and do something like this.”
To be clear, the 6-foot-1-inch, 190-pound redshirt junior is still a work in progress. McKenzie had some moments Tuesday that he would like back, and it wasn’t a perfect performance, but O’Brien is encouraged by his trajectory alongside the other quarterbacks.
“Mason is very athletic,” said O’Brien, beginning his third season at The Heights. “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, very instinctive, so we’re excited about him.”
McKenzie, originally a three-star prospect out of Caledonia, Mich., threw for 4,301 yards and 31 touchdowns in 25 career games at Saginaw Valley, and added 1,673 yards and 18 touchdowns rushing.
While many know him for his legs, he views himself as a true dual threat and said he enjoys watching Baker Mayfield play.
“I obviously can run a little bit,” McKenzie said. “I ran for over 900 yards last year. I can definitely bring that side of the game, but I also don’t want it to overshadow the fact that I can throw the ball well, too.”
McKenzie was one of many players making their official spring debuts at BC. Linebacker Anthony Palano, a Washington State transfer who racked up 65 tackles last year, said he’s grateful that the returners have welcomed the newcomers with open arms.
On a roster where legitimately half the team is new, Palano said everyone has the same goal and is like-minded.
“When I came to BC on my first visit, it just stood out to me,” said Palano, a redshirt sophomore. “The culture, the coaches, the players … you could just tell that they were itching to be something greater. Obviously, last year is last year. We don’t talk about that. They’re trying to get somewhere that I think I can help take them.”
Palano, who proved he knows his BC history, said he watches and tries to emulate former Eagle Matt Milano. He also admires Luke Kuechly’s mix of smarts and physicality. Palano believes both are necessary ingredients, and he takes pride in combining them at a high level.
“I like watching the whole game,” Palano said. “If Luke Kuechly messes up on a play, how does he react? Seeing that, and seeing how it never affects him, I feel like that’s something that’s good to learn.”
In O’Brien’s eyes, it’s important to blend players such as McKenzie who have produced at other levels. There’s defensive end/linebacker Kris Jones, the 6-2, 240-pound redshirt sophomore who was No. 2 on the depth chart at Georgia, and 6-6, 240-pound defensive end Demetrius Ballard, another redshirt sophomore who showed flashes at Buffalo.
O’Brien, who shared Tuesday that he will call offensive plays this season, embraces the opportunity to largely start fresh.
“It is a brand-new staff in many, many ways, but the chemistry is good,” he said. “They love to coach, and they’re having fun doing it.”
A few days prior, O’Brien showed his players a video of St. John’s men’s basketball coach Rick Pitino conveying to his players that the sand in the hourglass is disappearing.
It’s up to everyone on the team to maximize each day before time runs out.
“You can’t play football forever,” O’Brien said. “Take advantage of it, one drill at a time, one rep at a time. That’s really been my motto. These guys have done a really good job to take that and really believe in that.”
Boston Globe Sports Report: Episode 19
Trevor Hass can be reached at trevor.hass@globe.com. Follow him on X @TrevorHass.
