Football – St. John Vianney QB Anthony Brown Commits to Boston College

St. John Vianney quarterback Anthony Brown, one of the top signal-callers in New Jersey in the Class of 2016, announced on Friday night that he has verbally committed to Boston College.

"He just felt really comfortable with the staff and the school,'' Lancers coach Mark Ciccotelli said.

Brown was a Shore Sports Network first-team All-Shore selection in the fall after leading the Lancers to their first division title since 1982 and their first state playoff win since 1981. Brown led the Shore with 2,198 yards passing and finished second with 25 touchdown passes. A dual threat, he also ran for 805 yards and 9 touchdowns to give him 3,003 total yards and 34 total touchdowns. One of the most consistently productive quarterbacks in the Shore, he directed a Lancers’ offense that finished second in the Shore at 42.8 points per game.

Brown chose the Eagles over Northwestern, Syracuse, Temple and Wake Forest, which he listed in his top five in April. He joins Red Bank Regional wide receiver Sadiq Palmer (Syracuse) and Red Bank Catholic offensive lineman Liam Smith (Duke) as FBS verbal commits from the Shore Conference Class of 2016. The Lancers' junior becomes the seventh verbal commit in Boston College's 2016 recruiting class.

Brown is the second FBS scholarship commit from the Lancers in the last three years after wide receiver Ishmael Hyman, a 2013 graduate who played for Kansas his freshman year before transferring to James Madison University. Brown is the first Boston College recruit from the Shore since Barnegat tight end Jarrett Darmstatter, who finished his senior season with the Eagles this past fall.

The Lancers feature multiple FBS talents, as junior cornerback Khalil Haskins has an offer from Utah, while sophomore offensive lineman Micah Clark is considered one of the top 70 players in the country for the Class of 2017 and already has offers from the likes of reigning national champion Ohio State as well as Alabama.