The Saint Mary’s Huskies feel Jesse Mills is a quarterback they can build around.
The four-time defending Atlantic University Sport football champions have recruited the Halifax native and Citadel Phoenix star in the hopes he will one day lead them back to the Vanier Cup.
“He’s going to be a real good one, for sure,” said Huskies head coach Steve Sumarah.
“The best thing he brings to the table is his arm. He can make the throw to the wide side of the field and he’s already got all of the throws you need (at the CIS level).”
The six-foot-three 215-pounder tossed 38 touchdowns and piled up almost 2,900 yards in 10 games this season and is unbeaten as a high school starter.
Although it appears that Huskies 2010 starter Micah Brown won’t be able to return because of new eligibility rules, Sumarah said he’s not anointing Mills the team’s 2011 Week 1 starter — at least not yet.
“I wouldn’t dare put that kind of pressure on him,” Sumarah said.
“If he’s the best guy, he’s the best guy, but it takes time. It’s a tough position to play.
“You have to walk into a huddle and command respect from veteran players and when you’re a first-year guy, that can be a tough chore.”
The Huskies went 5-3 in 2010 before falling 35-8 to the Calgary Dinos in the national semifinal. They haven’t been to the Vanier Cup since 2007.
