Bodie Reeder is Eastern’s starting quarterback.

And the red-shirt junior secured that role with a solid performance against Central Michigan on Thursday. Reeder completed 19-of-28 passes for 201 yards and one touchdown against the Chippewas.

But that doesn’t mean Reeder doesn’t know his position as Eastern’s starter is certain.

The Panthers have three other quarterbacks – red-shirt freshmen Luke Hockaday and D.J. Brown and freshman Doug Reynolds – waiting for their chance to lead the Eastern offense.

“It means you better be working hard because there are guys that are behind you that really want to play,” Reeder said of the competition at quarterback and throughout the roster.

Eastern adopted a new offense when offensive coordinator Roy Wittke rejoined the team after coaching stops at Arkansas, Arizona State and Northern Illinois.

Wittke was Eastern’s offensive coordinator from 1990-2002.

The new offense has put all four Eastern quarterbacks in the same position of having to learn new formations and new plays.

“I feel every day is a learning process,” Reeder said. “I feel like I’m grasping it a little more every day. Coach Wittke obviously has forgotten more about football than I’ll even know. He’s been around a lot of great guys like Matt Jones (at Arkansas) and Rudy Carpenter (at Arizona State) and obviously Tony Romo. He knows what he’s doing, and I feel privileged to be around him and try to soak up everything that I can.”

Wittke said Reeder started fall camp as the team’s No. 1 quarterback because of his efforts during both the spring and summer.

But those improvements are not limited solely to Reeder.

Wittke said all four of Eastern’s quarterbacks have improved.

“The entire group has made major strides,” he said. “It’s readily apparent that they’re more comfortable with what we’re doing now after being through spring and having an opportunity to digest things more over summer.”

Those strides will go a long way in adapting to Eastern’s pro style offense.

Wittke said the Panthers will continue to be a power running team.

But the new offense is meant to be able to dictate how opposing defenses play against the Panthers.

“No. 1, we’re going to get back to getting in and out of the huddle,” Wittke said. “There will be a tremendous emphasis on the use of personnel groups, formations and movement to try and take advantage of the personnel we have and putting them in a position to make plays for us.”

That mindset and those changes are what Eastern’s quarterbacks have had to adjust to so far this season.

The one with the arm

Hockaday is second on the Panthers’ depth chart behind Reeder.

He said he spent his summer in Charleston trying to put on weight and trying to learn the Panthers’ new offense with lots of time watching film.

“Luke’s a guy that threw the ball a lot in high school, and he’s getting better and he’s kind of understanding the offense as well every day,” Reeder said of the strong-armed Maroa native.

Hockaday said the one thing he’s improved the most since last season is the confidence he has in himself and his ability to adjust to the speed of the collegiate game.

But he said there are still some aspects of the game he needs to work on.

“My knowledge of the system,” Hockaday said was his biggest challenge now. “That, and becoming quicker with my reads.”

The one with the legs

Brown played in a triple-option style offense at North Chicago High School, and he said there had been some question whether he could run a pro-style offense.

“Wittke has helped me adapt to the (Panthers’) style of offense versus triple-option spread style,” Brown said. “Wittke won’t accept, ‘I’m this type of quarterback.’ He’ll push you to be what he thinks you can be. Wittke has confidence in all four of us.”

Brown is best suited for more spread formations with his experience with the triple option with his ability to pull the ball down and run.

“D.J. adds a different element to our offense that maybe no one else can,” Reeder said about Brown’s running ability.

Brown said he worked on overall quarterback skills during the spring and summer including drop backs, ball delivery and throwing accuracy.

The one for the future

Reynolds entered the Panthers’ fall camp as the No. 4 quarterback on the depth chart.

Now, as the Panthers prepare for their second game of the season, Reynolds has moved into the No. 3 spot and is flirting with taking the backup spot from Hockaday.

“Doug’s a phenomenal quarterback,” Reeder said. He’s extremely athletic. I think with every practice and every scrimmage he’s going to get better and better and better. He’s got a really bright future, and no one really knows how soon that’s going to come.”

Reynolds said he has received help from his fellow quarterbacks in learning the Panthers’ offense, but that’s still the area he said he needed the most work.

“Bodie and them kind of knew from spring ball a little bit, so when I came in the summer they helped me out a lot with the plays they already knew,” Reynolds said. “So now, together, we’re trying to learn the rest of the plays. You kind of take it one step at a time. You learn the protections and the formations, and then you go from there and learn the plays and the routes.”

Brown said Reynolds has fit right in with the rest of Eastern’s quarterbacks because of his personality and strong work ethic both on the field and in the weight room.

Brown said all four Eastern quarterbacks get along well despite the fact they are competing for the one starting spot.

“If you compete for anything there’s going to be static, but when it’s off the field we’re a family,” Brown said. “We all get along. We try to keep each other’s spirits up. With Doug when he struggles with certain things, me and Luke we were just in the same spot he was last year so we’re able to give him advice and Bodie’s able to give us two advice.”

Scott Richey can be reached at 581-7944 or at

Quarterback Doug Reynolds passes the ball back during practice on Aug. 25. The team opened the fall season with a game against Central Michigan, which they lost 12-31 on Aug. 28 at Mount Pleasant, Mich.

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