BC 2021 Preseason Position Overview: Special Teams
Andy BackstromStaff Writer
Boston College took a step in the right direction defensively last season. When it came to special teams, though, it was night and day.
The Eagles catapulted from 114th nationally in SP+ to 28th.
Under the watch of former Ohio State assistant Matt Thurin, BC’s special teams went from a program weak point to a refreshingly reliable third phase of the game.
Between Aaron Boumerhi’s game-winning field goal against Texas State, John Tessitore’s fake field goal hard count at Clemson and glimpses of Jaelen Gill’s electrifying return skills, the group provided ample excitement all year. And every major contributor is back for more.
Projected Depth Chart
K: Aaron Boumerhi, Connor Lytton, Danny Longman, Stephen Ruiz, Matt Wilderson
Boumerhi’s 2020 Stats: 16-of-20 FG, 30-of-30 PAT
P: Grant Carlson, John Tessitore
Carlson’s 2020 Stats: 43 punts, 42.4 yards per punt average, 62 long, 15 inside 20, 3 TB
LS: Aidan Livingston, Gunner Daniel
KR: Travis Levy, Xavier Coleman/Jaelen Gill
PR: Jaelen Gill, Travis Levy/Xavier Coleman
Biggest Questions:
Will Aaron Boumerhi build on his resurgent 2020?
Boumerhi is one of BC’s six sixth-year players. The former walk-on has played at two schools, undergone two right hip surgeries and made two successful comebacks. Last year’s saw him post his best field goal percentage since his breakout freshman campaign, during which he earned All-AAC second-team honors for Temple after failing to pick up an offer in high school.
Boumerhi was one of three ACC kickers in 2020 to make 14 or more field goals and convert at a clip of at least 80%. He finished the season 16-of-20 and a perfect 30-of-30 on extra points. Boumerhi was 16-of-18 inside 50 and basically automatic inside 40 (14-of-15). It was a breath of fresh air for an Eagles program that hadn’t had a starting kicker make north of 70% of their field goal attempts since Mike Knoll in 2016.
Although the Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, native wasn’t ready to go for Week 1, he made an impact the following game when he clinched BC’s come-from-behind victory against Texas State with a 36-yarder despite being iced three times in a row. Boumerhi also drilled a trio of field goals in a low-scoring Carrier Dome affair and again when No. 2 Notre Dame visited Chestnut Hill, keeping things close in the first half of the Holy War. He ultimately decided to return for a third and final year on the Heights, thanks to the NCAA’s blanket COVID-19 waiver.
“I’m really grateful he came back,” Hafley said at ACC Kickoff. “Boom’s a guy I trust. Boom’s a guy that I’m going to be able to go to this year and say, ‘Hey, what do you think, man? The ball’s on the 36, 39, want to go for it?’ Because I trust him, and I believe in him.”
Who will get their shot in the return game?
Travis Levy shouldered the majority of BC’s return duties last year, but he didn’t get all the opportunities back there. He returned 11 kickoffs for 262 yards and four punts for -6 yards. His 23.8 yards per return average on kickoffs actually bested his 2019 mark (22.5), yet his punt return production was non-existent, whereas he averaged 7.5 yards per return as a junior.
Jaelen Gill was the Eagles’ most dangerous punt returner last year. He housed a touchdown in Death Valley that would have bumped BC’s first-quarter lead to 21-7 had Tate Haynes not committed an illegal block in the back. Gill returned seven punts last year for 61 yards. The Clemson matchup was his best game, even without the score. He also registered an 18-yard return that day, turning in a Pro Football Focus punt return grade of 90.5. The most action he got all season was at Syracuse, where he returned three punts for 15 yards.
Gill could take over full-time as BC’s punt return guy, but true freshman Xavier Coleman could share some of the workload, too—not just running back punts but also kickoffs. The 5-foot-7, 187-pound back is as versatile as it gets. He can burst through the tackles, take direct snaps in the wildcat, line up in the slot and make people miss, especially in the return game where he can change speeds and hit the joysticks freely.
Can Grant Carlson finish in the top half of the ACC in punt average?
Like Boumerhi, Carlson is another sixth-year player. Except, he’s been with the program since 2016. He sat behind Mike Knoll his first two seasons at BC before taking over as the team’s go-to punter for the next three. Each year, Carlson has improved his hangtime, according to PFF. The Missouri City, Texas, native’s punts traveled in the air, on average, 3.87 seconds last season. That’s a full three-tenths of a second longer than his boots in 2018.
Carlson is great at flipping the field and tactfully placing punts. He dropped 15 inside the 20-yard line last year, good for eighth in the ACC, not to mention he only had three touchbacks. Just 30.2% of his punts were returned in 2020, and 12 were fair caught. As far as distance goes, Carlson has consistently lagged behind his conference competitors. Two of the last three years, he’s ranked in the bottom three of qualifying ACC punters in punt average. The exception was 2019 when he finished ninth in the league with a 42.7 yards per punt average.
Carlson has a capable leg. After all, he’s whacked a 60-plus-yarder each of the past two seasons. Raising that average, of course, isn’t all about a punter’s power. Circumstance can dictate your numbers. Sometimes, in order to give the defense its best positioning, a punter is asked to kick the ball a mere 30 yards. In that case, accuracy takes precedence. Still, it’s no secret that 50-plus-yard punts can do wonders when a team is backed up against the wall. Carlson had eight of them in 2020, while guys like Nolan Cooney (Syracuse) and Pressley Harvin III (Georgia Tech)—who are now in the NFL—piled up 25 and 22, respectively. Carlson doesn’t need to match those totals in 2021 (that would actually be a bad sign for BC if he did), but if he can increase his punt average to 44-something, the Eagles’ chances of winning the field position battle in a tight game will be that much better.
Best/Worst Case Scenario?
Best: For the first time in his lengthy career, Boumerhi has back-to-back seasons with a field goal percentage of 80% or higher, and the veteran even knocks in a 50-yarder. Boumerhi doesn’t miss a single extra point and converts at least one game-winner. Carlson finishes the season in the middle of the ACC in punt average and one-ups his hangtime again while placing more than 18 punts inside the 20-yard line. Tessitore wins the Peter Mortell Holder of the Year Award, given annually to the best field goal holder in the country. Gill logs one or more punt return touchdowns, and Coleman shows promise as BC’s next kick return man.
Worst: Boumerhi’s kicking leg hip acts up again, and he’s sidelined for the season, forcing true freshman Connor Lytton into action. Lytton loses his redshirt and has his fair share of ups and downs, as any freshman kicker might. Carlson is good, not great and watches his hang time drift closer to 3.5 than 4.0 seconds. Gill’s punt return show in 2020 proves to be a flash in the pan, and Levy has to take over in the return game after Gill and Coleman struggle to put BC in solid field position throughout the early portion of the season. Once again, BC plummets to the bottom third of the FBS in special teams SP+.
Outlook: BC’s special teams unit is as tight-knit as it gets. With a sixth-year kicker and punter and a long snapper who returns for what would be his third season as a starter (Aidan Livingston), stability is the word that comes to mind. Thurin did an excellent job getting the group ready last season, even without most of spring ball and limited training camp. With fans back in the stadiums, the specialists will have to remain smooth operators this fall. BC has the talent offensively to keep pace with any team in the ACC. The difference could be made on special teams. That’s where this group could make or break a few games.
