BC Football Mailbag: Which Young Players Stand Out?
Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom)Publisher
It’s that time of year again. Speculation runs rampant. Questions circulate. Excitement boils.
Preseason football is upon us.
So let’s break out our Eagle Action mailbag.
WINNINGEAGLE: How big has Drew Kendall gotten? Is the plan to get him to 300-plus by the start of the season?
Center Drew Kendall was listed at 283 pounds this spring. That’s two pounds lighter than he was during the 2021 season. That said, weights fluctuate from spring to summer and summer to fall. For instance, some players, like guard Christian Mahogany, came into the spring heavier than they plan to be for the start of the season. Others, like running back Alec Sinkfield, checked in this February at a lighter weight than they anticipate suiting up at come September.Sure, Kendall is an inch taller and 15 pounds lighter than Alec Lindstrom was last season. But Lindstrom never eclipsed the 300-pound mark during his BC career. And in 2019, his first year as a starter, Lindstrom was listed at 290 pounds. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Kendall reach that point by the time camp rolls around. Numbers aside, Kendall is a body. The size is there. There are a handful of reasons why he was the crown jewel of BC’s 2021 recruiting class. His strength was one of them.
popester: Any of the young guys stand out?
This question, or a variation of it, was asked more than any other for this mailbag—and understandably so. Who will break out this season? Well, I cover that here and here. But what about the young guys, exclusively?Let’s keep this to true freshmen. Here are a few to keep an eye on…
S/LB Sione Hala: Sione “Riz” Hala is a defensive chess piece. He can play in a two-high safety formation, he can protect the top as a single-high safety or he can slide into the box and take on the role of an outside linebacker. Hala fits into BC’s defense much like Jaiden Woodbey does. Ever since Jeff Hafley took over as head coach, the Eagles have had a bevy of hybrid defensive players. Hala is another.
CB Amari Jackson: Hala was BC’s highest-rated defensive signee last cycle. Still, Amari Jackson might have been the Eagles’ most notable “get” on that side of the ball. The 6-foot, 180-pound corner from Eagle’s Landing in Georgia picked BC over Tennessee, a testament to Hafley’s effort to build BC as a national brand. And it might not be long before Jackson gets a chance to show off why that was such a victory for the Eagles. He played both ways in high school because of how good his ball skills are. Jackson showed out in spring ball.
WR Joe Griffin: Joe Griffin also has a good opportunity to see the field early in his BC career. Following the transfer of CJ Lewis, the Eagles are lacking a true X receiver. There’s Taji Johnson—who, once again, was a spring game star—but Griffin could get the nod with a strong training camp. The Springfield Central four-star product is 6-foot-4, 200 pounds. Not only can he go up and get it, but he’s got some nice speed, too.
Honorable Mentions — DL Clive Wilson and Kwan Williams: Hafley couldn’t help but rave about defensive end Clive Wilson during National Signing Day. After all, at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, the edge rusher is quite the physical specimen. This is what Hafley had to say back then:
“I mean this guy can rush, he can bend, he can jump, he can dunk.”
Wilson was the top strongside defensive end coming out of Ohio in the 2022 class. His junior season at Chaney High School saw him amass 56 tackles, including 17 TFLs, 10 sacks and three forced fumbles. Kwan Williams is pretty intriguing as well. At 6-foot-1, 290 pounds, he’s significantly more stout, and, man, can he throw around weight at the gym. Try squatting 620 pounds. Williams piled up 79 total tackles, most notably six sacks and seven TFLs, as a senior.
weswood25: Will BC use a hybrid rushing scheme or mostly zone blocking? Also, is this new offense planning on getting the ball to BC's skill guys closer to the line of scrimmage (bubbles/slants/hitches/RPOs)?
Let’s start with the first question. It’s hard to tell at this point. A team isn’t going to show its cards like that with a mostly new offensive staff until it absolutely has to. I’d expect us to see a mix of zone and man-to-man blocking. Offensive coordinator John McNulty’s scheme certainly seems like it will include zone running plays. Now, how dependent McNulty is on those has yet to be seen. I think it’s reasonable to expect BC to fall somewhere in the middle. Either way, given how much of an emphasis Frank Cignetti Jr.’s system placed on zone blocking, the Eagles’ O-Line should be prepared for as much of it as possible.We know a little bit more about the second question. And the answer is yes. At least, that’s the plan. And we already saw some of that in the spring game, which, of course, was pretty vanilla. McNulty has stressed the importance of getting the ball into the hands of his playmakers. Whatever it takes—regardless if it means jet sweeps, screens or sliding a running back out wide as a receiver. This system figures to feature a healthy dose of RPOs that will allow BC’s quarterbacks to make quicker decisions with the ball and, as a result, the Eagles’ backs and receivers will have more opportunities closer to the line of scrimmage.
timbo37059: Who is the best player on BC's defense?
There are different ways you can interpret “best,” however, I’ll go with “most valuable.” My pick is defensive back Josh DeBerry. He put the NFL Draft on pause and returned to Chestnut Hill for one final year. DeBerry missed the last two games in 2021 with an ankle injury yet still finished fifth on the team in total tackles and ranked atop the BC leaderboard with 36 solos. That was, after moving inside to nickel. It was there that the junior did a bit of everything.Following a breakout sophomore campaign, DeBerry lined up in the slot for 367 snaps, on the corner for 117, in the box for 51 and on the defensive line for 11. He allowed only 23 catches on 44 targets, yielding a career-low reception percentage of 52.3%, per Pro Football Focus. DeBerry also picked off a pair of passes and, ultimately, registered the highest PFF defensive (82.2) and coverage (79.2) grades of any Eagle in 2021.
