Takeaways from BC’s Updated 2021 Spring Roster
Andy Backstrom
Staff Writer
Spring ball practice starts Saturday, however, we got a glimpse of what Boston College will look like when the team released its updated 2021 spring roster on Tuesday.
Here at Eagle Action, we’ve sorted through the nitty gritty details and identified notable jersey swaps and position changes, as well as some eyebrow raising weight and height measurements.
Numbers to Know
● Redshirt junior WR Jaelen Gill swapped his No. 86 for No. 1
● FSU transfer DB Jaiden Lars-Woodbey will wear No. 9
● Graduate DT Chibueze Onwuka has moved from No. 9 to No. 93
● Temple transfer DL Khris Banks will wear No. 13
● Junior WR Ethon Williams has gone from No. 82 to No. 15
● Temple transfer LB Isaiah Graham-Mobley will wear No. 19
● Redshirt freshman TE Charlie Gordinier moved from No. 48 to No. 86
● Wagner transfer LS Gunner Daniel will wear No. 57
● Four-star OL Drew Kendall will wear No. 66
● Four-star DB Clinton Burton will wear No. 1
● Three-star LB Bryce Steele will wear No. 2
● Three-star RB Xavier Coleman will wear No. 28
● Three-star K Connor Lytton will wear No. 90
Position Changes
Bryce Steele: S → LB
Steele was originally listed as a safety in BC’s official release for its 2021 recruiting class back on Dec. 16, 2020. Now, he’s down at linebacker, his natural position. The Eagles could very well use him as an in-the-box safety in nickel and slide him back to linebacker in base. Steele certainly has “rover” potential with his blend of physicality and speed.
Kam Arnold: S → LB Arnold made 15 tackles, including six solos, at safety last year. He debuted as a true freshman against Texas State when the Eagles were thin on the backend—Deon Jones was sidelined with an injury and fellow safety Jahmin Muse was ejected for targeting. Arnold came in and stitched together a pair of third down stops, one of which featured a TFL, down the stretch to help set the stage for BC’s fourth quarter comeback. He also logged five tackles in the regular season finale at Virginia before being tossed for targeting. His 6-foot, 221-pound frame lends itself well to the linebacker position. He’s a hard hitter and can drive back ball carriers at the line.
Lewis Bond: WR/RB → WR Bond originally came in as a wide receiver/running back, but he’s listed as a wide receiver on BC’s updated spring roster. The 5-foot-11 Kenwood Academy product piled up more than 1,000 all-purpose yards in 2019, averaging more than 10 yards per tote and 13 yards per catch. He was the fourth ranked Class of 2021 receiver in Illinois, according to the Rivals database. Both he and his high school teammate, Danté Reynolds, will be lining up out wide.
Andrew Landry: QB → TE
Landry is a redshirt freshman who walked on to the team last season after leading Newton North to the MIAA South Sectional Championship as a senior in 2019. That year, he threw for 2,357 yards and 23 touchdowns. But it looks like his days behind center are over. Landry, who stands 6-foot-5, has moved to tight end. Given the open competition at the position and BC’s crowded quarterback room, this makes sense.
Who’s Back?
BC returns nine offensive starters, seven defensive starters, and the core of its special teams unit. Notably, the Eagles are bringing back six of the 13 graduate students from last year’s roster: Jones, Onwuka, safety Mike Palmer, wide receiver Kobay White, kicker Aaron Boumerhi, and punter Grant Carlson. Additionally, the entire offensive line—which now includes three graduate students (Ben Petrula, Zion Johnson, and Alec Lindstrom)—is running it back, as are graduate defensive ends Brandon Barlow and Marcus Valdez, graduate tailback Travis Levy, and redshirt senior quarterback Dennis Grosel.
It’s a veteran group. Some players passed on the draft, several others delayed post-grad plans for a chance to see where they could take this program in year two of the Hafley era.
Quick Hitters
WR Zay Flowers is listed at 5-foot-9
Each of the last two years, the speedy Flowers has been recorded at 5-foot-11 on BC’s official rosters and depth charts. That said, this looks like a more accurate measurement, one we’ll probably see when Flowers attends the NFL Combine in the near future. It’s not a red flag. After all, during his sophomore campaign, he showcased the ability to create separation at the line with his hands and twitchy first step. His weight, on the other hand, is something to watch. Flowers was 178 pounds during his breakout season. He was 170 as a freshman. This spring, he’s somewhere in the middle, clocking in at 173.
RB Xavier Coleman comes in at 5-foot-7, 180
Coleman’s measurements are a bit of a surprise, considering that he was listed at 5-foot-10, 190 in BC’s official release for its 2021 recruiting class. Three inches shorter and 10 pounds lighter on the updated spring roster, Coleman looks like a different back—on paper, that is. But the Willingboro, New Jersey, native’s production speaks for itself. He’s Lenape High School’s all-time touchdown leader. Coleman can return kicks, line up in the slot and out wide, run jet sweeps, and bust out chunk runs on the outside zone. Don’t read too much into his height. BC will find a way to use him.
DB CJ Burton is the lightest player on the roster
BC’s most highly-touted defensive recruit from the 2021 class is listed at 160 pounds. Burton, a four-star recruit, who flipped from Florida to BC last year, is the lightest player on the roster. He’ll need to work with strength and conditioning coach Phil Matusz to put on some mass before he takes the field. Last year, the Eagles’ top four corners (Brandon Sebastian, Josh DeBerry, Elijah Jones, and Jason Maitre) weighed an average of 184.3 pounds. Not one of them was below 180.
LS Aidan Livingston is still with the team
The two-year starting long snapper was reportedly in the transfer portal this offseason, yet he’s on the updated spring roster. Livingston was part of a BC special teams unit that skyrocketed from 114th in SP+ in 2019 to 28th in 2020. BC added a graduate transfer long snapper through the transfer market for the second year in a row. Last year, it was TCU’s Donovan Cahill. This time around, it was Wagner’s Gunner Daniel.
Remember, not all of the transfers are here yet
If you were searching for West Virginia transfer running back Alec Sinkfield, you’ll have to wait. The only mid-year transfers were Jaiden Lars-Woodbey, Isaiah Graham-Mobley, Khris Banks, and Gunner Daniel. Sinkfield and UMass defensive end Jake Byczko haven’t enrolled yet. Same thing goes for the 2021 recruiting class. Twelve of the 26 signees are on campus right now, while the other 14 will arrive after wrapping up high school.
Andy Backstrom
Staff Writer
Spring ball practice starts Saturday, however, we got a glimpse of what Boston College will look like when the team released its updated 2021 spring roster on Tuesday.
Here at Eagle Action, we’ve sorted through the nitty gritty details and identified notable jersey swaps and position changes, as well as some eyebrow raising weight and height measurements.
Numbers to Know
● Redshirt junior WR Jaelen Gill swapped his No. 86 for No. 1
● FSU transfer DB Jaiden Lars-Woodbey will wear No. 9
● Graduate DT Chibueze Onwuka has moved from No. 9 to No. 93
● Temple transfer DL Khris Banks will wear No. 13
● Junior WR Ethon Williams has gone from No. 82 to No. 15
● Temple transfer LB Isaiah Graham-Mobley will wear No. 19
● Redshirt freshman TE Charlie Gordinier moved from No. 48 to No. 86
● Wagner transfer LS Gunner Daniel will wear No. 57
● Four-star OL Drew Kendall will wear No. 66
● Four-star DB Clinton Burton will wear No. 1
● Three-star LB Bryce Steele will wear No. 2
● Three-star RB Xavier Coleman will wear No. 28
● Three-star K Connor Lytton will wear No. 90
Position Changes
Bryce Steele: S → LB
Steele was originally listed as a safety in BC’s official release for its 2021 recruiting class back on Dec. 16, 2020. Now, he’s down at linebacker, his natural position. The Eagles could very well use him as an in-the-box safety in nickel and slide him back to linebacker in base. Steele certainly has “rover” potential with his blend of physicality and speed.
Kam Arnold: S → LB Arnold made 15 tackles, including six solos, at safety last year. He debuted as a true freshman against Texas State when the Eagles were thin on the backend—Deon Jones was sidelined with an injury and fellow safety Jahmin Muse was ejected for targeting. Arnold came in and stitched together a pair of third down stops, one of which featured a TFL, down the stretch to help set the stage for BC’s fourth quarter comeback. He also logged five tackles in the regular season finale at Virginia before being tossed for targeting. His 6-foot, 221-pound frame lends itself well to the linebacker position. He’s a hard hitter and can drive back ball carriers at the line.
Lewis Bond: WR/RB → WR Bond originally came in as a wide receiver/running back, but he’s listed as a wide receiver on BC’s updated spring roster. The 5-foot-11 Kenwood Academy product piled up more than 1,000 all-purpose yards in 2019, averaging more than 10 yards per tote and 13 yards per catch. He was the fourth ranked Class of 2021 receiver in Illinois, according to the Rivals database. Both he and his high school teammate, Danté Reynolds, will be lining up out wide.
Andrew Landry: QB → TE
Landry is a redshirt freshman who walked on to the team last season after leading Newton North to the MIAA South Sectional Championship as a senior in 2019. That year, he threw for 2,357 yards and 23 touchdowns. But it looks like his days behind center are over. Landry, who stands 6-foot-5, has moved to tight end. Given the open competition at the position and BC’s crowded quarterback room, this makes sense.
Who’s Back?
BC returns nine offensive starters, seven defensive starters, and the core of its special teams unit. Notably, the Eagles are bringing back six of the 13 graduate students from last year’s roster: Jones, Onwuka, safety Mike Palmer, wide receiver Kobay White, kicker Aaron Boumerhi, and punter Grant Carlson. Additionally, the entire offensive line—which now includes three graduate students (Ben Petrula, Zion Johnson, and Alec Lindstrom)—is running it back, as are graduate defensive ends Brandon Barlow and Marcus Valdez, graduate tailback Travis Levy, and redshirt senior quarterback Dennis Grosel.
It’s a veteran group. Some players passed on the draft, several others delayed post-grad plans for a chance to see where they could take this program in year two of the Hafley era.
Quick Hitters
WR Zay Flowers is listed at 5-foot-9
Each of the last two years, the speedy Flowers has been recorded at 5-foot-11 on BC’s official rosters and depth charts. That said, this looks like a more accurate measurement, one we’ll probably see when Flowers attends the NFL Combine in the near future. It’s not a red flag. After all, during his sophomore campaign, he showcased the ability to create separation at the line with his hands and twitchy first step. His weight, on the other hand, is something to watch. Flowers was 178 pounds during his breakout season. He was 170 as a freshman. This spring, he’s somewhere in the middle, clocking in at 173.
RB Xavier Coleman comes in at 5-foot-7, 180
Coleman’s measurements are a bit of a surprise, considering that he was listed at 5-foot-10, 190 in BC’s official release for its 2021 recruiting class. Three inches shorter and 10 pounds lighter on the updated spring roster, Coleman looks like a different back—on paper, that is. But the Willingboro, New Jersey, native’s production speaks for itself. He’s Lenape High School’s all-time touchdown leader. Coleman can return kicks, line up in the slot and out wide, run jet sweeps, and bust out chunk runs on the outside zone. Don’t read too much into his height. BC will find a way to use him.
DB CJ Burton is the lightest player on the roster
BC’s most highly-touted defensive recruit from the 2021 class is listed at 160 pounds. Burton, a four-star recruit, who flipped from Florida to BC last year, is the lightest player on the roster. He’ll need to work with strength and conditioning coach Phil Matusz to put on some mass before he takes the field. Last year, the Eagles’ top four corners (Brandon Sebastian, Josh DeBerry, Elijah Jones, and Jason Maitre) weighed an average of 184.3 pounds. Not one of them was below 180.
LS Aidan Livingston is still with the team
The two-year starting long snapper was reportedly in the transfer portal this offseason, yet he’s on the updated spring roster. Livingston was part of a BC special teams unit that skyrocketed from 114th in SP+ in 2019 to 28th in 2020. BC added a graduate transfer long snapper through the transfer market for the second year in a row. Last year, it was TCU’s Donovan Cahill. This time around, it was Wagner’s Gunner Daniel.
Remember, not all of the transfers are here yet
If you were searching for West Virginia transfer running back Alec Sinkfield, you’ll have to wait. The only mid-year transfers were Jaiden Lars-Woodbey, Isaiah Graham-Mobley, Khris Banks, and Gunner Daniel. Sinkfield and UMass defensive end Jake Byczko haven’t enrolled yet. Same thing goes for the 2021 recruiting class. Twelve of the 26 signees are on campus right now, while the other 14 will arrive after wrapping up high school.
