Alright folks, I want to try some broad strokes but also some fine touches here. Some general themes I've picked up on, big themes to watch, but also specifics.
There's obviously been a lot of action. Just a brief heat check: BC's class is ranked No. 32 nationally and with 10 commits it's not like the ranking is inflated much. There isn't one four-star headliner but everyone other than Andre' Porter is a three-star and most of the guys had other Power Five opportunities.
From what I've heard, the quarantine has ultimately benefited BC recruiting. They have really thoroughly evaluated guys and when you put a new staff together there's oftentimes a tremendous energy to go out and change the world. They've got that plus a head coach who is obsessive about recruiting a different kind of athlete.
Aazaar Abdul-Rahim is getting a great reception in the DMV and Rich Gunnell really knows how to sell the school. He landed the Ohio kids. I hesitate to give any assistant(s) the "ace" label this early but it's no secret every staff has a hierarchy in terms of getting it done with recruits. What I know so far is Hafley is a pitbull recruiter and both Abdul-Rahim and Gunnell are knocking it out of the park.
The most recent commit is all-purpose back Xavier Coleman. As I said, he was the second of two teased commitments expected a while back. There was never any expressed concern from sources or his camp re: the plan even though there was a little delay. Guys just want to do it on their timing and mother's day weekend is a good time.
What should excite you about Coleman is the sense I get from talking to sources is he may be the guy who the staff most feels has been under-recruited or underappreciated as a recruit. They are really in love with this kid's game. There is a belief that he fits the offensive design to perfection in terms of his ability to balance running between the tackles, getting outside, catching the ball out of the backfield, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if he surfaces as a punt and kick return guy perhaps before he's even involved in the offense.
The second to last commit, Ohio DB Shawn Gates, is someone Hafley definitely knew about from his time with the Buckeyes. That experience in Ohio will pay dividends for at least a couple of classes in a big way and the connections there will help for long after that.
I'm told BC's overarching and primary focus has been eliminating the issue -- part stigma, definitely part reality -- that they haven't been quite fast or athletic enough at some skill positions especially. They believe this class so far is a big step towards changing that.
If you're thinking that BC is getting its best reception from defensive backs and hypothesizing that Hafley's work at OSU is the reason, you're not alone. That is a simple fact and those around the program know it.
I'm hearing that BC has a number of guys and is recruiting others who could conceivably play on either side of the ball. In maybe a couple of cases they just don't know where the player will ultimately see the field, they just couldn't pass up the athleticism upgrade. In Gates' case, he's probably a corner.
Overall there's a sense that the kind of defensive back BC is getting this class are a notch above what they have gotten in the recent past. For some this is a very hopeful development because the staff is confident the development piece won't deteriorate. If anything, it might improve. But the guys they have committed are starting with more raw prospect stuff than most others they had signed lately.
On Andre' Porter, BC's only two-star recruit, they wouldn't have taken him if they considered him a two-star (not the way college coaches categorize recruits, but you get the idea). He didn't play as a junior and that stunted his prospect status growth. Apparently Porter just needed to tie up some loose ends in the classroom and there's a confidence he's done that and can be a big-time college player.
I've asked around on another big issue looking for feedback and sentiment. This one's a big one. Has or will BC's admission standards change at all? Will they lower the bar? I was not told yes but the thinking is they will ordinarily recruit such a high caliber of student that they will thus have the ability to bring on someone coming from less favorable circumstances with a little more working against him in his past. I'm not sure I would put Porter in this camp. But the point is, without saying BC will lower their standards, they are not going to turn away every kid who might have to put in extra work to be successful. Those guys will just be the smaller share of each given class, but they will be there. And philosophically there are good justifications for it. If you're putting more of an at-risk student in a great academic atmosphere with mature students around him, more likely he'll succeed than if you're surrounding him with a lot of others who don't have the academic credentials or work ethic. In that positive environment, you could really see how a staff sees itself as doing a kid or two a favor by giving him a chance to succeed.
Relatedly, I've always wondered why BC's classes are routinely smaller than a lot of other places. My understanding is they don't have as much attrition, which you would expect for a number of reasons. BC isn't going to cut a kid loose as quickly as some other places that only "talk" about caring for the whole person. But a big thing is on the kid's end. Once someone puts in two years of work at Boston College, they want that prestigious degree. At some other schools they're more likely to transfer without agonizing over it because they can get a similar degree somewhere else very easily.
BC only signed about 15 last year. I would be surprised if the number is lower than 20 this year. They are probably about halfway home, maybe a little less.
The Illinois kids are likely a receiver (Dante Reynolds) and another all-purpose back/athlete (Lewis Bond).
Bond is similar to Coleman although from what I've heard Bond is maybe even more of a receiver and less of a conventional running back.
Someone asked in another thread whether Colby McDonald would still be a take. I'm hearing yes, but they aren't going to take another all-purpose just to do it. They've got a couple of good dudes. He's someone they would not turn away.
As for the overall recruiting map, it doesn't look like it's changed. BC has commits from Mass, NJ, Georgia, Illinois, Ohio, the DMV, and Illinois. Early returns only, but they're getting a great reception in the DMV. Their brand is on the rise there, I'm comfortable saying. That's Abdul-Rahim. Expect that to continue. I don't know how large a share of each class DC, MD, VA will be, but it will be more than trimming around the edges.
What has changed is they're offering kids from everywhere and just shooting their shot, seeing who's interested. If they love a kid and he reciprocates, seems like they don't care where he's from. But in a broad sense, expect a very familiar emphasis on New England, New Jersey, the DMV, Ohio/Midwest, and inevitably Georgia/Florida will factor in as with every other program.
Finally, there's maybe more than an outside chance that BC doesn't even take a quarterback in this class. I would still guess they do but it's more like none or one than two as we had previously speculated months ago.
There's obviously been a lot of action. Just a brief heat check: BC's class is ranked No. 32 nationally and with 10 commits it's not like the ranking is inflated much. There isn't one four-star headliner but everyone other than Andre' Porter is a three-star and most of the guys had other Power Five opportunities.
From what I've heard, the quarantine has ultimately benefited BC recruiting. They have really thoroughly evaluated guys and when you put a new staff together there's oftentimes a tremendous energy to go out and change the world. They've got that plus a head coach who is obsessive about recruiting a different kind of athlete.
Aazaar Abdul-Rahim is getting a great reception in the DMV and Rich Gunnell really knows how to sell the school. He landed the Ohio kids. I hesitate to give any assistant(s) the "ace" label this early but it's no secret every staff has a hierarchy in terms of getting it done with recruits. What I know so far is Hafley is a pitbull recruiter and both Abdul-Rahim and Gunnell are knocking it out of the park.
The most recent commit is all-purpose back Xavier Coleman. As I said, he was the second of two teased commitments expected a while back. There was never any expressed concern from sources or his camp re: the plan even though there was a little delay. Guys just want to do it on their timing and mother's day weekend is a good time.
What should excite you about Coleman is the sense I get from talking to sources is he may be the guy who the staff most feels has been under-recruited or underappreciated as a recruit. They are really in love with this kid's game. There is a belief that he fits the offensive design to perfection in terms of his ability to balance running between the tackles, getting outside, catching the ball out of the backfield, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if he surfaces as a punt and kick return guy perhaps before he's even involved in the offense.
The second to last commit, Ohio DB Shawn Gates, is someone Hafley definitely knew about from his time with the Buckeyes. That experience in Ohio will pay dividends for at least a couple of classes in a big way and the connections there will help for long after that.
I'm told BC's overarching and primary focus has been eliminating the issue -- part stigma, definitely part reality -- that they haven't been quite fast or athletic enough at some skill positions especially. They believe this class so far is a big step towards changing that.
If you're thinking that BC is getting its best reception from defensive backs and hypothesizing that Hafley's work at OSU is the reason, you're not alone. That is a simple fact and those around the program know it.
I'm hearing that BC has a number of guys and is recruiting others who could conceivably play on either side of the ball. In maybe a couple of cases they just don't know where the player will ultimately see the field, they just couldn't pass up the athleticism upgrade. In Gates' case, he's probably a corner.
Overall there's a sense that the kind of defensive back BC is getting this class are a notch above what they have gotten in the recent past. For some this is a very hopeful development because the staff is confident the development piece won't deteriorate. If anything, it might improve. But the guys they have committed are starting with more raw prospect stuff than most others they had signed lately.
On Andre' Porter, BC's only two-star recruit, they wouldn't have taken him if they considered him a two-star (not the way college coaches categorize recruits, but you get the idea). He didn't play as a junior and that stunted his prospect status growth. Apparently Porter just needed to tie up some loose ends in the classroom and there's a confidence he's done that and can be a big-time college player.
I've asked around on another big issue looking for feedback and sentiment. This one's a big one. Has or will BC's admission standards change at all? Will they lower the bar? I was not told yes but the thinking is they will ordinarily recruit such a high caliber of student that they will thus have the ability to bring on someone coming from less favorable circumstances with a little more working against him in his past. I'm not sure I would put Porter in this camp. But the point is, without saying BC will lower their standards, they are not going to turn away every kid who might have to put in extra work to be successful. Those guys will just be the smaller share of each given class, but they will be there. And philosophically there are good justifications for it. If you're putting more of an at-risk student in a great academic atmosphere with mature students around him, more likely he'll succeed than if you're surrounding him with a lot of others who don't have the academic credentials or work ethic. In that positive environment, you could really see how a staff sees itself as doing a kid or two a favor by giving him a chance to succeed.
Relatedly, I've always wondered why BC's classes are routinely smaller than a lot of other places. My understanding is they don't have as much attrition, which you would expect for a number of reasons. BC isn't going to cut a kid loose as quickly as some other places that only "talk" about caring for the whole person. But a big thing is on the kid's end. Once someone puts in two years of work at Boston College, they want that prestigious degree. At some other schools they're more likely to transfer without agonizing over it because they can get a similar degree somewhere else very easily.
BC only signed about 15 last year. I would be surprised if the number is lower than 20 this year. They are probably about halfway home, maybe a little less.
The Illinois kids are likely a receiver (Dante Reynolds) and another all-purpose back/athlete (Lewis Bond).
Bond is similar to Coleman although from what I've heard Bond is maybe even more of a receiver and less of a conventional running back.
Someone asked in another thread whether Colby McDonald would still be a take. I'm hearing yes, but they aren't going to take another all-purpose just to do it. They've got a couple of good dudes. He's someone they would not turn away.
As for the overall recruiting map, it doesn't look like it's changed. BC has commits from Mass, NJ, Georgia, Illinois, Ohio, the DMV, and Illinois. Early returns only, but they're getting a great reception in the DMV. Their brand is on the rise there, I'm comfortable saying. That's Abdul-Rahim. Expect that to continue. I don't know how large a share of each class DC, MD, VA will be, but it will be more than trimming around the edges.
What has changed is they're offering kids from everywhere and just shooting their shot, seeing who's interested. If they love a kid and he reciprocates, seems like they don't care where he's from. But in a broad sense, expect a very familiar emphasis on New England, New Jersey, the DMV, Ohio/Midwest, and inevitably Georgia/Florida will factor in as with every other program.
Finally, there's maybe more than an outside chance that BC doesn't even take a quarterback in this class. I would still guess they do but it's more like none or one than two as we had previously speculated months ago.
