Tuesday's final fall scrimmage marked the end of training camp for Boston College football, and veteran linebacker Connor Strachan organized a worthy celebration.
Outside of the locker room, the first-teamers looked fresh as Anthony Brown and A.J. Dillon began crisper than they did on Saturday. The Eagles' star running back rumbled behind right tackle Ben Petrula for a 25-yard gain on the opening series before the drive ended with a pinpoint punt by new specialist Grant Carlson.
"You can see that we're heavy-legged, tired," head coach Steve Addazio said. "We had to hit again hard. We did. But they got through it and I saw some improvement, which was nice."
Brown received between 30-40 snaps with the first-team offense, the most he has taken so far in the recovery process.
"Each day we try to do a little bit more with him," Addazio said. "It's been a pretty good comeback, but he's still in the middle of it. He's not where he wants to be yet... By the end of this week, we should have him firing at a pretty good level."
On the defensive side of the ball, BC has the potential to improve despite losing two corners and an edge rusher to the NFL Draft. The starters are stacked, but questions surrounding the unit's depth remained during the summer. Fortunately, the second-stringers have been stepping up and providing much-needed security in case the injury bug bites the Eagles again this year.
With camp concluded and day one of UMass prep starting Thursday, let's take a look at some top performers who may have earned some extra playing time this month.
What turned out last season to be the thinnest position group for BC is shaping up to be one of its deepest in 2018. The linebacker corps is led by a new three-headed monster of sorts in Max Richardson, John Lamot, and Strachan, who is finally off crutches and back healthy to man the "Mike" position. But behind that starting trio, all of whom missed time due to injury in 2017, several others have earned praise from teammates and coaches.
"We feel really great about our two-deep in that linebacker spot—in all three spots," Addazio said.
Kevin Bletzer is looking to take another step forward in his final graduate season after starting nine games last year. He worked his way up from special teams, and his work ethic stood out during camp. Redshirt sophomore Isaiah McDuffie, who totaled 11 tackles in 13 games last season, had one of the best camps among the linebackers. It would not be shocking if he logged several starts this year.
One younger face, redshirt freshman Paul Theobald Jr., could see the field soon for Jim Reid's defense. In the class below, true freshman Vinny DePalma has been making plays all of August. The staff will want to preserve redshirt eligibility for the former top-ranked inside linebacker from New Jersey, so expect to see him in action for four games or less.
"In the linebacker room, outside and inside, we have so many guys who have plenty of experience now and can play all over," Strachan said. "I think it's good that we're that versatile. Right now, playing in the middle, I'm definitely comfortable and feel good there."
Because Strachan & Co. make up the deepest linebacker group of the Addazio Era, the room might be too crowded for two-way player Davon Jones. The redshirt junior converted from running back to linebacker last year and looked like a natural tackler as a fill-in at Syracuse. But this year, he might see more snaps on the other side of the ball, as indicated by his spike in carries over the last few weeks of camp.
In the other two defensive position groups, those behind the top three on the depth chart are less proven than the backup linebackers.
At defensive back, the senior duo of Lukas Denis and Will Harris are coming off a season in which they led the unit to an ACC-high 18 interceptions, the 12th-most in the country. The All-American pair will have no problem keeping up the "No Fly Zone," but replacing two of the conference's top corners in Isaac Yiadom and Kamrin Moore is no easy task.
Hamp Cheevers seems up to it, though, as the 5-foot-10, 180-pounder compensates for his undersized frame with quickness.
"Hamp Cheevers, his football intelligence has really kind of shown through right now," said defensive back coach Anthony Campanile. "Everybody is kind of looking at him through his time here, really a guy that's a great athlete, kind of coming into his own. I think he's going to have a great year, make a great jump this year for us."
The bigger question might be if Taj-Amir Torres can handle the ACC's No. 2 wideouts. He has been a solid Swiss army knife during his first three years in Chestnut Hill, but as fitting as it may be to see Torres win the starting job as a senior, he's going to have some serious competition if he slips up early.
Brandon Sebastian and Mehdi El Attrach, both of whom have shut down receivers and created turnovers during camp, will try to take advantage of this lack of depth at defensive back. Converted DBs Tate Haynes and Nolan Borgersen have also taken significant strides this summer and could be in line for playing time if injuries arise.
Last but certainly not least, the defensive line has the biggest concerns among position groups when it comes to depth. The unit is loaded up front with future first-rounder Zach Allen, Wyatt Ray, and Ray Smith.
Allen was one of two linemen in the country with more than 100 tackles last year, and the underrated run-stopper could be a household name by the end of the season. Ray leaned out and added muscle over the offseason, which is why I think he's poised to break out year in Harold Landry's place as the primary edge rusher. And Smith acts as the pulse of the line at nose tackle, utilizing his stockier, 300-pound frame to gain leverage underneath his blockers.
"I feel like I'm thicker in the lower half, so I have a good power rush," Smith said. "Being able to get under a guy who's kinda standing up, I can help collapse the pocket and push him in."
Behind the senior trio, however, is another series of question marks for the defense. As much as they'll miss Landry, the tougher task might be replacing Noa Merritt's presence on the inside, where he tallied 50 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss as a senior.
Redshirt junior Tanner Karafa has put on some weight as he transitions from defensive end to the 3-technique position on the line, where he'll probably be facing more run scenarios on first and second down. Sophomore T.J. Rayam, who can really move the line at 6-foot-1, 305 pounds, also gives BC some depth along the interior line. On the edge, Brandon Barlow and Bryce Morais have played well enough in camp to see some action in pass-rushing packages behind Allen and Ray.
Outside of the locker room, the first-teamers looked fresh as Anthony Brown and A.J. Dillon began crisper than they did on Saturday. The Eagles' star running back rumbled behind right tackle Ben Petrula for a 25-yard gain on the opening series before the drive ended with a pinpoint punt by new specialist Grant Carlson.
"You can see that we're heavy-legged, tired," head coach Steve Addazio said. "We had to hit again hard. We did. But they got through it and I saw some improvement, which was nice."
Brown received between 30-40 snaps with the first-team offense, the most he has taken so far in the recovery process.
"Each day we try to do a little bit more with him," Addazio said. "It's been a pretty good comeback, but he's still in the middle of it. He's not where he wants to be yet... By the end of this week, we should have him firing at a pretty good level."
On the defensive side of the ball, BC has the potential to improve despite losing two corners and an edge rusher to the NFL Draft. The starters are stacked, but questions surrounding the unit's depth remained during the summer. Fortunately, the second-stringers have been stepping up and providing much-needed security in case the injury bug bites the Eagles again this year.
With camp concluded and day one of UMass prep starting Thursday, let's take a look at some top performers who may have earned some extra playing time this month.
What turned out last season to be the thinnest position group for BC is shaping up to be one of its deepest in 2018. The linebacker corps is led by a new three-headed monster of sorts in Max Richardson, John Lamot, and Strachan, who is finally off crutches and back healthy to man the "Mike" position. But behind that starting trio, all of whom missed time due to injury in 2017, several others have earned praise from teammates and coaches.
"We feel really great about our two-deep in that linebacker spot—in all three spots," Addazio said.
Kevin Bletzer is looking to take another step forward in his final graduate season after starting nine games last year. He worked his way up from special teams, and his work ethic stood out during camp. Redshirt sophomore Isaiah McDuffie, who totaled 11 tackles in 13 games last season, had one of the best camps among the linebackers. It would not be shocking if he logged several starts this year.
One younger face, redshirt freshman Paul Theobald Jr., could see the field soon for Jim Reid's defense. In the class below, true freshman Vinny DePalma has been making plays all of August. The staff will want to preserve redshirt eligibility for the former top-ranked inside linebacker from New Jersey, so expect to see him in action for four games or less.
"In the linebacker room, outside and inside, we have so many guys who have plenty of experience now and can play all over," Strachan said. "I think it's good that we're that versatile. Right now, playing in the middle, I'm definitely comfortable and feel good there."
Because Strachan & Co. make up the deepest linebacker group of the Addazio Era, the room might be too crowded for two-way player Davon Jones. The redshirt junior converted from running back to linebacker last year and looked like a natural tackler as a fill-in at Syracuse. But this year, he might see more snaps on the other side of the ball, as indicated by his spike in carries over the last few weeks of camp.
In the other two defensive position groups, those behind the top three on the depth chart are less proven than the backup linebackers.
At defensive back, the senior duo of Lukas Denis and Will Harris are coming off a season in which they led the unit to an ACC-high 18 interceptions, the 12th-most in the country. The All-American pair will have no problem keeping up the "No Fly Zone," but replacing two of the conference's top corners in Isaac Yiadom and Kamrin Moore is no easy task.
Hamp Cheevers seems up to it, though, as the 5-foot-10, 180-pounder compensates for his undersized frame with quickness.
"Hamp Cheevers, his football intelligence has really kind of shown through right now," said defensive back coach Anthony Campanile. "Everybody is kind of looking at him through his time here, really a guy that's a great athlete, kind of coming into his own. I think he's going to have a great year, make a great jump this year for us."
The bigger question might be if Taj-Amir Torres can handle the ACC's No. 2 wideouts. He has been a solid Swiss army knife during his first three years in Chestnut Hill, but as fitting as it may be to see Torres win the starting job as a senior, he's going to have some serious competition if he slips up early.
Brandon Sebastian and Mehdi El Attrach, both of whom have shut down receivers and created turnovers during camp, will try to take advantage of this lack of depth at defensive back. Converted DBs Tate Haynes and Nolan Borgersen have also taken significant strides this summer and could be in line for playing time if injuries arise.
Last but certainly not least, the defensive line has the biggest concerns among position groups when it comes to depth. The unit is loaded up front with future first-rounder Zach Allen, Wyatt Ray, and Ray Smith.
Allen was one of two linemen in the country with more than 100 tackles last year, and the underrated run-stopper could be a household name by the end of the season. Ray leaned out and added muscle over the offseason, which is why I think he's poised to break out year in Harold Landry's place as the primary edge rusher. And Smith acts as the pulse of the line at nose tackle, utilizing his stockier, 300-pound frame to gain leverage underneath his blockers.
"I feel like I'm thicker in the lower half, so I have a good power rush," Smith said. "Being able to get under a guy who's kinda standing up, I can help collapse the pocket and push him in."
Behind the senior trio, however, is another series of question marks for the defense. As much as they'll miss Landry, the tougher task might be replacing Noa Merritt's presence on the inside, where he tallied 50 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss as a senior.
Redshirt junior Tanner Karafa has put on some weight as he transitions from defensive end to the 3-technique position on the line, where he'll probably be facing more run scenarios on first and second down. Sophomore T.J. Rayam, who can really move the line at 6-foot-1, 305 pounds, also gives BC some depth along the interior line. On the edge, Brandon Barlow and Bryce Morais have played well enough in camp to see some action in pass-rushing packages behind Allen and Ray.
