Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley will be interviewed from the ACC Kickoff to lead things off today.
Will be posting updates in this thread. More to follow...
Hafley on ACC Network at 8:15 ...
** Hafley said he can't wait to practice. Mentions Christian Mahogany and says it's good to have the o-line healthy. They have a lot more experience up front this year.
** Asked why he picked the guys to travel with him, he said he's just excited to have Mahogany back on the team because he brings the team's intensity to another level. He could have gone to the NFL Draft and then people tried to poach him left and right "but he stuck with us."
Morehead won the job at the end of last year so deserves to make the trip, and Ezeiruaku stands a good chance to be a draft pick. Maybe some other guys were deserving but this is a deserving trio.
** On ACC Network they show video of Hergel bench pressing 500 pounds. "That's why we went and got him." Jokes that he asked him not to do that to anybody on the team. Says he's very mature, but you get on the field or in that weight room with guys like he and Mahogany, you have a nasty interior. That's what you want at BC on the line.
Says Hergel has to go win the job because he's competing with others. But he's excited about him.
Remembers watching Mahogany a couple of years ago. Kendall plays the same way. You see Hergel's strength. He wants that physicality and toughness up front and it's right that BC has it.
** Does believe the o-line play makes all the difference. When you're flipping d-linemen to o-line and then more guys are going down, there's just no continuity. Didn't have the same o-line until Week 7. Jackson Ness moved absolutely everywhere. He'd never even played center in HS. Dwayne Allick, Jack Conley ... Conley will have a great year this year. Ozzy's going to be an NFL Draft pick. But last year you saw the struggles. Too many 3-and-outs. It has to start and stop up front.
** Hafley emphasizes BC's not slinging it around to score 60. They have to play complementary football.
** Asked why you should be excited about BC's defense he said, "The D-line." That's how they've built the defense. You have to win up front. Donovan led the ACC in sacks as a sophomore. Talked about all the depth and athleticism on the defensive line that Boston College will have. "Has to be built up front," and he loves the guys they have up front.
"Building" has to happen at BC. They must develop players on the team. It can't be about bringing older guys in. Has to be a development culture even in the portal era.
** Last year they couldn't go "good on good" in practice. Had to be like in the NFL when it was 1s vs 2s. Now it's 1s vs 1s. Now the 2 OLs are the guys who played and got experience against a better, deeper defensive line. Much better competition than they had last year.
** Replacing Zay ... "Zay's a special guy." They have some good wideouts. Ryan O'Keefe is mentioned. "Turn on the tape and he can fly... I think he'll be one of the fastest players in the ACC. He can take a jet sweep for a touchdown, can return kickoffs for touchdown... He has that speed, acceleration." Did seem like tempering expectations, certainly in the context of Flowers.
** Dino really stepped up against NC State. He stepped up last year. Thinks he'll have a good year.
Ezeiruaku and Morehead at 11:45, Christian Mahogany at 12:45, and then his press conference at 1:30.
Will be posting updates in this thread. More to follow...
Hafley on ACC Network at 8:15 ...
** Hafley said he can't wait to practice. Mentions Christian Mahogany and says it's good to have the o-line healthy. They have a lot more experience up front this year.
** Asked why he picked the guys to travel with him, he said he's just excited to have Mahogany back on the team because he brings the team's intensity to another level. He could have gone to the NFL Draft and then people tried to poach him left and right "but he stuck with us."
Morehead won the job at the end of last year so deserves to make the trip, and Ezeiruaku stands a good chance to be a draft pick. Maybe some other guys were deserving but this is a deserving trio.
** On ACC Network they show video of Hergel bench pressing 500 pounds. "That's why we went and got him." Jokes that he asked him not to do that to anybody on the team. Says he's very mature, but you get on the field or in that weight room with guys like he and Mahogany, you have a nasty interior. That's what you want at BC on the line.
Says Hergel has to go win the job because he's competing with others. But he's excited about him.
Remembers watching Mahogany a couple of years ago. Kendall plays the same way. You see Hergel's strength. He wants that physicality and toughness up front and it's right that BC has it.
** Does believe the o-line play makes all the difference. When you're flipping d-linemen to o-line and then more guys are going down, there's just no continuity. Didn't have the same o-line until Week 7. Jackson Ness moved absolutely everywhere. He'd never even played center in HS. Dwayne Allick, Jack Conley ... Conley will have a great year this year. Ozzy's going to be an NFL Draft pick. But last year you saw the struggles. Too many 3-and-outs. It has to start and stop up front.
** Hafley emphasizes BC's not slinging it around to score 60. They have to play complementary football.
** Asked why you should be excited about BC's defense he said, "The D-line." That's how they've built the defense. You have to win up front. Donovan led the ACC in sacks as a sophomore. Talked about all the depth and athleticism on the defensive line that Boston College will have. "Has to be built up front," and he loves the guys they have up front.
"Building" has to happen at BC. They must develop players on the team. It can't be about bringing older guys in. Has to be a development culture even in the portal era.
** Last year they couldn't go "good on good" in practice. Had to be like in the NFL when it was 1s vs 2s. Now it's 1s vs 1s. Now the 2 OLs are the guys who played and got experience against a better, deeper defensive line. Much better competition than they had last year.
** Replacing Zay ... "Zay's a special guy." They have some good wideouts. Ryan O'Keefe is mentioned. "Turn on the tape and he can fly... I think he'll be one of the fastest players in the ACC. He can take a jet sweep for a touchdown, can return kickoffs for touchdown... He has that speed, acceleration." Did seem like tempering expectations, certainly in the context of Flowers.
** Dino really stepped up against NC State. He stepped up last year. Thinks he'll have a good year.
Ezeiruaku and Morehead at 11:45, Christian Mahogany at 12:45, and then his press conference at 1:30.
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