Three Big Questions: Boston College Eagles
A look at each FBS program heading into 2023, alphabetically
Between you and me, Boston College is a tough place to win. They compete in the Power Five ACC, and don’t do the best job of that. Head coach Jeff Hafley is heading into the fourth season of his tenure, and that’s usually when results are expected. Coming off of a 3-9 season, the Eagles are looking to return to a bowl game, after reaching two straight in each of Hafley’s first two seasons. Can they bounce back in 2023?
Team Information
School: Boston College Eagles
Conference: Atlantic Coast (Atlantic)
2022 Record: 3-9 (2-6)
Bowl: N/A
Coaching Staff:
Head Coach: Jeff Hafley, fourth season
Offensive Coordinator: Steve Shimko, third season
Defensive Coordinator: Aazaar Adbul-Rahim, third season and Sean Duggan, third season
1. How does Emmett Morehead look in his first full year as a starter?
Despite the low win totals on the Heights, the Eagles had a solid college quarterback in Phil Jurkovec. Unfortunately for them, he’s entered the portal as a graduate transfer and is on his way to Pitt.
Last season, Jurkovec was only able to play half the games, suffering a bevy of injuries before a wrist injury ended his season. Freshman Emmett Morehead replaced Jurkovec, and put together a decent season. He appeared in ten games for the Eagles, starting five, throwing for 1,254 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing just under 60 percent of his passes.
They’re not horrible numbers, but they’re not great either. But, as a true freshman in a Power Five conference on a team that’s not traditionally a winner, you can’t really expect much more than that.
Shimko and offensive assistant Rod Chudzinski (Cleveland legend) run a pro-style West coast system that you don’t see a lot in college football. This is your classic NFL scheme with I-formation, play action and mesh concepts each play. With that, likely comes the complexity of running an NFL-style offense.
With five games of starting experience and a full offseason as the entrenched starter under his belt, Morehead should be a lot more comfortable under center in 2023. The terminology in these schemes takes time to learn, and the pre-snap checks are an adjustment for any quarterback coming out of high school.
Jurkovec was able to lead the Eagles to new heights, but injuries limited their success. Morehead doesn’t have that injury history and has had time to learn the offense and the scheme. He’s primed for a big step in 2023.
2. Do the defensive transfers reignite the defense?
The Eagles didn’t have any help on the defensive side of the ball. They finished 12 in the ACC in both interceptions (seven) and sacks (27) in 2022. This season, that needs to improve if the Eagles want to see any kind of success.
Hafley hit the portal to improve those margins. To kick up the pass rush, he added defensive lineman George Rooks from Michigan. The secondary was more of a target, as cornerbacks Alex Washington from Harvard and Khari Johnson from Arkansas will join Long Island safety Victor Johnson Jr. in the Heights.
All four defensive transfers showed promise in the Eagles spring game. Rooks repeatedly rushed the quarterback, and should factor in as a major boost to the Boston College front seven. Washington had a great pass break-up on the sideline on a deep route.
The secondary’s newcomers are joining ACC pass break-up leader Elijah Jones, who also had a strong spring game. Sophomore cornerback Amari Jackson was the star of the show, though, intercepting two passes in the spring game after tallying three pass break-ups a year ago. Jackson factors in as a starter for the Eagles, and his strong spring shows he’s ready for the expanded role.
The secondary looks good, but the pass rush is where there are still concerns. Aside from Rooks, there aren’t a ton of new faces. Instead, Hafley and his co-defensive coordinators are counting on progression. Based on the spring game, which is a small sample and shouldn’t be taken as how things will actually play out, they’re not getting that this year. But, an attacking secondary will certainly help the Eagles.
3. Who fills the void left by Zay Flowers?
When you think of Boston College, you don’t often think of it being an NFL factory. That’s because it isn’t, for the most part. They’ll produce one star player every once in a while, like Matt Ryan, or 2021 first-round selection Zion Johnson. Wide receiver Zay Flowers looks to add his name to that list.
With Flowers off to the NFL, Morehead and the Eagle offense lose their best weapon. Their second leading receiver, Jaelen Gill, has entered the portal. So, who’s going to step up?
Hafley went outside of the building to snag three-star UCF transfer Ryan O’Keefe, who appears to be the top option. Inside the building, Joe Griffin Jr. looks to be the top dog. The big-bodied Massachusetts native only hauled in 18 catches, but they went for 234 yards and five touchdowns. Down the stretch, he started building a solid connection with Morehead, including a two-yard touchdown strike as time expired to clinch the season-defining upset over No. 16 NC State.
The Eagles should also get some good depth from Jaden Williams, Dino Tomlin, and Tajj Johnson.
What are the expectations for Boston College?
Let’s be clear on one thing: Hafley isn’t on the hot seat. He’s brough in the top two recruiting classes in Boston College history, and has two bowl bids under his belt.
Now, with that said, this is a team that’s not in contention. They should contend for a bowl game, but a lot rests on how Morehead looks. If he can recapture some of Jurkovec’s magic, then the Eagles could make a run for the postseason. If he struggles, Hafley is staring down another poor season. But he’s safe. For now.