Boston College begins football practice with high expectations and a welcome normalcy
BC enters Year 2 of the Jeff Hafley era with increased expectations after going 6-5 last season.
As Jeff Hafley meandered from station to station Friday morning, often with a football in hand, at Boston College’s first day of preseason football camp, he found the normalcy of the day both refreshing and invigorating.
Hafley’s first season as coach in 2020 was anything but normal. At practice, he frequently reminded himself to remind players to put on their masks and make sure they were 6 feet apart when possible. During games, he exited the tunnel ready to greet screaming fans, yet was perpetually dismayed to see cardboard cutouts staring at him in their place.
BC stood out nationally for the way it handled the COVID-19 pandemic and managed to finish 6-5 despite a disjointed offseason and testing-heavy season. Even so, getting adjusted to a new city and a new program provided Hafley with plenty of unexpected challenges in the unusual circumstances.
This year, while the pandemic is still lingering, every player on the team is fully vaccinated, masks are sparse, and there was a palpable buzz both at practice and when Hafley and players met the media.
“I couldn’t wait for today,” Hafley said. “I couldn’t sleep last night. I was up early. The guys were up early. We’re just very grateful that we’re out here again and have an opportunity to practice and have a real training camp.”
Expectations are higher than they have been in recent memory, as the Eagles try to win eight or more games for the first time since 2009. BC has finished with either six or seven victories every season since 2016 and is exactly .500 since 2013. The consensus is that this team has the potential to curb that trend before bringing in a loaded 2022 recruiting class that’s ranked 13th in the country on Rivals.
The Eagles, who return 20 starters, were picked to finish third in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference, behind perennial power Clemson and North Carolina State and ahead of Florida State, Wake Forest, Louisville, and Syracuse.
“I think we’re going to be an exciting team to watch,” said Hafley, noting that the playbook will be a lot less “vanilla” this year.
At the crux of BC’s ascension is quarterback Phil Jurkovec, a redshirt junior regarded by many as a possible first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The former Notre Dame backup racked up the most passing yards (2,558) through 10 starts in BC history and this year was named to the Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award, and Manning Award preseason watch lists.
Jurkovec said he feels like a completely different quarterback compared with when he arrived at BC, from his confidence and comfort level to his footwork and accuracy.
He has plenty of talent around him, including wide receivers Zay Flowers, Jaelen Gill, Kobay White, and CJ Lewis. At tight end, the Eagles lose third-round NFL draft pick Hunter Long but are expecting production from Wayland native Joey Luchetti, Spencer Witter, and 6-foot-6-inch Jacksonville State transfer Trae Barry. Hafley said the Eagles probably will throw the ball to the tight end more than any other team in the country.
“There’s a void with Hunter leaving,” Jurkovec said. “He accounted for a lot of yards and a lot of catches last year, but they’re ready to step up.”
BC averaged the third-most passing yards per game (284.2) in the ACC last year but finished 14th in rushing (101.7). The goal is to create more balance, with running backs Travis Levy, Pat Garwo III, Xavier Coleman, and West Virginia transfer Alec Sinkfield all contributing.
They’ll have help from one of the most experienced offensive lines in the nation, featuring Zion Johnson, Christian Mahogany, Alec Lindstrom, Ben Petrula, and Tyler Vrabel.
“We pride ourselves on being the best unit in the country this year,” Lindstrom said. “We hold a high standard.”
On defense, Florida State transfer Jaiden Lars-Woodbey (DB), Southern Illinois transfer JT Thompson (CB), and Temple transfers Isaiah Graham-Mobley (LB) and Khris Banks (DL) should bolster an experienced group.
For now, the Eagles are focused on building off spring ball and fine-tuning everything before the season begins Sept. 4 against Colgate. Day One wasn’t about concrete results as much as it was about getting back out there — without masks and with their flashy new Adidas gear — and continuing to mesh with one another while appreciating the familiarity of a typical practice.
“It’s electric,” Graham-Mobley said. “It was a high-energy day.”
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