Boston College Player Preview '22: Wide Receiver Jaelen Gill
Boston College's offense struggled to put up points in 2021 after the injury to quarterback Phil Jurkovec. The passing attack was anemic, and defenses keyed in on the run game to stifle the Eagles. But with a healthy quarterback, the hope is that '21 will be in the rear view mirror, and the new offense under offensive coordinator John McNulty will keep defenses on their heels.
Zay Flowers will probably demand lots of attention from the defense, which probably won't make that much of a difference in his production. But with help added to keep the speedster from burning them, the defense may leave other wide receivers with much more favorable matchups. The wide receiver who could easily reap the biggest rewards from this? Ohio State transfer Jaelen Gill, now in his third season with the Eagles.
Gill has immense versatility, which should allow him to get the ball in a number of ways. He can be a typical wide out either in deep, or short routes and even be used as a running back if the situation calls for it. Whatever the case, he should see a solid amount of touches this upcoming season.
Preseason Player Profile
Hometown: Westerville, Ohio
Height: 5-11
Weight: 183
247 Composite Ranking
A four star recruit by 247sports.com, and the #2 all purpose back in the class, and #2 in the state of Ohio.
2021 Statistics
24 catches, 269 yards, 1 TD
2020 Stats: 29 catches, 435 yards, 1 TD
Depth Chart Overview
Boston College should be relatively set with their starting three wide receivers. Expect Zay Flowers (Z), Jaden Williams (X) and Jaelen Gill (F) to all be starters throughout the season, and more importantly be the focus of the passing attack. Gill, now in his third season with BC is dangerous in space, and has good speed and route running, which should make him the #2 wide out in terms of catches in 2022. He has a lot to play for, and a big season could have him climb onto draft boards for the 2023 season.
50 catches, 750 yards, and 6 TDs
Previous Previews:
Editor and publisher of BC Bulletin. '06 graduate of Boston College, who has followed the program as long as he can remember. Has been covering the Eagles for the past nine years, giving expert analysis, recruiting news and breakdowns. Also the host of Locked on Boston College, a daily BC podcast that is part of the Locked On Podcast Network. When he is not writing or producing content on the Eagles, he can be found running, skiing, enjoying craft beers, or spending time with his family. You can follow AJ Black on Twitter @AJBlack_BC and our official site Twitter account is @BulletinBC