Top 10 Breakout Eagles: No. 5 Tight End Hunter Long
Boston College has a new coach, Jeff Hafley, and with it comes a new offensive and defensive scheme. On top of that, having a new set of eyes on the roster could help to find novel and new ways to utilize players. Over the next few weeks BC Bulletin will unveil ten players who could be primed to have a breakout season in 2020. These players could have had solid seasons before but be on the cusp of something special, or they could be not used at all and earn a role in the new system.
Hunter Long, a junior out of Exeter, New Hampshire has had some memorable plays over the past two seasons. After redshirting his freshman year, he had four receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns in 2018. But for most of that season he was buried on the depth chart by future NFLer Tommy Sweeney.
However, in 2019 Long took on Sweeney's old role as the pass catching tight end on the team. When Steve Addazio would dial it up, Long had some huge catches including a 72 yard reception against Louisville.
Long was electric when he got the ball last season, with good hands and was a nightmare to cover defensively. He has the size of a normal tight end at 6-5, but was deceptively fast and could easily outrun linebackers. He finished last season as the leader in receptions (28) and receiving yards (509).
However, watching Long you can see that he could be used more. His season high for receptions was four, and only had two touchdowns all year. His production dipped after quarterback Anthony Brown went down with a leg injury. After his injury, Long only had one more game with 50 or more yards receiving. This was not due to any fault of his, but because Boston College's passing game suffered tremendously for the rest of the season.
With a good passing game, Hunter Long could be incredibly dangerous. If Phil Jurkovec lands his waiver request, Long could be in for a huge season. More targets and a quarterback who can get him the ball will make him one of the best tight ends in the conference.
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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