Five Storylines To Monitor During Boston College Spring Football

Spring football kicks off on Saturday, here are some storylines worth watching

Boston College kicks off their spring football session on Saturday with their first of fifteen practices. Like last year the players and staff will be test regularly and as Jeff Hafley said on Tuesday will be asked to sacrifice a lot to get this session to work without a COVID-19 shutdown. Here are some other big storylines to watch out for.

1. The Continued Development of Phil Jurkovec. Obviously the first year quarterback was a revelation in 2020, throwing for over 2000 yards and becoming one of the most versatile and dynamic players at his position. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Last season Jurkovec had a tendency to do a few things that got him into trouble. He held on to the ball a tad too long, took unneeded shots that ended up wearing him down by the end of the year, and didn't see wide open receivers. These are all fixable mistakes, and factors that could be chalked up to a first year learning curve. This spring should give a better indication on how he continues to develop at the position. 

2. Linebacker Position Battle. While the defensive line may be the position that really needs to take the biggest leap from 2020, the linebackers are the biggest question mark. It can't be understated how big of a loss it is to lose both Isaiah McDuffie and Max Richardson. Add in John Lamot is no longer on the roster and your three big linebackers are gone. There are a myriad of options for the Eagles to fill this slot, and spring ball might better flush out how the staff moves forward. Transfer Isaiah Graham Mobley looks to be a leader and favorite to land one of the spots, while BC has a handful of players on the roster such as Vinnie DePalma, Hugh Davis, Paul Theobald and Joseph Sparacio who could all battle for the position. But don't discount true freshman Bryce Steele, who is also listed as a linebacker this spring on the depth chart. 

3. Replacing Hunter Long. Losing an All American tight end is a big loss for the squad, especially one that had grown into a favorite for Jurkovec. There is no easy answer on who fills this slot. Charlie Gordinier, Joey Luchetti, and Spencer Witter could all fill the role, but it will be interesting to see who jumps up with the ones as the primary pass catching tight end.

4. Growing the schemes.  On Tuesday's press conference Hafley explained that he is going to continue to build upon the offensive and defensive game plans from 2020. He mentioned that it all starts with fundamentals, but wants to add more as well. "Now, we get to have a little more fun and creativity because there's the time," he explained. 

5.  Offensive Line Alignment: One of the biggest stories this off season was the news that all five starters would be returning in 2021. This is a position group that is worth watching for a handful of reasons. First off, the group got a chance to continue to train like they should, not interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondly, with a year under their belt it is worth watching to see how they continue to improve, because they showed flashes of brilliance last season, but it was inconsistent. Finally, and maybe there is nothing there, but I'm curious if all five players will stick at the positions they were at in 2020.