Boston College Spring Game: Preview & Final Thoughts
On Saturday, Boston College will split up their roster for their annual Jay McGillis spring game that will be held at Alumni Stadium. This 11am exhibition is an opportunity for the team to compete in front of a live crowd, and Jeff Hafley is hoping that it will be a big crew. "I'm looking for our students to get into the Mods early, get into the stadium early and treat it like a Saturday game," he told reporters this week.
For those expecting to see new wrinkles from new offensive coordinator John McNulty, you may be disappointed. Expect the staff to keep things basic, and vanilla. Hafley has said all along that he wants to keep the opposition surprised for the opening of the regular season.
That being said, there are still parts of the game that should be worth monitoring, whether watching it in person or on the ACC Network.
Three Reasons to Watch The Spring Game
New Look Offensive Line
Boston College lost four of their five starting offensive linemen after the 2021 season, leaving Christian Mahogany as the lone returner. This game should give us a better sense of who lines up alongside the guard, and what other players on the depth chart look like against live defenses. Drew Kendall will most likely be the starting center, alongside tackles Ozzy Trapilo and Jack Conley, and guard Finn Dirstine. How they perform will be something to monitor
The Phil Jurkovec Show
Phil Jurkovec is back after missing most of last season with a hand injury, and playing the rest at about 50%. Last time we saw Jurkovec in a meaningful game he was struggling to grip the ball with his injured hand, and looked wildly ineffective. While he may be held to limited snaps in favor of some of the younger players, watching his accuracy and how he performs in the new offense will be worth watching. And if he hits a long bomb to Zay Flowers, wouldn't that be worth it as well? This season is monumental for Jurkovec. He needs to stay healthy, play consistently, and put down the best tape he can for NFL teams who could be looking for a franchise quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Lots of New Names
For many the spring game isn't so much to watch the veterans, it's an opportunity to get a glance at players who are working to crack the two deep. The defensive line is a perfect example. Jeff Hafley said this week that vets Chibueze Onwuka, Marcus Valdez and Shitta Sillah were limited all camp. This will be a great opportunity to showcase some of the younger talent, almost all of whom were recruited by the current staff. In addition to the underclassmen, there are a handful of transfers as well. George Takacs a tight end from Notre Dame, Regen Terry a defensive end from Arizona, and Dino Tomlin a wide receiver from Maryland all should be involved in the exhibition.
There are also players deeper on the depth chart that will be worth watching. Quarterback Emmett Morehead will be commanding the 2nd team offense, and eyes will be on the growth of the redshirt freshmen. On defense, there are other younger players to watch such as Nigel Tate at defensive tackle, Cole Batson (S), CJ Burton (CB) and Bryce Steele (LB)
Beer of the Game:
Beer of the Game: Old Planters Crop Rotation IPA
One of the more under rated breweries on the North Shore (MA), Old Planters are consistently good with all of their beers. Crop Rotation IPA is one of their staples and drinks as smooth as any IPA you can find on the market. Brewery is certainly worth a trip as well.
Mitch's Spring Game Bingo
(Created by Staff Writer Mitch Wolfe)
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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