Dillon ready to catch and run, too
Boston College sophomore tailback AJ Dillon is determined to grow his game beyond handoffs from the quarterback.
Dillon will test the UMass defense as a runner and receiver when the Eagles host the Minutemen in BC’s season opener tomorrow at Alumni Stadium. UMass opened its season with a 63-15 thrashing of Duquesne last Saturday at McGuirk Stadium.
“It wasn’t necessarily that I couldn’t do a lot of different things last year but college football is a whole different type of game from high school,” said Dillon. “Last year I grasped the run and was excelling, and now I’m slowly trying to access the rest of the game.”
Dillon could have easily picked up where he left off as a between-the-tackles ball carrier. He is the Atlantic Coast Conference’s pick for Player of the Year and a preseason All-America selection after a recordbreaking freshman season.
Dillon rushed for a BC freshman record 1,588 yards, the second most by a first-year back in ACC history. Dillon led the league in rushing and was a firstteam all-star.
He could realistically duplicate those numbers because BC coach Steve Addazio prefers a ball control ground attack and the Eagles’ offensive line was upgraded with the return of center Jon Baker from injury.
But Dillon understands the need to expand his skill set to keep ACC defenses honest and satisfy the versatility demanded at the next level. He did not have a reception in 13 starts last season. He used spring ball and training camp to become a viable option on screens and wheel routes for redshirt freshman quarterback Anthony Brown.
“Now I understand the need for pass protection and things like that,” said Dillon. “I am in a lot more pass plays and routes and things like that and I knew that responsibility was going to be thrust upon me coming into this year. I’ve worked a lot with Anthony Brown and I went out to catch balls with the other receivers. I did some pass protection with the tight ends to get as good as I could possibly be and be a guy who could be depended upon in any situation.
“That’s really important to me and I always want to be somebody my team can always depend on. Even though I hear ‘you had a great freshman year’ in my mind there is a lot more meat left on the bone. There are the moves I could have made and defenses I could have read better.”
Dillon’s growth as a receiver could depend on how quickly Brown can reestablish a vertical passing game he developed last season. Brown was progressing as a dual threat quarterback before suffering a season ending knee injury against North Carolina State on Nov. 11.
Brown has NFL ready tight end Tommy Sweeney over the middle and speedy veteran receivers Jeff Smith, Michael Walker and Kobay White to stretch the field. Having Dillon as a reliable outlet receiver would be a great addition to the offense.
“Me and AB are best friends,” said Dillon.
“Obviously everybody saw what he could do last year and he’s back and healthy. I know everybody on the team is happy to have him back.”