BOSTON COLLEGE

EAGLES

National Forecast: 80 • ACC Prediction: 13 • Projected Record: 5-7, 1-7 ACC

OFFENSE Sophomore quarterback Emmett Morehead will get the reins this year after taking over for Phil Jurkovec last November. Morehead had his moments as a redshirt freshman, throwing for more than 250 yards in three of his four starts, including a 330-yard performance in an upset road win against NC State. The 6-foot-5 signal caller finished with 1,254 passing yards, 10 TDs and six interceptions.

The biggest challenge this offseason will be finding a replacement for star wide receiver Zay Flowers. UCF transfer Ryan O’Keefe has a similar style, and with more than 150 catches the past two seasons combined for the Knights, he could step up as the go-to receiver. Dino Tomlin — son of NFL coach Mike Tomlin — and Joseph Griffin Jr. should also be primary targets.

The offensive line was a major problem for Boston College in 2022, as the Eagles finished dead last in the country in rushing yards (a woeful 63.2 yards per game) and tied for 126th in sacks allowed. However, BC will get a huge boost with All-ACC guard Christian Mahogany’s return after missing last season with a knee injury. He will be joined by Texas State transfer guard Kyle Hergel and Virginia transfer tackle Logan Taylor, both of whom bring experience to the reshaped line. Sophomore center Drew Kendall and junior tackle Ozzy Trapilo also should improve with better talent around them this season.

The Eagles also will have two new faces running the offense, as longtime NFL and college coordinator Rob Chudzinski and quarterbacks coach Steve Shimko will share those duties.

DEFENSE Positional coaches Aazaar Abdul-Rahim and Sean Duggan take over at defensive coordinator after Tem Lukabu left for the NFL. There could be some new wrinkles, but don’t expect wholesale changes to the playbook.

Edge defender Donovan Ezeiruaku could become a household name by the end of the season. As a sophomore, he led the Eagles with 8.5 sacks and was one of the best in the ACC at getting to the quarterback.

Boston College completely reworked the secondary with players going in and coming out of the transfer portal. The Eagles added cornerbacks Khari Johnson (Arkansas), Alex Washington (Harvard) and Victor Nelson (Long Island) to join returners such as Elijah Jones, Cole Batson and Amari Jackson.

SPECIALISTS The placekicking job is up for grabs this year; incumbent Connor Lytton is battling with Liam Connor this offseason. Lytton had a tough sophomore year, as his field-goal percentage dropped from 91.7 (11-of-12) to 50 (7-of-14). Punting will also be a position to watch. Aussie Sam Candotti saw some action last year, but he was mostly used for short pooch kicks. Expect newcomer Ryan O’Keefe to be the regular return man for the Eagles in 2023.

FINAL ANALYSIS This is a make-or-break year for fourth-year head coach Jeff Hafley after a 3-9 season. The Eagles need to take advantage of a manageable out-of-conference schedule that includes NIU, Holy Cross, Army and UConn. If they can sweep that slate, this team could reach bowl eligibility for the first time since 2019.