BC’s DePalma set to make impact in opener
Eagles host Colgate tomorrow
Boston College linebacker Vinny DePalma is in the right moment to make up for lost time.
The 5-foot-11, 224-pound redshirt junior from Wayne, N.J., is slated to make his second career start at WILL linebacker when BC opens the 2021 season against Colgate on Saturday (noon) at Alumni Stadium.
DePalma played in 13 games with one start as a redshirt freshman in 2019 and registered 33 tackles with five tackles for a loss and a forced fumble. DePalma was ready to take on a more active role in 2020 under then-first-year coach Jeff Hafley but missed the entire season with an injury.
“It’s unreal especially for myself because I missed last year because of an injury,” said DePalma following Wednesday’s practice. “Just to play in Alumni again and have my family and friends there and play with my teammates.
“We’ve been working since January really for this one day. It is going to be an incredible experience having fans back in Alumni. We are super excited.”
DePalma’s return coincides with a complete overall along the Eagles’ second line of defense. BC lost its three starting linebackers from last season, two of whom ended up in NFL training camps.
Outside linebacker Isaiah McDuffie led the Eagles with 107 tackles, earned second-team All-ACC honors and was drafted with the 220th overall pick by the Green Bay Packers. Middle linebacker Max Richardson was second with 99 tackles and a team-high 8.0 tackles for a loss. He was third-team All-ACC and signed as an undrafted free agent by the Las Vegas Raiders. John Lamot played OLB and finished with 21 tackles.
DePalma is listed on the depth chart with true freshman Bryce Steele on the weakside, while sophomore Kam Arnold and redshirt junior Nick DeNucci emerged as Hafley’s best options at the SAM spot.
“I think the cool thing about our defense is the linebacker positions are pretty similar and interchangeable,” said DePalma. “Coach (Sean) Duggan does an unbelievable job teaching us not only our jobs but what the offense is trying to execute and how they are attacking our scheme.
“It’s not just SAM and WILL, it’s all our positions and how we fit together. I think anyone in the room can play all three positions because of how the staff teaches it to us. We are all very confident about going out there and executing.”
Hafley is intent on platooning his outside linebackers against the Raiders, but appears settled on Temple graduate transfer Isaiah Graham-Mobley at the MIKE position. GrahamMobley competed for the starting job in training camp with Joseph Sparacio, a 5-foot-10, 226-pound junior who plays a high motor
game similar to former MLB Connor Strachan.
“He’s done a really nice job,” Hafley said of GrahamMobley. “He fought through an injury a few weeks ago and came back. He has great leadership ability and he’s playing at a high level.
“I just wanted to see competition and what we did was we looked at who deserved to be in the twodeep and who deserved to have a role going into game one. If a kid deserves to play, we have to find a role for him.”