The Eagles will host a few guests for their Wednesday second practice.
On Wednesday, the Boston College football team will have its second spring practice, and once more, Bill O’Brien and his staff will have a few guests in attendance. We observed roughly six visitors on campus on Monday at the first practice; Griffin Collins was one of them, and he committed while there.
Boston College will welcome a few more guests today, including quarterbacks from next classes.
Beac’s Breakdown: BC Wins ACC Tournament Round One, Overcoming Miami
The Eagles easily defeat the Hurricanes, and we analyze the victory in detail.
Before last night’s game against Miami, I was pretty sure that BC would have a strong chance of winning three straight games, three against Miami in the previous month, and go to the ACC Tournament’s second round. With the NIT completely out of the picture, Miami had little to play for and hadn’t won a basketball game in over a month.But, the Eagles do have a chance to advance to the NIT and make it to the longest season in the previous ten years, so they have something to fight for. They emerged as a cohesive unit attempting to achieve precisely that. Quinten Post, with strong backing from Jaeden Zackery a Devin McGlockton, led BC to an early lead that it never let go, never dropping below seven points until it reached twelve points halfway through the first half.
A list of pressing spring football queries for each ACC team
There are more spring questions than usual throughout the ACC because of the expansion of the conference this offseason. This is what all ACC programs this spring should have you on the lookout for.
All around the nation, spring practice is beginning after what may have been the busiest coaching cycle and transfer portal window ever. It still feels strange to write, but 247Sports is spending the week examining some of the most important questions facing the Power Four as 15-practice spring slates get begun nationwide.
Here are the main topics that every ACC club is concentrating on heading into spring football and during the offseason, from quarterback contests to coordinator changes to issues at the line of scrimmage.
HOW WILL BILL O’BRIEN USE THOMAS CASTELLANOS FOR THE BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES?
With O’Brien taking over as head coach and Jeff Hafley’s abrupt departure for the NFL, Boston College will need to address a number of issues. Before the spring portal window opens, it will be intriguing to observe how the roster reacts to O’Brien. The Eagles have some defensive work ahead of them in the portal. However, the pairing of the quarterback and head coach may be the most intriguing aspect of O’Brien’s hiring.
Castellanos is a powerful running threat who ran for 1,113 yards last year, sparking the Eagles. In addition, he was a risk-taker and sometimes inconsistent quarterback who finished with 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Castellanos may be a program building block and a potential talent equalizer for BC if given the correct offensive vision.
However, in his whole tenure as a head coach and play-caller, O’Brien has never had a quarterback like this.
Bryce Young did indeed move effectively in the pocket against Alabama, and Deshaun Watson gave the Texans a significant rush aspect. However, O’Brien has never witnessed a quarterback reach the 500-yard rushing mark and has never seen one run 100 times in a season. In all but one of last year’s games, Castellanos ran ten or more times.
It would be foolish of O’Brien to take away Castellanos’ strongest suit from the BC offense. It will be intriguing to observe how he adapts to that kind of quarterback, though. BC’s ceiling will depend on his inventiveness and willingness to take on such tasks.
CAN THE OFFENSE CONTINUE TO GROW AFTER MAJOR CHANGES: CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS?
The offense is the main area of concern for Cal this offseason. Last season, the Bears made an offensive shift, appointing Jake Spavital as offensive coordinator to implement an Air Raid-style scheme. Overall, it was successful, particularly after redshirt freshman Fernando Mendoza assumed the starting quarterback role. In his regular-season games, the Bears averaged 36.2 points.
However, this offseason has brought about some changes: Mike Bloesch, the offensive line coach, was promoted to offensive coordinator when Spavital accepted the position of offensive coordinator at Baylor. Jeremiah Hunter, the team’s top wide receiver (703 yards, 7 touchdowns), moved to Washington.
Additionally, Cal used the portal to add Chandler Rogers, the starting quarterback for UNT and one of the top QBs in the G5 in 2023, in what might be a shake-up at the top of the QB depth chart. Prior to selecting UNT, Rogers, a former Louisiana-Monroe player, gave Cal serious consideration last offseason in the portal. Now that Cal is moving to the ACC, he will face Mendoza in the spring.
The Mendoza-Rogers rivalry will take center stage. As the more seasoned thrower, Rogers put the ball in much less danger a year earlier. According to Pro Football Focus, 2.1% of Rogers’ throws were deserving of a turnover, compared to 5% for Mendoza. However, Mendoza has greater system experience and could advance quickly in Year 2.
Although it will be challenging to replace Hunter, the team does have competent players. In 2023, Trond Grizzell, a redshirt sophomore, had a tremendous season, catching 35 receptions for 510 yards. He was able to take charge. Tobias Merriweather, a four-star transfer from Notre Dame, may also be able to.
In either case, someone has to become a formidable opponent.