Happy ACC Football Kickoff Day to all who celebrate. Today, we’re looking at some of the new faces on defense. Bill O’Brien’s team is an outlier roster-wise, with few starters transferring in and fewer than 10 redshirt freshmen. The defense returns 64% of its production—29th in the country—but there is a huge Donovan Ezeiruaku-sized hole to fill.
First, a quick note on the coaching front changes, starting with new defensive backs coach Cory Robinson. Robinson last coached the position with the Jacksonville
Jaguars and, before that, spent three seasons with the Saints. On the defensive line, Jordan Thomas comes with glowing reviews from Mike Vrabel, with whom he shared last season with the Browns.
On to the transfers: we start with linebacker Jason Hewlett Jr., who may be the most notable addition. The former Michigan man was a four-star recruit and played two seasons with the Wolverines. He appeared in just nine games last season but made his biggest contribution on special teams. Still, he was among the highest-rated linebackers available in the portal, and BC won him over fellow ACC member Virginia Tech. Hewlett immediately joins a position group that very much needed more depth. He brings a high level of athleticism and versatility, and it sounds like he has comfort playing both in the box and in coverage.
Another new linebacker is senior Will Straka from Wisconsin-Platteville. It’s a jump from D-III to the Power 4, but his production stood out nonetheless. Named to his conference’s first team, Straka logged 80 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and two pass breakups last year. He’s a bit undersized compared to Hewlett and most of the current roster of linebackers, but the experience is valuable.
The Eagles dipped more than their talons in the portal on the defensive line, with seven new additions on the very remodeled unit. First is Chris Marable Jr., the big defensive tackle from Wake Forest. The redshirt sophomore stands at 6-3, 305 pounds—a similar frame to the now-Tennessee Titan Cam Horsley Jr. Marable saw action in a handful of games, logging tackles against Clemson and Ole Miss. A former three-star recruit, Marable had offers from FSU and Georgia Tech. Joining Marable on the defensive line is West Virginia’s Makai Byerson. Byerson spent one season with the Mountaineers and saw action in one game. With the Eagles having also lost George Rooks to Syracuse, Byerson will look to replace his steady presence.
Sophomores Favor Bate and E’Lla Boykin are two young edge rushers looking to make an impact at a higher level. In Bate’s season at Merrimack, he logged 10 tackles and 2.5 sacks, including one against Fordham. He’ll look to replicate that in the home opener. Barton College’s E’Lla Boykin bumps up from the D-II ranks but starred in his freshman season. His 55 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, and interception caught the attention of West Virginia, James Madison, and Western Kentucky. He’s a big 6-3, 230-pound North Carolina native.
Seniors Onye Nwosisi and Chuck Nnaeto, along with grad student Mike Bumpus, round out the group. Nwosisi joins after two seasons at Valparaiso and, before that, at Division III Muskingum in Ohio. The 6-4 Indianapolis native joined the program mid-year, along with Nnaeto. Nnaeto is from closer by in New Jersey but spent the past three seasons at Elon. The 6-0, 324-pounder started 18 games at tackle there and proved to be a strong run stuffer with surprising quickness. Bumpus comes in after four years at Brown and a successful nine starts in 2024.
The Eagles are more comfortable with the makeup of the secondary with no transfers. The 10 defensive backs in the freshmen the class will have more opportunity to develop and get in the mix this season.
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