The 2025 Boston College football season is upon us! First off, what gets you most excited looking ahead to this season?
Curtis: Seeing old friends, watching a game in Alumni Stadium, and screaming Mr. Brightside at the top of my lungs. August 30th vs Fordham can’t get here fast enough!
JoeGrav: I’m always just excited for football to be back, and those first crisp fall Saturdays at BC. We’re very lucky to have this beautiful, weird tradition of “big time” FBS football and particularly as the landscape shifts it’s not something to take for granted. Just be excited for it.
Jay: It’s going to be interesting to see how
Bill O’Brien and the staff try to continue the momentum established last season after considerable roster changes, particularly on the offensive line.
Niraj: I’m excited to see what a Bill O’Brien team looks like with a full offseason of prep and a few more of ‘his guys’ in the mix. None of us will forget the start the team had last year (which clearly led to FSU’s ultimate downfall). Hard to imagine it can get better than that, but I’m ready to see it in action. What can this offense look like without some key quarterback limitations.
Curran: How Bill O’Brien and the rest of his coaching staff have continued to develop the program. O’Brien took head coach job late last cycle. He’s now firmly established his culture and brought in his first full class; how will the product on the field change?
What do you think this BC team’s greatest strength will be?
Curtis: A versatile offense. BC has a great collection of running backs, a promising young quarterback, plenty of veteran receivers, and a terrific offensive mind as the head coach. It will be nice to see how BoB’s vision shapes up with a full offseason under his belt and a QB that he fully trusts on Day 1 of the season.
JoeGrav: This has to be one of the deepest sets of skill position players we’ve had on both sides of the ball. This team should be quick and able to make explosive plays and I expect an outstanding pass defense.
Jay: Downhill running game led by Richard and McDonald.
Niraj: I’ll go with the passing game. We’re definitely closer to the offense BoB wants to run and another year to know what works best for the guys on the team. He’s got Lonergan and he’s got a diverse array of talent that has good experience. You have the size speed guy in Harris, the go-to target in Bond, and and an all-around talent in Skeete. You have some match-up problems at tight end with Franklin and Lockwood. Let’s see that pass volume jump up.
Curran: The secondary. The list of playmakers is deep: Max Tucker, Amari Jackson (back from injury), KP Price, Carter Davis, Cameron Martinez — the list goes on. Plus, younger guys like Syair Torrence and Omari Thornton have reportedly had very strong camps.
What are your expectations for new QB Dylan Lonergan?
Curtis: Short pass completions and check-downs to his running backs. It seems like a simple task, but BC QBs haven’t always had success doing it. If Lonergan can make those simple plays and move the team down the field with a steady hand, it will open up a lot of other doors for the offense and I think it will be a great rookie season for him.
JoeGrav: If he can be a fairly effective game manager who sprinkles in the occasional run and deep ball (not dissimilar from James last year, but with more upside/growth potential), that would be great success.
Jay: I think he’s going to be steady and cerebral, a welcomed change of pace from the frequently frantic QB play of last year. He’s a throwback in the new NIL world — seems humble and hardworking. I think he knows what kind of weight and expectations the Alabama/Saban praise/pedigree puts on him.
Niraj: To be honest, I’m not looking for that much at this time. We can’t have Jurkovec-level expectations for him. I’m going to give him time to get settled – Fordham will of course mean nothing. Grayson will be plenty motivated to show out in his half. We’ll be able to more accurately set expectations after Sparty. The kid hasn’t played meaningful college ball yet, so I think this year my expectations are comparable to that of James last year when he was thrown into the lineup. Well, maybe a little better poise under pressure. James took care of the ball well, but I’m fine if Lonergan just lets it rip and gives our guys a chance. There’s obviously a line, but I’m going into this season just looking for some entertaining football.
Curran: Tempered. There’s no question Lonergan has a very, very high ceiling, but he has a grand total of eight career passing attempts. I think Lonergan’s lack of experience might contribute to a bit of a slow start. Thankfully, the schedule’s toughest opponents are generally in the second half. I’m excited to see what he can do.
Who is your player to watch this season, and why? (Not named Lonergan!)
Curtis: I’ll take senior Quintayvious Hutchins at the EDGE. He has big Ezeiruaku-sized shoes to fill, but his late season surge last year makes me optimistic that he’ll be up to the task. And BC really needs him, because they are losing a lot of talent on the DL.
JoeGrav: Is it cheating to say the entire offensive line? That’s pretty much the whole key. We have two solid QBs, a good receiver group, some good running backs – can we block? If so, we should be alright.
Jay: Andy Quinn the freshman punter from Galway is a terrific story. It will be fun to see how he performs given not just his football journey but also the fact that it’s going to be his task to improve on the worst punting numbers in the country last year. Even average yards per punt numbers will be a significant improvement.
Niraj: I’m excited to see Turbo fully unleashed. He was absolutely electric as a true freshman. Turbo is going to be a huge part of making sure there is no drop-off. He’s got the speed, the toughness, and I can sense an AJ Dillon against Louisville run coming this season. He also only had two catches all year, both in the Pinstripe Bowl, but they went for 62 yards combined. Get this guy the rock.
Curran: Turbo Richard. If he stays healthy, look out — even with BC’s depth at the position, I could see him become a bell-cow back.
What about this team has you most worried for the upcoming season?
Curtis: Easily the OL. I trust BoB more than I trusted Jeff Hafley to put together a fresh group of offensive lineman, and there are some good guys coming back, but I’m still very concerned. With great players like Drew Kendall, Jack Conley, and Ozzy Trapilo departing the program, there’s enough turnover there to make me nervous. I still have mental scars from Phil Jurkovec’s early-season beatdown against Virginia Tech in 2022.
JoeGrav: Lack of experience in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Also, the difficulty of the schedule.
Jay: They have talent at quite a few positions but not a lot of depth. Health is going to be key as it is for every football team.
Niraj: The schedule. BC had a (nearly) pristine record at Alumni last season, but that’s going to be awfully difficult to replicate given some of the heavy hitters coming to town. Maybe that magic will translate to a memorable upset. But if not, losing at home could really sour the mood.
Curran: Attrition on the offensive line. I’m not sure what the starting group will look like, but there are a lot of older guys who have waited their turn and will now get their shot. 2022 showed that without a competent offensive line, the offense isn’t going anywhere. Guys like Kevin Cline and Dwayne Allick are the X-factors for the entire offense.
What’s your hottest take?
Curtis: Dylan Lonergan wins ACC Rookie of the Year. (Is he eligible as a redshirt sophomore? Not sure.)
JoeGrav: The Michigan State game might basically determine the whole season. Win that game and they have a nonzero chance of starting 5-0. Lose that game and the pressure is really on to beat Cal, Stanford and Pitt because if they’re 3-2 going into the last 7 games, getting to 6 wins will be a challenge.
Jay: Eagles will upset Notre Dame in a freak early season snowstorm.
Niraj: BC will beat a ranked team this year
Curran: The Eagles only win one of their three games against ranked preseason opponents, but the victory comes in the Holy War.
Finally, what is your prediction for Boston College’s record at the end of the season?
Curtis: I’m predicting a 6-6 regular season. BC is just drawing way too many good opponents this season. Based on preseason expectations, the only real toss-up games are Michigan State and Syracuse. In their other games, BC is either substantially favored (Fordham, Stanford, Cal, UConn) or a solid underdog (Pitt, Clemson, Louisville, Notre Dame, SMU, Georgia Tech). Things will definitely change as the season goes on, but I can’t confidently pick them to win more than 6 of those match-ups.
Jay: 7-5
JoeGrav: 7-5. They will be an improved team from last year, but the schedule is really tough. Going 7-5 and then hopefully winning a bowl game would represent a huge step up from last year even with roughly the same record.
Niraj: 6-6, bowl game win for the inevitable 7
Curran: 6-6. The team could honestly be better than last year’s, but the schedule is too tough for the long-awaited 8-win breakthrough.
