The Extra Point: Assessing Boston College Football's 2026 Transfer Portal Additions

With just a few more hours remaining until the 2026 NCAA football transfer portal closes, it is officially time to start assessing how the Boston College football program did to enhance its 2026 roster after going 2-10 overall and 1-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference last season.

BC’s first-year general manager Kenyatta Watson — a former wide receiver and return specialist for the Eagles who previously served as the assistant general manager for Auburn — said he was going to make an immediate impact when he arrived on campus back in December, and he certainly lived up to his word.

Watson and BC head coach Bill O’Brien, along with the rest of the recruiting staff, brought in 26 total transfers from the portal this offseason, and the majority (17) came from Power-4 schools (programs that play in either the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, or Big 12).

On the flip side, the Eagles also lost 31 former players to the portal from their 2025 roster, so there is a tremendous amount of work to be done in the building, starting with Spring ball.

But the fact of the matter is that BC’s athletics department vowed to utilize its resources to revamp the football program, and this is a legitimate step in the right direction on paper — even if it does not pan out perfectly.

Here is a closer look at BC's 2026 transfer additions.

Breakdown by position:

QB - 2 (Mason McKenzie, Grayson Wilson)

RB - 2 (Evan Dickens, Nolan Ray)

WR - 4 (Landon Wright, Reed Swanson, Jackson Wade, Javarius Green)

TE - 1 (Cameron Kossmann)

OL - 5 (Jani Norwood, Vegeur Jean Jumeau, Trevon Humphrey Jr., Kristian Phillips, Reggie Jackson)

LB - 4 (Justin Medlock, Kris Jones, Bodie Kahoun, Anthony Palano)

DL/DE - 3 (Christian Hudson, KJ Sampson, Demetrius Ballard)

DB - 3 (Chandler Jordan, Kameron Howard, Kevyn Humes)

LS - 1 (John Owens)

P - 1 (Bryce LaFollette)

For the most part, the numbers by position are relatively even, which is a good sign.

O’Brien might have prioritized the offense by a slight margin, but that is understandable considering BC lost nearly all of its offensive production from last season — prominently quarterbacks Dylan Lonergan (Rutgers) and Grayson James (graduated), running back Turbo Richard (Indiana), wide receivers Lewis Bond (NFL Draft) and Reed Harris (Arizona State), and offensive linemen Jude Bowry (NFL Draft) and Logan Taylor (NFL Draft).

Aside from Ballard (Buffalo) and Jordan (Georgia State), every defensive newcomer comes from programs in the Power-4, including the likes of Georgia (Jones), Notre Dame (Kahoun), Florida State (Sampson), and Alabama (Howard), which speak for themselves.

Who moves the needle:

The player that definitely stands out among the rest is running back Evan Dickens from Liberty.

As a redshirt sophomore last year, Dickens manufactured 1,339 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns on 229 carries. He averaged 5.8 yards per attempt and was listed as the Flames’ third-string back at the beginning of the season, which speaks volumes about his ability to rapidly process information from the coaching staff and apply those lessons to his game.

In his first appearance of the year, against Maine on Aug. 30, 2025, Dickens carried the ball just 10 times for 34 yards and caught one pass for a 24-yard score. In his final game, on Nov. 29, the 5-foot-11, 195-pound ball carrier received 43 handoffs and amassed 267 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, including one reception for 16 yards.

That is a ludicrous statline by any stretch of the imagination, especially for a college running back.

Dickens finished the year stacking five straight performances with 100-plus rushing yards, including at least one touchdown, and averaged 7.6 and 6.2 yards per carry, respectively, in his penultimate and final game with his former program.

Dickens must be a focal point of O’Brien’s offense in 2026, especially if Saginaw Valley State transfer Mason McKenzie, who is a dual-threat quarterback that rushed for 1,673 yards in 25 games over the past three years, ends up being named the Eagles’ starter.

Most intriguing newcomers:

While there is not much tape available of his play from last season, defensive end Demetrius Ballard from Buffalo boasts impressive length and size at 6-foot-6, 256 lbs.

Depending on the scheme of first-year defensive coordinator Ted Roof and how he exercises the defensive line, a player with Ballard’s frame could have limitless potential in the trenches, so it is only a matter of time to see how the New Kensington, Penn., native adjusts to lining up against ACC-caliber offensive linemen compared to what he faced in the Mid-American Conference.

That also applies to former Colgate wide receiver Reed Swanson, a 6-foot-6, 215-pound wideout who is coming off a career-best season in which he tallied 939 yards and eight touchdowns on 57 receptions.

Swanson primarily competed against FCS programs in the Patriot League, however, which is a major step down — and then some — from what the ACC possesses in terms of overall talent in the secondary.

Full list of transfers (with articles linked):

Justin Medlock | Senior | Linebacker | Missouri City, Texas | 6-0, 223 | Previous School: SMU/Utah
Landon Wright | Redshirt Freshman | Wide Receiver | Fresno, Calif. | 5-11, 173 | Previous School: Washington State
Bryce LaFollette | Redshirt Junior | Punter | Chesapeake Beach, Md. | 6-3, 210 | Previous School: Towson/Virginia Tech
Jani Norwood | Redshirt Freshman | Offensive Lineman | Ramsuer, N.C. | 6-4, 290 | Previous School: UNC
Vegeur Jean Jumeau | Offensive Tackle | Nashville, Tenn. | 6-8, 288 | Previous School: Tennessee State
Kris Jones | Freshman | Linebacker | Stafford, Va. | 6-2, 230 | Previous School: Georgia
Christian Hudson | Defensive Tackle | Daytona Beach, Fla. | 6-1, 300 | Previous School: Colorado
Bodie Kahoun | Redshirt Freshman | Linebacker | Roanoke, Va. | 6-2, 230 | Previous School: Notre Dame
Chandler Jordan | Freshman | Defensive Back | Suwannee, Ga. | 6-3, 220 | Previous School: Georgia State
Reed Swanson | Junior | Wide Receiver | Glen Gardner, N.J. | 6-6, 215 | Previous School: Colgate
Cameron Kossmann | Freshman | Tight End | Chesterfield, Mo. | 6-4, 245 | Previous School: Florida
Trevon Humphrey Jr. | Redshirt Junior | Offensive Lineman | Greensboro, N.C. | 6-5, 295 | Previous School: North Carolina Central
Grayson Wilson | Redshirt Freshman | Quarterback | North Little Rock, Ark. | 6-3, 215 | Previous School: Arkansas
Nolan Ray | Redshirt Freshman | Running Back | Southfield, Mich. | 5-11, 215 | Previous School: Maryland
Kameron Howard | Redshirt Sophomore | Defensive Back | Clinton, Md. | 5-11, 195 | Previous School: Alabama/Charlotte
Kevyn Humes | Junior | Defensive Back | Baltimore, Md. | 6-0, 185 | Previous School: Maryland
Evan Dickens | Redshirt Junior | Running Back | Roswell, Ga. | 5-11, 195 | Previous School: Liberty
Kristian Phillips | Redshirt Junior | Offensive Lineman | Conyers, Ga. | 6-4, 310 | Previous School: Michigan State
KJ Sampson | Redshirt Freshman | Defensive Lineman | New Bern, N.C. | 6-3, 306 | Previous School: Florida State
Jackson Wade | Redshirt Sophomore | Wide Receiver | Dallas, Ga. | 5-11, 185 | Previous School: Florida
Reggie Jackson | Redshirt Sophomore | Offensive Lineman | Orlando, Fla. | 6-5, 300 | Previous School: Jacksonville State
Javarius Green | Redshirt Freshman | Wide Receiver | Shelby, N.C. | 5-10, 195 | Previous School: UNC
Anthony Palano | Redshirt Freshman | Linebacker | Arlington Heights, Ill. | 6-1, 224 | Previous School: Washington State
Mason McKenzie | Redshirt Sophomore | Quarterback | Caledonia, Mich. | 6-1, 190 | Previous School: Saginaw Valley State
Demetrius Ballard | Redshirt Freshman | EDGE | New Kensington, Penn. | 6-6, 256 | Previous School: Buffalo
John Owens | Redshirt Senior | Long Snapper / Tight End | Tampa, Fla. | 6-3, 245 | Previous School: Holy Cross

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