Bill O'Brien Names Starting QB for Boston College Football's SMU Matchup

Bill O'Brien has decided to go with his veteran option under center for the Eagles' ACC contest against the Mustangs.

Nov 1, 2025; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; Boston College Eagles quarterback Grayson James (3) looks to pass the ball in the fourth quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Edward Finan-Imagn Images | Edward Finan-Imagn Images

Despite not starting him against No. 12 Notre Dame on Saturday, even though he came in for the majority of the game, Boston College football head coach Bill O’Brien has named redshirt senior quarterback Grayson James the Eagles’ starter for their Week 11 matchup against SMU.

BC is set to host the Mustangs on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. ET, and the conference matchup will be televised live on ACC Network.

“[Not] the rest of the year, [you can’t predict that], but for this game, yeah,” O’Brien said. “He competes. He’s doing a good job. He’s fighting and he’s doing a good job. So yeah, he’ll start against SMU.”

After the Eagles’ 25-10 loss to the Fighting Irish over the weekend, which brought the program’s record to 1-8 on the season, O’Brien announced that James was dealing with a hip pointer injury but has still been able to suit up and play.

For the first six weeks of the season, O’Brien elected to start redshirt-sophomore Dylan Lonergan, who transferred over the offseason from Alabama and was named the starter during the preseason, but he decided to go in a different direction for BC’s matchup with UConn on Oct. 18, which BC lost, 38-23.

Lonergan was named the starter against Notre Dame, but O’Brien pulled him after just one quarter and a drive.

In his last three performances, James has passed for 688 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions. O’Brien said his reasoning for pulling Lonergan out of the game early in the second quarter was to give the Eagles’ a spark, and he believes James provided that spark.

“He’s been around a long time,” O’Brien said. “He started out at a different school, he transferred here. He’s a very improved player in the time that he’s been here. And yeah, the guys, he brings a lot of energy to the huddle. He’s a great competitor, and he’s an even better person.”

BC had not started a season before 2025 with a 1-7 record since 1988, and Saturday’s loss to the Fighting Irish marked the eighth straight loss for the Eagles.

After Tuesday’s practice, senior tight end Jeremiah Franklin also weighed in on the differences between James and Lonergan in terms of leadership styles and how they carry themselves on the field.

“I think experience definitely comes into play with that stuff,” Franklin said. “It's hard to be like, you know, fresh on the field and really be like that real field general, which is why whenever you see Dylan, you're out there and you're like, ‘Wow.’ It's very impressive that he can do what he does, because he's still fresh. And I think it's actually a really big compliment to Dylan that he is able to do that.”

Franklin added: “You know, he was having a great year. He's still doing great, and I think it's a really big kudos to him. And obviously, with experience, Grayson knows what to expect out there or people, and I think since he's been on the team longer, it does help Grayson a lot in that area.”