Bill O'Brien Uncommitted to Naming Starting QB for BC Football's Notre Dame Matchup

BC football hosts Notre Dame for the 27th all-time edition of the "Holy War" on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Oct 25, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Boston College Eagles quarterback Grayson James (3) looks to pass against the Louisville Cardinals during the second half at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

After starting senior Grayson James for the past two games, which both resulted in losses, Boston College football head coach Bill O’Brien said on Tuesday leading up to the Eagles’ matchup against Notre Dame on Saturday that he has not decided which quarterback will start for BC.

“I’d say it’s [to be determined] based on a lot of things,” O’Brien said. “Not because of the way anybody played, or anything like that. It’s just TBD. So it’s just between me and the team.”

.@BCFootball head coach Bill O’Brien said that the starting quarterback for the Eagles’ matchup against Notre Dame this weekend is “TBD.”

He said he will do what is best for the team to win NOW.

— Graham Dietz (@graham_dietz) October 28, 2025

O’Brien’s response to withhold his decision comes in the wake of BC’s seventh loss in a row, a 38-24 road defeat at No. 19 Louisville, which drops the program to its worst start through eight games since 1989.

In the preseason, on Aug. 12, O’Brien named redshirt-sophomore Dylan Lonergan—who transferred to BC from Alabama—the starting quarterback for the Eagles. 

Lonergan led the nation in passing yards per game through the first three games of the season, racking up 991 yards through the air and nine touchdown passes with just one interception in a 66-10 win over Fordham, a 42-40 double-overtime loss at Michigan State, and a 30-20 loss on the road against Stanford.

Lonergan had arguably his worst performance of the year against California in Chestnut Hill, Mass., on Sept. 27, tossing two interceptions—including one at the goal line in the final minute which sealed the win for the Golden Bears—and passing for 197 yards on a 56.8 percent completion rate.

O’Brien finally pulled Lonergan three games later after the Eagles were blown out by a combined score of 89-17 in consecutive losses to Pittsburgh and Clemson, and James—who started five games for BC in 2024—stepped in.

While James has performed serviceably with 448 passing yards, five touchdowns passes, and two interceptions through the past two games, the Eagles have still not recorded a win in that span, falling to UConn at home, 38-23, and to the Cardinals in Louisville, Ky., by nearly the same score.

James’ two interceptions in his two-game starting streak both occurred in the second half against Louisville.

When asked about his reasoning for potentially changing the starter this week, O’Brien affirmatively answered that his decision comes down to which player gives the Eagles the best chance to win right now.

"What's best for the team is to do the best we can of winning,” O’Brien said. “The wins are more important right now than anything else, so every decision we make relative to this game, the next game, the game after that, is about putting our team in the best position ... to win."