Way Too Early Thoughts on the 2022 Boston College Football Season
Boston College football ended their 2021 season this weekend with the cancellation of the Military Bowl against ECU due to COVID-19 issues within the program. The Eagles now head into year three of the Jeff Hafley era, as the young head coach has amassed a 12-11 career record. With quarterback Phil Jurkovec, wide receiver Zay Flowers, offensive lineman Christian Mahogany and defensive back Josh DeBerry all announcing their returns, the upcoming season has a strong potential to be a memorable one for the Eagles.
So, what exactly are my thoughts on how the 2022 season will go for the Eagles? Here are my things to watch
The Health of Quarterback Phil Jurkovec
The biggest news of the season was the return of Jurkovec in November. The Notre Dame transfer missed six games due to a hand/wrist injury suffered in the second game of the season against UMass. During his absence, BC's offense sputtered, and it's efficiency fell off a cliff as his replacement, Dennis Grosel was unable to move the ball effectively down field, averaging just 10 points per game in the month of October.
Now the hope obviously is for a healthy slate of games for Jurkovec, but his style of play has become worrisome. A big burly quarterback, he has never been afraid to absorb contact to pick up a few extra yards on the ground or avoid a sack. While this has led to incredible highlight reel plays, it has also costed the quarterback. In his two years of playing for the Eagles, roughly half the games on the schedule he has either missed or been impacted by a lingering injury. If Jurkovec is going to take that next step, and become the 2022 Kenny Pickett, he has to stay on the field. That might mean a little tweaking on his mindset on taking hits.
Tougher Out of Conference, But Lucky Draw Cross Divisional
Boston College had a very weak out of conference schedule in 2021. Missouri who made a bowl game, was the only real challenge for the Eagles, and who knows how that game would have gone if Jurkovec was still healthy. In '22 Boston College draws @Notre Dame, Maine, Rutgers and @UConn. The Huskies and Maine are basically washes with UMass and Colgate in '21, with the Black Bears being a little better than the Red Raiders. Don't discount Rutgers, who won five games in 2021, and Greg Schiano has done a nice job of getting them back on track, and even got a bowl game handed to them after Texas A&M dropped out of the Gator Bowl. They are a big uptick in challenge from Temple. Finally, Notre Dame is a borderline playoff team, and under new head coach Marcus Freeman they could be humming next year, especially at home.
However, even with a challenging out of conference, BC's Coastal games are favorable with both teams Duke/VT, featuring new first time head coaches. Virginia Tech will most likely be in full rebuild mode for at least a year as they are replacing a ton of talent, especially on the offensive side of the hall. Duke is fresh off an abysmal year, with their lone real talent Mateo Durant heading to the NFL. Mike Elko is a solid hire for the Blue Devils, but he has a lot of work to do there.
Offensive Line---Step on Up
Boston College was fortunate to have at least four returning starters on the line over the past two seasons. In '21 they had the whole line return. But '22 will be a brand new look to the group. Zion Johnson, Alec Lindstrom and Ben Petrula all are gone, while Christian Mahogany and Tyler Vrabel will be the lone returners. Center Drew Kendall will most likely take over for Lindstrom, but that is a huge task for a redshirt freshman. Jack Conley, who had a tough few games in '21 filling in at tackle after Vrabel's injury, most likely will be the starter in '22. And at guard, look for Ozzy Trapilo to take over for Johnson. The highly touted sophomore got some playing time in '21, and looked solid, but with another winter/summer of training could be a real stud in '22. Beyond that will be question marks. Hafley will need "next guys up" on the depth chart, and those names will most likely reveal themselves over the next few months. Watch for names like Kevin Cline, Ilija Krajnovic and Dwayne Allick to pop up in reports.
Defense Needs To Take Next Step
Boston College's scoring defense jumped from 60th to 33rd in the country last season. Now to be fair points allowed jumps from 22 to 26.1 when you take out Temple, UMass and Colgate. There have been a few issues that have plagued the Eagles, but the one that keeps sticking out is pressuring the quarterback. BC finished 97th in the country in sacks last season. And while Hafley and Tem Lukabu have done a nice job disguising coverages and bringing blitzers, BC still lacks that playmaker that can turn a game. Whether that comes from developing someone on the roster or finding someone in the transfer portal, BC's defense sorely needs someone on the line that can consistently get at the quarterback. Marcus Valdez is a good piece at defensive end, but he needs help. If Boston College is going to take that next step in '22, finding that other defender either internally or elsewhere is critical.
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