Boston College Football 2026 Top 20 Player Rankings: No. 9

The excitement for Boston College football’s upcoming campaign, the third with Bill O’Brien at the helm, is becoming increasingly tangible.

The Eagles practiced inside Alumni Stadium for the first time this past weekend, taking the field for a “scrimmage” with real officials present to rehearse exactly what it might feel, look, and sound like on gameday.

There are still 19 days until that day comes, however, which brings us back to our countdown of BC’s top 20 players heading into the season.

Next up is a player who transferred into the program this December from a true blue-blood college football program, one that has two national championships under its belt since 2020.

That is…

No. 9: Redshirt Sophomore EDGE Kris Jones

Jones, who came to the Heights from the University of Georgia, was a consensus four-star recruit and the No. 2 overall prospect from the state of Virginia in the class of 2024, and his knowledge of the game, especially for his position as a dynamic pass rusher, appears to be extensive.

As a senior at Fairfax, he helped the Lions go 9-4 overall and reach the VHSL Class 6A regional championship game — the highest tier for public schools in the state. Before that, he attended Mountain View High School in his hometown of Stafford, Va., carrying the Wildcats to back-to-back 11-2 seasons and a Class 5A regional championship game in both as well.

The adjustment from playing in the SEC for the Bulldogs to the ACC for the Eagles will be a major one for a few reasons, but primarily because of the expectations that are set out for him this year.

As opposed to playing at UGA, where every other player around him is just as highly-ranked in terms of recruiting, Jones stands out among his peers in Chestnut Hill, Mass., and the coaching staff is surely hoping that he can produce in a big way — especially after a season which did not fare well for BC’s edge rushers and defensive line overall.

In two seasons with the Bulldogs, the 6-foot-2-inch, 245-pound end played in all 14 games, including the Sugar Bowl, totaling seven tackles. He has already received ample playing time within first-year defensive coordinator Ted Roof’s system this fall, and that is expected to be the case for this entire year.

In fact, Roof actually recruited Jones out of high school when he served as Oklahoma’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, so they are already quite familiar with one another and have that relationship somewhat established.

“Man, I just believe [in] what BC’s trying to do,” Jones said during spring ball. “I love the coaching staff, [and] when I walked in the building it just felt like home.”

Meet the Player: Kris Jones

Position: Defensive end

Year: Redshirt Sophomore

Hometown: Stafford, Va.

High School, Former School: Fairfax, Georgia

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 245 lbs.

Number: 4

Additional info: On why he chose the No. 4, which he has never worn before: “So this is my first year wearing a single digit, but growing up all my life, I wore 44. Coming here, you know, I just wanted to do something different, but I still wanted to keep 4.”

This is the 12th story in Boston College Eagles On SI's summer preview series of Boston College football's top 20 players (and honorable mentions) heading into the program's third year under head coach Bill O'Brien. Ensuing stories will be published before BC's season opener on Sept. 5.

Top 20:

9. R-So. EDGE Kris Jones
10. R-Jr. DT Chris Marable Jr.
11. So. OG Rob Smith IV
12. So. RB Bo MacCormack III
13. R-So. LB Bodie Kahoun
14. R-So. CB Syair Torrence
15. R-So. DE Demetrius Ballard
16. Sr. CB Max Tucker
17. R-Jr. DT KJ Sampson
18. R-Sr. DT Onye Nwosisi
19. R-Jr. WR Reed Swanson
20. R-Jr. C Michael Crounse

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