Five '21 Breakout Candidates On Offense
Boston College has had their program defined by players who come from out of nowhere on to the national scene. Whether it's Luke Kuechly, Chris Lindstrom or Matt Ryan, the Eagles have become a program that has drawn in under the radar guys and developed them into NFL stars.
Today, we are going to look at the offensive side of the ball, and talk about five players who could start that journey this year. This isn't going to include Phil Jurkovec or Zay Flowers, or 4/5ths of the offensive line, they are very much on the scene at this point. But who else could jump up for a big year? Here are our five choices.
5. Patrick Garwo II - Running Back.
Last year was a tough one for the running back, who got his chance to crack the two deep, but was derailed by a pair of injuries. But there is much more to Garwo than the 3.24 yards per carry he had in 2020. He has been around the program, has the coach's faith and with a year under his belt, and David Bailey gone, could be a major player on the offensive side of the ball. Alec Lindstrom said earlier this year that he wanted to see the offense assert their will in the red zone, and just pound the ball into the end zone. If that was to happen, Garwo could be a big time red zone threat.
4. Kobay White- Wide Receiver
Now it's not fair to say that 2019's leading receiver could be a "breakout star". But remember he led the team with just 29 receptions that year. White, a graduate student is coming back from a big knee injury, so that will be a challenge in of itself. But with a new offensive scheme and one of the ACC's best quarterbacks, Phil Jurkovec throwing him the ball, White could be on pace for a massive season. Especially with defenses forced to spend so much time and resources figuring out how to stop Zay Flowers.
3. Christian Mahogany- Guard
Tyler Vrabel, Alec Lindstrom, Ben Petrula and Zion Johnson are all established offensive lineman at this point. The same could be said for Mahogany who started all 11 games last year in his first year as a starter. He had a good year, but the offensive line was a bit out of sync due to COVID-19/new system/new staff. This could be the year he becomes the future of the offensive line. With a bit more work with his fellow linemates, Mahogany's name could be one we hear more and more as the season progresses.
2. Trae Barry- Tight End
Barry was All American last year at the FCS level, but 2021 could be the season he becomes a household name. The Eagles have a huge hole at tight end left by the graduation of Hunter Long, and Barry on paper looks to be the TE to fill that slot. He's tall, quick and plays more like a wide receiver. There is every possibility by the end of this year he could be one of the top tight ends in the country, especially with Jurkovec getting him the ball.
1. Jaelen Gill- Wide Receiver
Boston College has more wide receivers than they know what to do with at this point. Flowers, White, CJ Lewis, Jehlani Galloway are all going to most likely be on the two deep. But the player on BC's offense that is primed to take that next big step is Ohio State transfer Jaelen Gill. He had a few big time plays in 2020, but it was always just here and there. 2021 could be a whole other animal. With more comfort in the offense, and Flowers grabbing so much attention, it could be Gill who becomes the next big homerun threat for the Eagles.
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