Stellar, Standard & Subpar: DE Marcus Valdez
The players have returned to campus and we inch closer to the start of the college football season. BC Bulletin will be previewing each player and projecting out their season. In these breakdowns, we discuss what a stellar, standard, and subpar season would look like for them. We are going in numerical order, today we preview defensive end Marcus Valdez.
Now a junior, Marcus Valdez comes to the Eagles from Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey. He is an interesting player in terms of physical makeup, as it is uncommon to see defensive end who is only six feet tall.
While he hasn't been a regular starter, only officially starting one game in 2019, Valdez looks to be a major factor on the defensive line in 2020. Pro Football Focus rated him one of the top returning defensive ends in the ACC this year, an honor he is going to have to live up to if BC's defense is going to improve.
Last season for the Eagles, Valdez showed glimpses of explosiveness coming off the edge. He had 7.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks on the season. With Luc Bequette coming in from Cal, and Shittah Sillah putting on twenty five pounds of muscle, Hafley is going to have to figure out how best to utilize the trio. How that looks coming out of camp remains to be seen.
Stellar
Valdez wins the starting role out of camp. He takes a step forward in terms of production and gives Boston College a legitimate pass rusher this season. Easily doubles his sack total from last year.
Standard
Valdez again wins the starting job out of camp. Good season, with some flashes of strong play. But the defensive line still needs to continue to grow. Eagles have moments throughout the season where they still struggle to get pressure.
Subpar
Either he doesn't win the starting job out of camp, or doesn't progress in his play. Finishes with the same sack total as last year.
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