Boston College 2020 Accolades Predictions

Some predictions for the upcoming season

The calendar has turned and we now enter the month of September. With it comes the start of Boston College football. In just three weeks the Eagles will be heading to Durham to face off with the Duke Blue Devils. As we get ready for game week, let's get out our crystal ball and start to make some predictions for the upcoming season. We have already seen the other experts project what will happen with the Eagles, now we will do the same. 

To start off our predictions week, let's look at individual accolades. These are players we are predicting will stand out for BC for various reasons. Check out our decisions below. 

Offensive Player of the Year: Phil Jurkovec

Yesterday, David Hale of ESPN has Jurkovec near the bottom of his ACC quarterbacks ranking chart. While I get that the Notre Dame transfer hasn't been a starter yet, I think his ceiling and what he will accomplish this season will be much greater than what Hale thinks. It has been over a decade since Boston College had a quarterback who could command the line of scrimmage and take over a game. I think Jurkovec will break that streak. 

He has everything that this offense desperately needs; a cannon for an arm, big and agile at 250 pounds, and solid accuracy. On top of that he has an offensive line that will give him time to make his reads, a big running back that will eat yards, and some solid weapons to get the ball to. While many don't give him credit because they haven't seen him play yet, by the end of this year the ACC will get a crash course on Phil Jurkovec.

Honorable Mentions: Zay Flowers, Hunter Long, David Bailey, Zion Johnson

Defensive Player of the Year: Max Richardson

The leader in the defensive huddle, Richardson's presence is going to be a major factor in the success of BC's defense in 2020. He is explosive, and a playmaker, the lone one from the 2019 squad. But now with more depth around him, especially up front, Richardson should take that next step. No longer will he be making plays, then the defense around him gives up endless chunk plays....well that is the hope. Richardson has all the potential for an All-ACC year, or better, and should lead the Eagles defense in most statistical categories.

Honorable Mentions: Isaiah McDuffie, Luc Bequette, Marcus Valdez

Special Teams Player of the Year: Travis Levy

The top returning kickoff specialist in the ACC in terms of yards, Levy was Mr. Consistency in 2019. Not super flashy like Mike Walker who graduated in 2019, Levy was dependable, and didn't have fumble the ball or make mistakes. Now a senior, look for Levy to continue that trend, to make sure the offense is never put in tough situations due to special team mistakes

Honorable Mentions: Grant Carlson, Aaron Boumerhi

Freshman of the Year: Taji Johnson

The talk of camp, Johnson, a wide receiver should play an immediate role in Frank Cignetti's offense. At 6'3 he has great size for a wide out, and has opened eyes this summer with some dazzling catches during practices. Boston College may have one of the deepest wide receiver groups in recent history, and Taji Johnson may be one of the most exciting in that group.

Honorable Mention: Cam Horsley

Most Improved Player: Mike Palmer

Palmer had a rough 2019, both in coverage and against the run. But to be fair most of the BC defense did. But there is more to the senior safety than some of the struggles  we saw last year. A lot of talk has been new coach Jeff Hafley tapping into his defensive back roots to fix the secondary. If there is one player who could benefit from that most it is Palmer. When he was placed in a position to succeed last season, he did pretty well, it was just that didn't happen consistently. Hafley should be able to evaluate him, understand that he works best playing downhill, and get him in a better spot to make plays this season. Expect a big year from Palmer. 

Honorable Mention: Joey Luchetti, Marcus Valdez , Brandon Sebastian

Comeback Player of the Year: Isaiah McDuffie

A knee injury in the spring game basically derailed 2019 for the talented linebacker. However he played near the end of the season, and especially against Pitt looked to be a huge missing piece in that defense. Now with a full year to heal, McDuffie will pair up with Max Richardson and John Lamot in what could be an exciting linebacker grouping. Like Richardson, McDuffie is a play maker, and come 2021 should be the linebacker on the Eagles everyone is talking about. 

Breakout Star: Zay Flowers

While some may argue that Flowers was a breakout star in 2019, he will take the next big step in 2020. There were periods of time last year where he didn't play much of a role in the offense, and only finished the season with 22 catches. All the talk this camp has been about his connection with presumed starting quarterback Phil Jurkovec. It seems that almost daily the two have hit on long catches. If they can continue that during games to any degree, Flowers may become one of the most dangerous wide receivers in the ACC. Which is ironic, because right now, no one is talking about him. But watch out, with his speed, and Jurkovec's arm, the pairing may put up quite the highlight reel this season. 

Honorable Mentions: Josh DeBerry, Connor Grieco, Christian Mahogany

Unsung Heroes: The Offensive Line

This group is set for a huge year, with loads of talent up and down the line. As we have mentioned before, the Eagles return four starters (Tyler Vrabel, Zion Johnson, Alec Lindstrom and Ben Petrula), all of whom have All ACC honors to their name. Not only that it is not unreasonable to say that the quartet could be playing in the NFL sooner rather than later. If the offense performs at a high level, it will start up front. They will be the reason David Bailey finds space for big runs and that Phil Jurkovec will have all the time in the world to pick apart secondaries. Folks will notice, but as always the offensive line won't get the credit they deserve.