Replacement Options for OG Christian Mahogany
Fans of Boston College received some unwelcome news on Thursday night. ESPN's Pete Thamel officially confirmed the rumors surrounding the Eagle's star right guard, Christian Mahogany. At some point after the spring game, Mahogany suffered a torn ACL and is expected to miss the 2022 football season. This leaves Boston College with zero returning starters and very little experience along the offensive line.
BC fans got some injury luck last season when Phil Jurkovec made a surprising return to the lineup a few months after suffering a broken wrist. Unfortunately, even with the advancements in medical technology and injury rehabilitation, it seems unlikely that Mahogany will be able to play this year. Therefore, Jeff Hafley and his new offensive brain trust will need to find a replacement for the All-ACC offensive lineman. Listed below are the leading candidates to fill Mahogany's shoes at right guard.
Blerim Rustemi
Blerim Rustemi saw the field for the first time last season, getting in for a handful of plays against Colgate in the opener. He’s an undersized guard that might be best on the left side, depending on the run schemes John McNulty and Dave DeGuglielmo want to employ. Nevertheless, I would still be surprised to see Rustemi earn a spot in the starting lineup.
Finn Dirstine
Finn Dirstine was already penciled in as the starter at left guard. But maybe he would be more comfortable playing on the right side of the line. When Dirstine filled in temporarily for Christian Mahogany last season, he played at right guard. In theory, right guards typically lean more towards power while left guards are more agile. Allegedly, Dirstine should be closer to the former type, so right guard might be a better fit for him. Furthermore, that position switch would open up the left guard spot where a greater variety of players could slide in.
Kevin Cline
According to reports out of spring practice, Kevin Cline is one of the up-and-coming stars along the Boston College offensive line. Cline came to BC in 2020 as a physically massive recruit, measuring in at 6’7” and 347 pounds according to his 247 Sports profile. He’s cleaned up his body the last two years (now listed at 6’6”, 314) and saw the field sparingly at left tackle last year in mop-up duty. Nevertheless, given that players like Ozzy Trapilo and Jack Conley have more experience, it might be best to start him out at guard. If he plays well and other players struggle, maybe he could kick back out to tackle later in the season. Regardless, with Mahogany out for a significant amount of time, expect to see Cline in the lineup at some point this year.
Jack Conley
However, if Cline continues to impress the coaches, maybe he could supplant the returning starter at left tackle. Jack Conley struggled mightily in his starts in 2021, especially at left tackle. Given his size and traits profile, he could be a more natural fit at either guard spot. I imagine he will be the starter at left tackle to begin the season. But if his issues reappear in 2022, kicking inside to guard could help rejuvenate his career by making his job easier.