Every Freshman Climbing the Depth Chart at Boston College Football Training Camp
In this story:
One of the many joys of college football training camps is witnessing the inner fire of underclassmen stepping onto campus with a fresh set of eyes and ears as they look to make a strong impression on the coaching staff.
The task is daunting, no doubt. But the opportunity in front of them is seemingly limitless, and the ones who take advantage of those opportunities early on often morph into leaders within their class later down the road.
Below is a closer look at which younger players have stood out for the Boston College football program throughout fall camp, and who will evidently rise up the depth chart as a result.
Quarterback Femi Babalola
Playing any position as a true freshman in college is extremely difficult, but none are quite as hard as quarterback.
Babalola was one of a dozen or so freshmen who decided to join the program this winter, so he had a bit more time to adjust to the speed of the college game than some of his current classmates.
But the fact that he is already getting second-team looks behind Mason McKenzie is a testament to his hasty processing abilities, which is essential to the quarterback’s responsibilities. Physical traits and talent are one thing, but the six-inch space between the quarterback’s ears is what determines the successful from the unsuccessful.
Size is certainly not an issue for Babalola, for the record — he towers over the other quarterbacks in the room at 6 feet 4 inches and weighs 230 pounds.
He still has ample room for growth, and there will be bumps along the way, which is true for any player his age. But the situation for his development with a coach like Bill O’Brien is ideal, and BC fans should be optimistic about the strides he has already taken.
Wide Receiver DJ Biggins
My eye caught Biggins initially after he made a tremendous over-the-shoulder catch in the endzone from McKenzie during the route-running portion of practice on day three of fall camp, which led to audible praise from O’Brien, accompanied by a little dance of celebration, if you will.
The odds of seeing O’Brien animated like this are quite small, so it must have meant something good.
Last year, it was Dawson Pough and Nedrick Boldin Jr. making a strong case to get playing time as true freshmen, but this year it appears to be Biggins, who is a product of Kingswood Oxford School in West Hartford, Conn.
Linebacker Steve Klein
The Eagles’ linebacker room isn’t the deepest, which means that defensive coordinator Ted Roof will inevitably rely on younger players to step up in this realm.
While that responsibility will fall more on sophomores Griffin Collins and Zacari Thomas, including redshirt sophomore Kemori Dixon, Klein should also be in the mix. The Westwood, N.J. native has made some impressive plays during camp, specifically batting down multiple passes at the line of scrimmage against Babalola and Grayson Wilson.
Defensive Lineman Mac Fitzgerald
A local player who watched all of spring ball, Fitzgerald, the son of strength and conditioning coach Craig Fitzgerald, is looking like he could be this year’s Micah Amedee in the defensive-line room.
He hasn’t been afraid to jump in where he is needed, whether it’s with the reserve defense or on special teams, and he clearly has an itch to prove why he belongs at this level, which is an admirable feature.
The 6-foot-3, 285-pound tackle isn’t one to be loud with his words, but he leads by example, and there is an edge to his work ethic that is rare for young players. Being the son of a professional strength coach must have something to do with it.
Defensive Back Jordan Rodriguez
Rodriguez is already fitting into the d-backs room well, and he doesn’t get fazed by matchups against older players, whether it is during team drills or 1-on-1s.
The Eagles possess a strong secondary, however, so Rodriguez may not get the playing time that players like Marcus Upton, TJ Green, and Ashton Cunningham received last year as freshmen as a result of injuries, but he's certainly got that "it" factor that coaches rave about.
Follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky, and Instagram for the latest Boston College news.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Graham Dietz is a 2025 graduate of Boston College and subsequently joined Boston College On SI. He previously served as an editor for The Heights, the independent student newspaper, from fall 2021, including as Sports Editor from 2022-23. Graham works for The Boston Globe as a sports correspondent, covering high school football, girls' basketball, and baseball. He was also a beat writer for the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League in the summer of 2023.
Follow graham_dietz