What's the Plan for Boston College Football's Offensive Line in 2026? O'Brien says 'Competition'
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CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — Following the 17th practice of Boston College football’s 2026 fall training camp, head coach Bill O’Brien briefly went into detail on the current status of the Eagles’ offensive-line unit, which has yet to feature one fully-set combination this preseason.
It all comes down to competition, according to O’Brien, especially as it pertains to the exterior.
“Yeah, I think there’s a lot of competition there,” said O’Brien. “I think there’s competition at the tackle spot.”
Truthfully, it has been quite a long time since there was this much “competition” for starting roles in the trenches for the Eagles, which speaks to how much continuity there has been for the program in that area.
While the defensive line is more prone to rotating frequently, especially in defensive coordinator Ted Roof’s multiple scheme, the O-line typically does not change unless it needs to.
But the only true returning starter for BC’s offensive line coming into this season is center Michael Crounse, so there was really no other option but to see which players — returners and transfers alike — would earn those roles.
The guard positions appear to be more set in stone, according to O’Brien.
“Michael Crounse is a center, that’s what he plays,” O’Brien said. “But you look at Judah Pruitt and Rob Smith [IV], [we] feel pretty good about the inside guys. Those guys have played really well.”
Pruitt and Smith are returners, but neither have much starting experience — Smith appeared in eight games with five starts at both left and right guard last season, while Pruitt primarily played on the field-goal and PAT protection units.
The two tackle spots have seen the most experimentation, as there are a number of players who could fill the roles that were previously occupied by Jude Bowry (Buffalo Bills’ third-round pick) and Logan Taylor (Los Angeles Chargers’ sixth-rounder).
“The tackle spot, we feel really good about it, but it’s a competition, right?” O’Brien said. “You’ve got Trevon [Humphrey], you’ve got Pape [Abdoulaye Sy], you’ve got [Veguer Jean-Jumeau], you’ve got Kristian [Phillips], and that’s a good problem to have. So we feel good about where we’re at.”
Phillips, a transfer from Michigan State, is arguably the most dynamic of the bunch, as he can play either tackle or guard.
Although the combinations have looked different each practice, O’Brien has tried to keep the same five together for the full period each day so that there is not too much mixing and matching, which could become a disservice to the rest of the offense as it tries to sync into rhythm.
“We try to play the same five by day,” O’Brien said. “So today we’re [played] this five together. Tomorrow we’ll play this five together. So they’ve all played together and they understand each other’s communication and all the different things that go into playing next to each other. But I think that they’ve really gotten better.”
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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.
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