Previewing Boston College Football's 2026 Position Groups: Linebackers

One of the major focuses for the Boston College football recruiting staff this offseason was improving its linebacker room through the transfer portal after it was decimated by injuries in 2025.

The Eagles only had one linebacker total more than 16 tackles last season, Owen McGowan, which is somewhat unfathomable.

Nevertheless, Dan O’Brien retained his position as the program’s linebackers coach, and the unit is expected to improve drastically with the additions that were made.

Take a closer look at the group:

At a Glance

The middle linebacker is often characterized as the quarterback of the defense, and the player who best embodies that aphorism for BC’s 2026 roster is Washington State transfer Anthony Palano, who has a solid chance of being named a team captain after he represented the Eagles at 2026 ACC Kickoff alongside safety KP Price and quarterback Mason McKenzie.

A redshirt sophomore from Arlington Heights, Ill., Palano appeared in 12 games with seven starts for the Cougars last season, in which he recorded 65 tackles, four quarterback hurries, and two pass breakups.

Palano started his collegiate career at South Dakota State after earning First-Team All-State and Offensive MVP honors as a senior at Buffalo Grove High School, where he registered 65 tackles and manufactured over 1,000 all-purpose yards with 17 touchdowns.

“He brings a guy that [has] a lot of passion, a lot of energy, a lot of pride,” defensive coordinator Ted Roof said of Palano. “He’s very prideful in knowing what to do and executing, trying to be physical with it. And he’s a guy that his energy rubs off on other people on our defense. That’s what you want of a guy that’s in the middle of that, to provide that. Of the good teams that I’ve been around, that’s happened. It’s a necessary piece, and he’s done a good job with it.”

The other transfer who the coaching staff has raved about leading up to the season is redshirt sophomore Bodie Kahoun, who came from Notre Dame — where he was said to be the most athletic linebacker in the Fighting Irish’s 2025 position room because of his lacrosse background.

A former four-star recruit, the Roanoke, Va., native only churned out a pair of tackles in 12 appearances for Notre Dame, but he is constantly teeming with energy and passion, which sparks life into the defense as a whole.

Last among the transfer crop is SMU transfer Justin Medlock, a redshirt senior who brings prior ACC experience to the room after appearing in eight games last season for the Mustangs and accumulated 25 tackles, one sack, and a 96-yard pick six.

On the returning side, sophomore Zacari Thomas and redshirt sophomore Kemori Dixon have stepped into much bigger roles this offseason and are primed for consistent playing time.

Dixon played in seven games last season with three starts, collecting four tackles and a sack, while Thomas tallied six tackles and a forced fumble in nine games played as a reserve linebacker and on special teams.

Sophomore Griffin Collins is technically the top returner statistically, as he amassed 15 tackles, including one for loss, and a quarterback hit as a true freshman last year, and redshirt junior Palaie Faoa also has some playing time under his belt as a reserve — he produced three tackles in 2025, all against Syracuse in the Eagles’ season finale.

One freshman linebacker who has really taken advantage of his playing time in fall camp and likely will land himself a spot on the team plane for BC’s first contest of the year at Cincinnati is Steve Klein out of Westwood, N.J.

Projected Early-Season Depth Chart

Middle Linebacker

1. Anthony Palano

2. Kemori Dixon

3. Griffin Collins

4. Palaie Faoa

5. Steve Klein

Will

1. Bodie Kahoun

2. Justin Medlock

3. Zacari Thomas

4. Juan Zabal

2026 Boston College Linebackers

Justin Medlock – Redshirt Senior, 6-0, 200

Transferred to BC from SMU this offseason, played for Utah originally. Totaled 25 tackles last season, including a sack and a 96-yard interception he returned for a touchdown. With the Utes, made nine tackles in 15 games played.

Juan Zabal – Redshirt Senior, 6-1, 225

IMG Academy product from Mexico City who played in 11 games last year, primarily on special teams, including nine games in 2024, and one in 2023. Team captain for IMG all four years and a member of the National Honors Society.

Palaie Faoa – Redshirt Junior, 6-1, 225

Made his first career tackles (3) against Syracuse last year after playing in eight games in 2024 on special teams. Originally from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, but played for Bishop Gorman in Nevada during high school, where he earned CLass 5A Desert League Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior.

Anthony Palano – Redshirt Sophomore, 6-1, 230

Played in 18 career games at Wazzu and South Dakota State before transferring to the Heights this winter. Logged 65 tackles, four QB hurries, and two pass breakups in 2025 for the Cougars.

Bodie Kahoun – Redshirt Sophomore, 6-2, 225

Made 12 game appearances for Notre Dame over a two-year span before coming to Chestnut Hill, Mass., totaling two tackles. Was both a four-star recruit in football and lacrosse from Patrick Henry High School, where he holds a school-record in career tackles with 203 and scored over 125 goals with more than 50 career assists in lacrosse.

Kemori Dixon – Redshirt Sophomore, 6-1, 225

Two-time All-Region selection in high school from Danville, Va., started in three games with seven appearances last season, finishing with four tackles and a sack which came against Georgia Tech. Only played in one game his freshman year.

Sean Howard – Redshirt Sophomore, 5-11, 205

Did not see game action this past season after redshirting in 2024. Native of McLean, Va., and a two-time conference champion at St. John’s College High School in Washington, D.C.

Zacari Thomas – Sophomore, 6-0, 215

Amassed six tackles and a forced fumble as a reserve linebacker in 2025. Notched over 80 tackles in his final two seasons at Jones County High School in Macon, Ga.

Griffin Collins – Sophomore, 6-3, 230

Longmeadow, Mass., native and product of Worcester Academy. Generated 16 total tackles with one for loss and a QB hit in his true-freshman campaign for the Eagles.

Steve Klein – Freshman, 6-2, 200

Ranked as a top-15 prospect from the state of New Jersey before joining the Eagles in June. Registered five interceptions, two pass breakups, and two forced fumbles en route to First-Team All-State honors as a senior at Westwood High School. Additionally scored 30 touchdowns on offense.

Callen Beveridge – Freshman, 6-3, 215

Hails from Concord, Mass., and attended The Governor’s Academy in high school, where he played linebacker and tight end. Totaled 60+ tackles with 15 for loss and an interception as a captain his senior year.

This is the eighth story of Boston College Eagles On SI's summer position previews series. We're providing an in-depth look at every position group through the rest of August.

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