Time to Bench Lonergan? O'Brien Leaves Door Open Ahead of UConn Clash: Just a Minute

Dylan Lonergan is BC's quarterback of the future, but senior Grayson James deserves his shot to give the Eagles a different perspective after 1-5 start.

Aug 30, 2025; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; Boston College Eagles quarterback Grayson James (3) reacts to his touchdown pass against the Fordham Rams during the second half at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

In Tuesday’s post-practice press conference, Boston College football head coach Bill O’Brien was verbally non-committal about the potential of a quarterback change ahead of the Eagles’ Uconn matchup on Saturday at noon.

“Eh, we’re just gonna keep going the way we’re going,” O’Brien said. “And keep fighting. And, you know, we know what’s going on here in this program, and that’s what we’re gonna do, just keep going.”

Of course, O’Brien doesn’t want to give away the answer, which would seemingly give the Huskies a competitive advantage heading into the game, but his response was not a definitive no, which opens the door to the possibility of a quarterback change.

Redshirt-sophomore quarterback Dylan Lonergan, who transferred from Alabama during the offseason and was named the starter by O’Brien during fall training camp, looked undeniably fabulous right out of the gate this year.

There was even a time when Lonergan led the nation in total passing yards, passing yards per game, and became just the second quarterback in the Atlantic Coast Conference this century to throw for eight touchdowns without an interception through the first two games of the season.

But ever since Sept. 6, when the Eagles fell to Michigan State, 42-40 in double overtime, in East Lansing, Mich., in which Lonergan went 34-for-45 passing with 390 yards and four touchdowns, he has just barely scratched the surface of playing like his former self—the one in the first three weeks of the season—while simultaneously making egregious turnovers more often than producing points.

Lonergan is still BC’s quarterback of the future—there is no doubt about that unless he decides to wave goodbye in the transfer portal after the season ends—but right now, in this current moment, the Eagles are desperate for just a single win, or multiple, and Lonergan might not give the program the best chance of doing that.

While exposure to gameplay is always great, development often coalesces on the sidelines, in the film room, and by watching tape in order to correct mistakes. 

It takes time to process these mistakes, but Lonergan has had to plan for a new defense every week, which is another test in and of itself. He has not caught a break from this cycle—no starting quarterback does—and it appears as though his overall inexperience at the collegiate level has caught up to him to the point where it is taking a toll on his progression. 

Since the first half of the Stanford game ended, Lonergan has not thrown a single touchdown pass. That is three and a half total games without one—equivalent to 10 quarters.

In his first three games, Lonergan accumulated 991 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and just one interception. In his past three games, he has totaled just 403 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. 

Lonergan’s current form and his past form are like night and day, and while it is certainly not all Lonergan’s fault that BC has lost five straight games, it is important for O’Brien to keep confidence instilled in the player he initially named the starter for the sake of his future.

With all that being said, it brings up a question about O’Brien’s decision to continue starting Lonergan despite stacking up multiple below-average performances over the veteran Grayson James, who stepped in for the Eagles last year to replace Tommy Castellanos after he transferred in the middle of the season and willed BC to a 4-2 record in its last six games of the year—including the bowl loss to Nebraska.

Despite 1-5 Start, Bill O'Brien Defends BC Football's Heart as UConn Matchup Approaches

James nearly guided BC to an upset win over then-No. 14 Southern Methodist (SMU) on the road, in which he recorded 237 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception with a rushing score. He finished the season with 1,202 passing yards, six touchdowns, two interceptions, and three rushing touchdowns with a completion rate of 63.9 percent.

The main thing, however, is that James won games, which is what BC needs right now badly—quite literally more than anything.

James was objectively terrific in the Eagles’ Week One win over Fordham when he came in to replace Lonergan in the final quarter or so, completing five passes in just as many attempts for 190 yards and a touchdown for a perfect QBR of 100.0.

He did, however, get another chance to showcase how he could manage the offense against a legitimate opponent when BC visited Pitt on Oct. 4, but he did not seem ready for the moment, completing just two passes on nine attempts with an interception.

Once again, it is unclear if O’Brien has named a different starter this week, but if there was a time to do so, it would surely be now—the Eagles, at the midpoint of the season, catch somewhat of a break in their schedule between playing Clemson last week and going on the road to face Louisville after hosting UConn.

James has no years of eligibility remaining after this season. He has six games left to be a college football player, and after that, his future will not be associated with Boston College, unless he comes back later in his life as an assistant, an analyst, or a coach.

That has to mean something to O’Brien, and undoubtedly to James. That has to give James an extra edge when he takes the field, knowing it is now or never. It is rightfully his turn to give a new perspective to the offense, and he deserves a full week of preparation in order to do that.

Maybe it can turn this season around, or maybe not. But with the way this season is turning out, any sort of change is better than nothing at all.