Five Takeaways From Jeff Hafley's National Signing Day Press Conference

A look at what Jeff Hafley had to say about his newest recruiting class.

1. There was a heavy emphasis on speed. All season long Jeff Hafley has talked about the need for his team to get faster, and he addressed this in his recruiting class. Boston College landed double digit recruits who were either Athletes/defensive backs/wide receivers. Hafley talked about that he doesn't know how he will slot them on the roster yet, but expects their speed will help them find the field. 

2. And there was a push to get recruits who could "get after the quarterback". Quarterback pressure has been a theme that has come from Jeff Hafley all season, and he hit on it in this recruiting class. But it wasn't just about rushing the quarterback, Hafley talked about making sure he had athletes that could stop mobile quarterbacks as well. 

3. It was a crazy recruiting period. COVID-19 threw this entire recruiting cycle in chaos, but the staff did a remarkable job of still connecting with an landing recruits that fit their system. Hafley mentioned that most of these kids he still hasn't met personally, and that most have never been to Boston College. The staff got creative to meet with the kids. To get a better feel of what they could do, coaches had kids Zoom in and do specific drills. Various departments met with the recruits (S&C, Academics etc). It was a total team effort. 

4. A unique road to Bryce Steele. Hafley didn't talk about many recruits specifically but did talk about his new linebacker/safety hybrid Bryce Steele. The two had connected at a camp at Ohio State, when Hafley clocked his 40 time. The coach was stunned that a recruit that size could move like he did, and the Buckeyes offered him on the spot. Hafley moved to BC, and Steele eventually committed to South Carolina, but linebackers coach Sean Duggan stuck with him. When Will Muschamp was fired, the relationship they built was a big one and Steele pulled the trigger and joined the Eagles. 

5. The recruiting footprint is not only all over the country---but all over the world. Boston College landed recruits from eleven states and one other country. While Hafley didn't land any recruits from typical spots like New York, and Pennsylvania the staff did land recruits from coast to coast. On top of that, Hafley added Ilija Krajnovic a 6'8 offensive lineman out of Serbia. A recruit who has only limited playing experience, Krajnovic transferred to IMG Academy, where Hafley said "he has had to sit alone in a dorm room" because of COVID-19.