Eagles Commit Gavin Neil Speaks on Dominant Senior Season, Boston College Decision

3-Star defensive lineman Gavin Neil from Marian Catholic High School in Illinois was the 17th commitment of the Eagles' 2026 class, which now features 27 prospects.

2026 Boston College commit Gavin Neil during his official visit to Chestnut Hill | Credit @d1gavo on Instagram

Bill O'Brien and the Boston College staff, despite a tough start to the season, have been able to find a lot of success on the recruiting trail. While the Eagles have been unable to land some of the most highly rated prospects in the class, the staff has seemingly done an excellent job in finding underrated talent.

One such underrated talent is 3-Star defensive lineman Gavin Neil from Marian Catholic High School in Chicago, Illinois. A 6-foot-3, 285 lb. gamewrecker, he has put together an absolutely dominant season so far through eight games this fall.

Read More: Eagles Commit Shares Eye Popping Senior Season Stats

Neil spoke with Boston College Eagles on SI this week, and went into detail about his decision to commit, as well as what's gone into such an impressive 2025 season.

Opening up on his commitment, Neil said, "The main thing that went into my decision was the staff and how each of them had an NFL background. That really stood out to me."

100000% Committed #Earnit #Nextlevel @BCFootball @TheUCReport @Coach_JLT @BCBillOBrien @LopezMchs @coolc815 @EDGYTIM @AllenTrieu @GregSmithRivals @Levi_bradley312 @LemmingReport @CoachJForney @MSarek @CoachFlemingMC @PrepRedzoneIL @247recruiting @BCFootballFans @MCHS__FBALL pic.twitter.com/oh4gC7t7vr

— Gavin Neil🇯🇲 (@D1Gavo) June 15, 2025

Neil made his announcement in June of this year, and is still locked in with the Eagles, but does say the communication has been lacking a bit since his commitment. He said, "The staff has been in okay contact since [committing], but the communication has been a little off at times."

He spoke of his campus visit earlier this season, saying, "It was a really nice campus, and I enoyed being there. It felt like a good environment to be around."

Since the start of this season, other Power Four programs have begun to take notice of the 3-Star prospect, most notably Iowa and West Virginia. He visited the Hawkeyes in early October, and has plans to take a trip to Morgantown, West Virginia this fall as well, according to Keenan Cummings of Rivals.

#WVU has entered the mix for 2026 DL Gavin Neil, a Boston College commit who racked up 8 sacks and 18 TFLs last season. He plans to visit Morgantown.

Interview ▶️ https://t.co/9pzCiOzdHr pic.twitter.com/WA71JguNuM

— Keenan Cummings (@rivalskeenan) August 29, 2025

He spoke briefly of his time in Iowa City, saying, "The Iowa visit was really good. I'd say their atmosphere stood out a little more, but Boston College still feels special to me. The people, the coaches and overall vibe at Boston College makes it feel like home."

Neil also said that he plans to be back in Chestnut Hill this season for the Eagles' home game against Notre Dame on November 1.

He shared his thoughts on Boston College's woes so far this season, saying, "I've been impressed with how the team is still fighting through the season and not giving up. I also like how Coach [O'Brien] has stayed calm and collected. That stood out to me a lot."

Finally, Neil dove into his own season thus far, discussing what has helped him maximize his performance through eight games. He said, "The offseason was really great. Me and my trainer were getting after it early in the morning and it helped me get better and prepare for this year."

He concluded, "That's been a big part of my success. I'm still working on adding more explosion and improving in every part of my game."

Though eight games, Neil has compiled a whopping 25 tackles, 11.0 TFL's and 6.0 sacks, as well as two forced fumbles and two blocked field goals. He has at least one tackle for loss in every game this season, and has also added 14 quarterback pressures on top of his sack totals.