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Three-Star 2027 Tackle, Local 2028 Linebacker Commit to Boston College Football

Bill O'Brien's approach to building his football program has centered around high school recruiting, and his staff is going above and beyond in this realm as of late.
Graham Dietz|
@d1_jay04

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Boston College Eagles

On Wednesday, in addition to picking up 2027 quarterback/athlete Kayden Edwards from Ironton High School (Ohio), Boston College football’s recruiting staff received commitments from 2027 three-star defensive/offensive tackle Jayden Paulino and 2028 linebacker Joe Fitzgerald — the son of BC’s strength and conditioning coach Craig Fitzgerald, and the brother of freshman defensive lineman Mac Fitzgerald.

Paulino, a 6-foot-4-inch, 270-pound two-way lineman, attends Passaic County Technical Institute in N.J., where he racked up 60 tackles and 10 tackles for loss as a junior in 2025.

Paulino chose BC over NC State, Vanderbilt, and Syracuse. 

He is ranked the No. 103 defensive lineman in the country, according to 247Sports, and the No. 28 prospect from New Jersey in his class.

“100% committed,” Paulino wrote in his commitment post on X.

Fitzgerald (6’0”, 216 lbs.), meanwhile, is unranked at the moment, but that is essentially because he was still an underclassman in 2025.

As a linebacker, he played a key role in Catholic Memorial’s MIAA Division 2 Super Bowl victory on Dec. 10, 2025, in which the Knights defeated Bishop Feehan 41-14 at Gillette Stadium, claiming their fourth state title in a five-year span.

Fitzgerald also took to social media to announce his decision.

“I want to thank Coach O’Brien for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to play at the highest level,” Fitzgerald said. “I also want to thank Coach DiBiaso and the entire Catholic Memorial coaching staff for their guidance and support throughout my high school career. Most importantly, I want to thank my family for all the sacrifices they have made to help me pursue my dreams.”

“After a great conversation with Coach O’Brien, I am excited to announce my commitment to Boston College to continue my academic and football career. Thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way.”

Fitzgerald becomes the second verbal commit in the Eagles’ 2028 class, joining CM teammate Ramar Thomas, while Paulino is the 23rd player to commit to BC in its ‘27 class.

Boston College Football 2027 Recruiting Class:

  1. S Jackson Tucker, 6-foot-2, 195 lbs. - Catholic Memorial, West Roxbury, Mass. (Committed 10/07/2024)
  2. ATH Zahir Mitchell, 5-foot-11, 180 lbs. - Milton Academy, Milton, Mass. (Committed 10/02/2025)
  3. IOL Hawken Anderson, 6-foot-4, 320 lbs. - Suffield Academy, Suffield, Conn. (Committed 02/15/2026)
  4. LB Will Mettee, 6-foot-1.5, 223 lbs. - Loyola Academy, Wilmette, Ill. (Committed 04/11/2026)
  5. WR Magnus Talma, 6-foot-0, 170 lbs. - Bishop Moore Catholic, Orlando, Fla. (Committed 04/23/2026)
  6. WR Armani Hill, 6-foot-2, 178 lbs. - Creekside, Fairburn, Ga. (Committed 05/05/2026)
  7. CB Jett Watson, 5-foot-11, 160 lbs. - Grayson, Loganville, Ga. (Committed 05/15/2026)
  8. LB/S Mamadee Sangaray, 6-foot-1, 200 lbs. - Iona Prep, New Rochelle, N.Y. (Committed 05/18/2026)
  9. LB Blaize Battaglia, 6-foot-1, 210 lbs. - Milton, Milton, Ga. (Committed 05/28/2026)
  10. TE CHarlie Fowler, 6-foot-6, 224 lbs. - Loyola Academy, Wilmette, Ill. (Committed 06/08/26)
  11. EDGE Alex Johnson, 6-foot-4, 225 lbs. - Catawba Ridge, Fort Mill, S.C. (Committed 06/08/26)
  12. ATH Elijah Goins, 6-foot-1, 180 lbs. - Dakota, Macomb, Mich. (Committed 06/08/2026)
  13. ATH Franklon Evans, 6-foot-2, 190 lbs. - Lake Highlands, Dallas, Texas (Committed 06/09/2026)
  14. ATH Samajai Davis, 6-foot-2, 170 lbs. - Arlington, Arlington, Texas (Committed 06/09/2026)
  15. QB Ben Rolapp, 6-foot-2, 215 lbs. - The Brunswick School, Greenwich, Ct. (Committed 06/09/2026)
  16. RB Xavier Bala, 6-foot, 220 lbs. - St. Anthony's, Long Island City, N.Y. (Committed 06/10/2026)
  17. QB Jace German, 6-foot, 200 lbs. - Tucker, Tucker, Ga. (Committed 06/11/2026)
  18. DL/OL Krystian Walcott, 6-foot-4, 260 lbs. - Buford, Buford, Ga. (Committed 06/14/2026)
  19. S Braylon Gamble, 6-foot-2, 205 lbs. - Massillon Washington, Massillon, Ohio (Committed 06/14/2026).
  20. DL Kaleb Exume, 6-foot-3, 320 lbs. - Cardinal Mooney, Sarasota, Fla. (Committed 06/15/2026)
  21. OL/LS Dominic Maser, 6-foot-8, 305 lbs. - Tabor Academy, Marion, Mass. (Committed 06/15/2026)
  22. ATH/QB Kayden Edwards, 5-foot-11, 185 lbs. - Ironton, Ironton, Ohio (Committed 06/17/2026)
  23. DT/OT Jayden Paulino, 6-foot-4, 270 lbs. - Passaic County Technical Institute, Wayne, N.J. (Committed 06/17/2026)

Boston College Football 2028 Recruiting Class:

  1. ATH Ramar Thomas, 6-foot-2, 185 lbs. - Catholic Memorial, West Roxbury, Mass. (Committed 01/19/2025)
  2. LB Joe Fitzgerald, 6-foot, 216 lbs. - Catholic Memorial, West Roxbury, Mass. (Committed 06/17/2026)

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Graham Dietz
GRAHAM DIETZ

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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