Boston College is entering the 2025 season facing a critical challenge: filling the loss of an NFL-caliber offensive lineman. This has raised major questions about how the offense will hold up. Over the past five seasons, the Eagles have struggled to find consistency.
The Eagles, now in their second season under HC Bill O’Brien, have shown flashes of competitiveness. However, the team must now overcome a serious roster shake-up. Football insider Mitchell Wolfe broke down the Eagles’ challenges in adjusting to these losses, emphasizing that the team must completely rebuild the right side of their offensive line.
Analyst Sounds Alarm on Boston College Offense After Major OL Departures
During a recent discussion on the “Cover 3 Podcast”, college football insider Mitchell Wolfe addressed the impact of these losses and how Boston College might adjust its offensive strategy.
BC has historically done a solid job of retaining key players despite the rise of the transfer portal. The program has focused its NIL resources on keeping top contributors rather than losing starters to transfers. However, the departure of standout linemen presents a significant challenge.
Wolfe expressed skepticism about whether Boston College’s offense can maintain stability after losing crucial offensive line members, stating, “I’m not sure how replicable that’s going to be next year, especially when you lose your two best offensive linemen starters to the NFL.”
Head Coach Bill O’Brien is expected to make adjustments to compensate for the changes up front. Wolfe believes the Eagles will lean more into quick passing and empty formations to reduce the pressure on the offensive line.
Instead of relying on quarterback runs, O’Brien may prioritize keeping the offense on schedule with short throws and faster decision-making.
On the podcast, analyst Bud Elliott asked, “Do you think the offense is drastically different regardless of who wins?” Wolfe responded, “No, probably not. I think they’re both, you know, decent athletes and not crazy runners or anything.”
He added, “You know, I think my, my concern with James is, know, he did have these pretty good games, but for what it’s worth, it was, um, playing a UNC team that was kind of coasting to the end, a team that was banged up beyond all recognition.
He continued, “And that game was decent, but, you know, you could tell they were just kind of trying to just get to the end cause they were so banged up, especially on the offensive and defensive lines.”
Despite concerns about the offensive line, Boston College still has talent at key offensive positions. Wolfe highlighted Turbo Richard, a promising running back who showed flashes of explosiveness before an injury last season. He also praised Jeremiah Franklin, a reliable tight end who had zero drops in 54 combined targets last year.
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Regarding the passing game, Wolfe noted, “In terms of the receiving talent at Lewis Bond, you know, had a relatively quiet year, but that was just kind of the way the season went, but still very solid down the stretch. Really good underneath the ACK receiver. Reid Harris had some of the best highlight plays of the year, especially down the stretch.”
With major changes to the offensive line, Boston College enters the season with some uncertainty. If the new group fails to hold up, the Eagles may struggle to maintain consistency on offense.
However, O’Brien is a proven leader, a terrific coach, and a champion. The success of his quick-pass system, along with the performance of Grayson James or Dylan Lonergan, will be critical in keeping the team competitive.
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