Image courtesy of BC Athletics

It’s a new day of sorts for BC Football.

After one of the worst seasons in program history following a bowl berth in Bill O’Brien’s first year, the program looks completely different.

New recruiting, NFL-like front office structure. New staff members. O’Brien is calling the plays. Oh, and there’s 30+ new faces on the roster as the Eagles had no choice but to join in the portal madness.

Offense: It all starts with former D2 quarterback Mason McKenzie. McKenzie comes in from Saginaw Valley State where he put up big numbers. McKenzie came in and immediately earned his teammates’ respect, being named a captain. He also won GLIAC Player of the Year honors in 2025, an award Trinidad Chambliss won in 2024 before balling out for Ole Miss. Transfer running backs Evan Dickens (Liberty) and Nolan Ray (Maryland) are great additions to a room that also has local standouts Bo MacCormack III (BB&N) and Mekhi Dodd (CM).

The offensive line is still a bit of a question mark, as is the tight end and receiver positions. Center Michael Crounse (captain), Robert Smith IV (LG) and Judah Pruitt (RG) are all back and have some continuity, but the tackle positions are still up in the air. Kristian Phillips (Michigan State), Veguer Jean-Jumeau (Tennessee State) and Trevon Humphrey (North Carolina Central), along with returning junior Reggie Jackson are all battling.

Zeke Moore (captain) and Brady Clough will handle duties at tight end, with Danny Edgehill and Bryce Lewis all probably having to contribute as well. The loss of former St. Seb’s standout Kaelan Chudzinski in spring ball was a killer for the offense.

Wide receiver appears to be a talented room, but nobody really stood out exponentially in training camp behind Jaedn Skeete (CM). Javarius Green (North Carolina) should be a weapon all over the field. Reed Swanson (Colgate) should be a huge threat in the red zone. VJ Wilkins (2025 Campbell transfer) appears ready to take another step. Jackson Wade (Florida) looks like an ideal Wes Welker/Julian Edelman type of player in Bill O’Brien’s offense. Landon Wright, Dawson Pough, Nedrick Boldin Jr. and Johnathan Montague Jr. will all get opportunities to flash their speed.

The problem is, with a brand new QB that has never played at this level, it’s hard to know just how good the offense can be until they prove it in a game setting.

Defense: This side of the ball has a chance to be as good as it’s been in a really, really long time.

We’ll start up front, where the pass rush should be very, very dangerous. It’ll start with Georgia transfer Kris Jones, who could play the Donovan Ezeiruaku role that the team missed severely last season. Onye Nwosisi (redshirt senior) was almost unblockable for most of training camp. Local guys Micah Amedee (Xaverian) and Josiah Griffin (Springfield Central) will have every opportunity to make the leap. Favor Bate (2025 Merrimack transfer), Chris Marable Jr. (2025 Wake Forest transfer), freshman Cam McGee and redshirt senior Chuck Nnaeto can all rotate in and make plays.

The linebacker room is completely re-vamped. It’ll all start with Washington State transfer Anthony Palano, who immediately came in and established himself as a core leader, earning a captain role. Notre Dame transfer Bodie Kahoun is a throwback and fans will love his game. Another local guy Griffin Collins (Worcester Academy), Kemori Dixon, Zacari Thomas and true freshman Steve Klein should see bigger roles. Cam Martinez is back as a hybrid of sorts (listed as NB on the initial depth chart) along with TJ Green and Charlie Comella (Xaverian).

The secondary could be elite. Max Tucker (CM) and Syair Torrence are as good as it gets in the ACC on either side. Marcelous Townsend, Ashton Cunningham, Njita Sinkala and Michael Mankaka provide excellent depth. On the back end, KP Price chose to come back for one more season and Carter Davis made a massive jump as a redshirt sophomore last season. Marcus Upton, freshman Da’Jon Green and Kameron Howard (Alabama) can all play.

Special Teams: Punting may be the area the team improves the most, with transfer Bryce LaFolette (Virginia Tech) absolutely booming the ball throughout camp. Ireland’s Andy Quinn should be more of the directional guy, but can boot it when he needs to.

Luca Lombardo was the team MVP last season and there’s no reason to believe he shouldn’t have a strong year kicking again. In the return game, Comella, Javarius Green, Martinez, TJ Green, Montague Jr. or MacCormack III could all do it, with the latter guys handling the kickoff returns. John Owens or Cooper Crook will handle long snapping duties.

Final Thoughts: It’s the most intriguing start to a season for BC football in a quite a while. With so many questions to be answered and potential clearly out there when you watch the Eagles practice, this could either be a fantastic redemption story for O’Brien, or another disappointment.

We’re leaning towards a 7-5ish season for BC. There’s just too much talent here and too many damn good coaches. Most importantly, there’s been a true commitment to being competitive from top to bottom now. The Eagles will be back in 2026.