By John Sarianides

Boston College opened fall camp on Monday at the Heights. Expectations are high for the 2017 Eagles coming off of a 7-6 season and a victory in the Quick Lane Bowl. 

The defense will once again lead the way but an improved offense under second year offensive coordinator Scott Loeffler will allow the Eagles to be more competitive in the ACC this season.

Here are five things I will be watching this pre-season. 

1. Quarterback Battle: Will it be redshirt junior Darius Wade or redshirt freshmen Anthony Brown leading the Eagles offense in 2017? Brown had a good spring and is the more natural fit in the offense. It could come down to experience however if the two quarterbacks are close and that is where Wade has the edge. He was the starter in 2015 and has the experience necessary to compete in the ACC. It would not surprise me if Steve Addazio and offensive coordinator Scott Loeffler decided to use both Wade and Brown. 

2. Spread and Shred Em! B.C wants to spread defenses out and play more of an uptempo style. Addazio has been wanting to do that since he got to Boston College but didn’t have the personnel. Now he does. We caught a glimpse of the no huddle spread offense in the spring. It’ll be interesting to see what the offense looks like in fall camp. 

3. The Offensive Line Has a Massachusetts Flavor: Three of the Eagles starters along the offensive line are Massachusetts kids. Center and team captain Jon Baker, guard Chris Lindstrom and left tackle Aaron Monteiro are all from the Bay State. After taking their lumps two years ago, these guys are poised to have a big season for the Eagles. 

4. It’s All About the D: We can talk about the spread offense Boston College is installing all we want, but at the end of the day, it is all about the defense at the Heights. Defensive end Harold Landry and linebacker Conor Strachan lead a front seven that is among the best in the nation. A young secondary could be a concern for the Eagles. 

5. Catch the Excitement: The Eagles are flying high (no pun intended) after winning their last two games last season. Addazio and his staff are hoping to use that momentum as a springboard to bigger things this season but before the Eagles exceed expectations, they need to have a good camp.