Guess the attendance for BC-Maine

Everyone complains about the Labor Day Weekend game. Often students are not back. Many ticket holders are out of town or planning one last getaway. And of late, it has also been the dumping ground for some of our less desirable opponents. As optimistic as I am about this season, I don't expect a big turnout for the opener against Maine. While the Black Bears might bring some local support, I don't think it will make a big difference. Take a look at our last five home games held on Labor Day Weekend.

2009 -- Northeastern: 33,262
2010 -- Weber State (Herzy's return): 34,168
2011 -- Northwestern: 37,561
2012 -- Miami: 39,262
2013 -- Villanova: 30,922

Geography doesn't seem to be the driving force in ticket sales. Weber State outsold Northeastern. Miami and Northwestern also show that a Power 5 opponent can impact demand.

I understand playing an easy home game early. It builds confidence and allows the team to grow. We've been through so much change recently, that smart scheduling can make a big difference. But building a team through a cream puff schedule doesn't always generate immediate fan interest. My guess is BC will announce a total attendance of 32,000 for the Maine game.

Another verbal and other links

Local Mass DB Curt Bletzer committed to BC Monday. The Catholic Memorial product is the younger brother of current freshman Kevin Bletzer. His offer list is not impressive, but you assume the staff has a good feel for local talent and siblings.

ESPN posted a Wade-heavy preview.

SI's Media Column had two BC-related topics. Part of the focus was NBC's change-over from Mike Mayock to Doug Flutie on Notre Dame games. The other is an interview with Joe Tessitore.

German teen forward Richard Freudenberg plans to visit BC Tuesday.

Practice officially begins and other links

Renovations to the locker room are complete and the #BCEagles are here. The 2015 @BCFootballNews season has started! pic.twitter.com/kHnY4d0H9s

— BC Athletics (@BCSportsNews) August 9, 2015

The team, coaches (and fans) all seem excited about the start of practices. The guys have been working together all summer, but now the coaches can get involved. We all know the priorities: OLine, QB and getting the young guys ready.

The school also unveiled the renovated locker room.

New Eagle Jake Burt got attention form his hometown paper.

Olivier Hanlan signed with with Lithuanian team Zalgiris. After a very disappointing Summer League, this seemed inevitable. Let's hope he developes in Europe and didn't waste his final year of eligibility.

Stan Heath gets Globe treatment

It is not often that BC Basketball assistants are the subject of offseason features in the Globe's sports section. But here we are in August and Vega is writing about Jim Christian's biggest offseason addition: Stan Heath.

Other than bringing credibility and familiarity to the staff, Heath should help instill better defense. You get the sense from the article that this wasn't a career stop he planned, but he's glad to be back at work and glad to be reunited with Christian.

This is a rebuilding year for Basketball, but will also be critical for establishing the new culture. Having Heath's experience and support should help the young players realize what is needed to win at this level.

Kelley to New England Hall and other links

The New England Basketball Hall of Fame will induct former Sports Information Director Dick Kelley this weekend. The BC Hall of Famer was well known throughout the area's basketball community for his work with the BC team and his interest in the sport.

BC is one of many teams recruiting New Jersey Running Back Tyler Thompson.

The Baseball team picked up a lefty pitcher from Vermont. 

Mark Rodgers thinks BC's schedule will be the 8th most difficult in the ACC.

Here is more on Momah's transition to Tight End.

Young rosters and where BC stands in the ACC

Addazio is quick to remind everyone how young this BC team is. But it seems like other ACC coaches have the same issue. When Dave Doreen brought it up again at the ACC Media Day, ACCSports.com decided to look at all the rosters in the ACC. It turns out that everyone is young.

The nature of college football means that you're always going to have more underclassmen than juniors and seniors. First there is the redshirt aspect. That really turns your roster into three classes (redshirts, freshmen and sophomores) vs two (juniors and seniors). Then there is the inevitable attrition through injuries, grades and transfers that shrinks a class as it advances through college. For every class like BC's 2007 group (17 redshirt seniors), there will be plenty much smaller than that. But on most rosters and even the best programs, you need to win with your underclassmen.

But even though ever team is young, some are younger than others. That's where BC's 2016 roster comes in. Using ACCSports' data, BC is the third youngest team in the conference behind Wake and NC State. 67.5% of the roster are classified as underclassmen.

So when Addazio says the team is young, he's right. But that doesn't mean that BC's unique nor does it mean that we cannot win this year.

Nosovitch's family confirms transfer UPDATED

[UPDATED: According to Justin Rowland, he will be an H-back. That adds some nice depth.]

After a day of speculation, the family of former South Carolina QB and TE Brendan Nosovitch confirmed to their local paper that he is transferring to BC. Nosovitch is a slightly unusual case in that he's a graduate transfer but still has two years of eligibility remaining. What position he will play in his final two years remains the unanswered question.

Nosovitch was considered enough of a prospect to get multiple QB offers out of high school. He never cracked the top level of the QB depth chart at South Carolina, so he moved to a TE/H-Back role for a season and then back to QB for another. The talk out of South Carolina is that he left specifically to play QB somewhere else.

BC looked at many potential QB transfers this offseason but never engaged with one who was worth blowing up the homegrown depth. For example, if Braxton Miller wanted to play, you take him even at the risk of alienating Wade or Flutie. But as we know, Miller didn't leave Ohio State. Is Nosovitch -- who is as unproven at this stage as Wade -- worth the risk?

Then there is the timing. By coming in now, he is well behind the other QBs in getting ready for the season. Does that exclude him from playing? No. But if a QB who couldn't crack the South Carolina depth chart walks into a starting position with us, then things were in worse shape than any of us thought. Or, he is going to be a TE/H-back with BC too. This seems more logical, but doesn't explain the comments coming out of South Carolina.

We will soon know about Nosovitch officially. My hope is that he is coming in as an athlete and that we are in good hands with Wade.

Crowther featured in Havoline Football Saturdays

Every year Raycom produces a series of human interest stories on each team to use in their pregame shows and halftimes. This year they are featuring the story of Welles Crowther. Though Welles' heroism has been extensively covered, it is always welcome to a new audience. Raycom did a nice job on the piece. The above version is long and probably not what we will see during a halftime, so take the time to watch it before the season.

Checking in on BC NFL Alumni

BC's camp doesn't start for another week, but former BC guys are all over NFL practice fields. Here are some of their stories:

Andre Williams made some headlines when he said the Giants are going to the Super Bowl. It wasn't a bold proclamation like Joe Namath...more like the power of positive thinking.

Edebali is playing well in New Orleans.

Raji reported to Green Bay in good shape. It is the lightest he's been since BC.

Matt Ryan has a new offense and some new facial hair.

What the 'Noles are saying about BC

This is a short preview of our team from a Florida State perspective. It is mostly what we know, but always interesting to see how we are perceived by other programs.

Get ready for lots of Louie Addazio stories

One of the good articles that followed the ACC Media events was a feature on Louie Addazio. Given our lack of known stars entering the season, I think the media will revisit Louie's story throughout the year. And it is probably going to be just the right amount of attention for everyone. Louie is not a star and not in a focal point position. He'll contribute and may start. But most of his time will be spent blocking.

Nepotism can be ugly in college sports. Whether the coach's son is a player or an assistant. Spaz's son is a walk-on QB at UVA. Can you even imagine how that would have played out at BC? Louie seems like a good kid, with a good perspective and who is finally ready to play. I hope his playing career has a happy ending. It will make for a better BC season.

How will this year's Coaching Carousel impact BC?

Addazio is perfectly safe. Even if the team craters this year, he's earned enough goodwill from his first two years to survive a terrible season. Other coaches won't be as lucky. Many will be fired. And if things go well for BC this year, some program might come for Addazio. But Addazio has just of enough of a history outside of BC that not just any program would hire him. He's not getting an SEC job. He's probably not drawing interest from the Pac 12. So it would come down to these spots that might be open:

Indiana -- The good news and bad news is that Addazio already coached there. They are familiar with him and might want him. The flipside is he knows how hard it is to win there. They also have Big Ten TV money. Ultimately I don't see him leaving for Bloomington, but he might leverage interest for a raise.

Virginia -- We've lost coaches to ACC programs before, but how did that work out for NC State? Virginia might be a better gig on paper (more local talent, potentially more local support), but I don't know if they would make a run at Addazio. 

Illinois -- This is a better job than Indiana, but it still has limited upside. The division is winnable but you still have to face Michigan and Ohio State to win the Championship. Of the positions likely to open, this one seems the most plausible.

Ultimately I don't think Addazio wants to leave for just any old job. I think it would take a lot of money and an opportunity to win. Those above don't seem like sure bets, but there are always a few twists in the process. But having a desirable coach is a nice problem to have. We can only hope that Addazio wins so much each year that he is always mentioned for new openings. 

Let's get some Mass schools in the Global Ireland Football Tournament

The Global Ireland Football Tournament invited two Atlanta Catholic schools to their 2016 Tournament. I didn't even know the Global Ireland Football Tournament was a thing until the announcement, but hats off to the organizers. They smartly said, "we have a team from Atlanta playing a Catholic team, maybe if we invited Atlanta Catholic schools there will be some overlap." The Tournament will include 10 U.S. high school teams and there are still spots left. I hope BC is strongly suggesting at least two Massachusetts schools are included.

Adding Mass schools helps BC in a couple of ways. It generates that much more local interest and it sells a few more tickets. If a family flies over to see Everett or BC High or whoever, you have to assume they are going to stick around to watch BC play Georgia Tech.

There is also a nice recruiting edge to all of this. BC recruits at the Atlanta invitees already (Marist and Blessed Trinity). Now they will get nearly a week to watch these kids practice and see how they behave and interact with their teams off the field. Jesuit Prep -- another BC friendly school -- is also being courted for the Irish event. Let's hope they get a few more Catholic schools from Ohio or California. But there has to be a Massachusetts team.

I assume BC has some say in the process. Perhaps Bates is making suggestions daily, so that the Irish trip becomes a big marketing and recruiting success too.

Jen Welter: BC grad and NFL trailblazer, and other links

BC grad Jen Welter made headlines this week by joining the Arizona Cardinals as a training camp coach. Now that the NBA has a full-time female assistant, the NFL will soon follow. I hope the Welter becomes that coach.

If you haven't seen it, this SI article on Texas A&M's Myles Garrett is worth the read. Garrett's half brother is Sean Williams and Williams' struggles have certainly influenced Garrett. Williams is quoted throughout as is Ed Cooley.

Former BC QB Mack Lowrie is leaving URI. It seems like he is headed to a JuCo in search of playing time. (HT: eagle98alum)

Addazio cleans up at ESPN's Carwash

In my opinion, this meeting below between Addazio and Norby Williamson was the most important moment of his ACC Carwash at ESPN. Williamson is in charge of all scheduling and development at the worldwide leader. He met with all the ACC coaches, but a face-to-face with Addazio is a little different. His energy is different. He's good on camera and can provide a good soundbite. In College Football, ESPN sells the coaches. If Addazio can keep BC winning, he and BC will be all over ESPN.

.@BCCoachAddazio chats with @ESPN Executive VP Norby Williamson at ACC Car Wash. #BCEagles #WeAreBC pic.twitter.com/CQuYXJKH1D

— BC Football News (@BCFootballNews) July 28, 2015

You probably saw or heard Addazio on air from Bristol. BC's Twitter account has a good recap of all the stops. Articles from the ESPN writers will probably trickle out in the next day or two.

These Carwashes are really just offseason filler for ESPN and now nearly all the major conferences hold them. I hope BC continues to leverage our proximity to get Addazio on the air more often. It remains one of our better selling points.

@bceaglesfootball head coach Steve Addazio is at @espn today for the #ACC's Carwash. He explains his favorite post-victory tradition. #WeAreBC #BCFootball #BCEagles #ForBoston

A video posted by Boston College Athletics (@bcathletics) on Jul 28, 2015 at 9:35am PDT

No Boston Olympics means no BC Olympics

The USOC pulled Boston's Olympic bid for the Summer 2024 games. But it seems like most in Boston are saying "good riddance."  As someone who doesn't live in Massachusetts this seems like a missed opportunity. As someone who cares about BC sports, I think this could have been a nice little niche and a chance to have someone else pay for facilities upgrades.

I didn't live in Atlanta during the Olympics, but have seen how it was a plus for the city. Boston could have been the same way. Because of the numerous colleges, the games could have avoided many of the White Elephants other Olympic hosts face. The one area that I was glad to see Boston draw the line on was the overruns and built-in five star demands for the IOC and its members.

As of the last plan, BC wasn't set to host any big events. So it wasn't like we lost out on a new pool, track stadium or basketball arena. But it still would have been neat to see some of the other sports at Conte or in the eventually renovated Plex.

This probably keeps Boston out of the Olympic talk for a long, long time, which also kills my idea of a Winter Games in Boston!

More opponent previews

Now that Scout finished all of their team previews, I thought it was a good time to revisits some of our other opponents. (Part I is here.)

Clemson -- The Tigers have new Offensive Coordinators. It will be a "co" set up. I hope it blows up in their face. They have so much talent that they will win plenty of games, but this will be the year to see if Chad Morris was really the brains behind Dabo's operation.

Duke -- We should be able to run on Duke, which will make the road game more manageable. They also are breaking in a new QB.

Louisville -- Will probably have a quarterback controversy this season. All three guys played last year and all three want to start when each gets healthy. As much as I want this to disrupt their season, Petrino's offense is usually so good that it doesn't matter who plays QB.

NC State -- Like Addazio, Dave Doeren enters his third year. Unlike BC, expectations are a bit high in Raleigh. Have they upgraded their talent enough to pass BC?

Notre Dame -- The Irish should be very good this year. We are in the easier portion of their schedule, so hopefully they will have had some momentum killing losses prior to playing us.

Virginia Tech -- The D should be really good again and no one has any ideas what to expect from the offense. A Virginia Tech in decline might not be good for the ACC, but it is great for BC.

Farrell commits to Ohio State and other links

BC target Luke Farrell committed to Ohio State. While not much of a surprise, it would have been nice to pry the Ohio native away from the Buckeyes.

Right now there aren't many BC-Notre Dame Fenway tickets on the secondary market.

Jared Dudley explained how he ended up in Washington. Once again, it shows that he's got a good handle on his career and where he fits into the NBA landscape.

Braxton Miller and what could have been (but not really)

Everyone waited on Braxton Miller. He kept saying he was staying at Ohio State, but the football world didn't believe. To most it didn't make sense that he would fight for the QB spot with the national champs when he could waltz in as the starting QB at dozens of college programs. One of the recurring speculations was that he would end up at BC. 

It made sense. BC needed a QB and the one-year success of Tyler Murphy was a great selling point. Then there was the Addazio-Meyer connection. BC doesn't run the same exact offense at the Buckeyes, but there are plenty of similarities. BC's current QBs were young and could wait behind Miller. I heard the talk too, but I don't think it ever got far. And now it all makes sense because Miller is staying at OSU and converting to H-Back.

In reading about Miller's decision, I think the reason he didn't transfer is that he couldn't have played QB for anyone. He still has labrum issues and won't be able to throw completely for two more months. A transfer can't be that effective if he cannot practice with his new team. By playing this hybrid position at Ohio State, he can learn routes and practice catching balls. He can also prepare to be an NFL receiver.

It would have been nice to have a healthy 5th year superstar transfer, but I am excited about Wade. He might not be as dynamic as Miller, but now we can hope for multiple very good seasons instead of another stopgap. (At least that is what I am telling myself.)

BC Hall inductees and other links

BC announced eight new members of the Varsity Club's Hall of Fame. The headliners are Damien Woody and Mike Mottau.

The ACC announced their preseason All Conference team and there were no Eagles to be found. I hope that the postseason team looks a little different.

BC is still in good position for Connecticut OL prospect Lucas Niang..

FoxSports asked a few questions about BC's season.

It seems like opposing coaches like Addazio

Sometimes I miss the old days. Like when anonymous conference coaches would give Athlon catty quotes about BC. Now, even as they are nameless, the coaches have good things to say about BC. This is what Athlon quoted this year:

"The staff there has done a real good job, and they've gotten better every year, so I imagine they'll continue to get better." -- An opposing ACC assistant coach.

Instead of biting, that is pretty complimentary. But it is not condescending like some powers can be when discussing BC: "they are a nice little program..."

It is the sort of thing that makes me think Addazio earned the respect of his fellow coaches. He's done a lot so far and based on this article on Pat Narduzzi, it seems like he's willing to provide good advice to other new coaches.

While I miss trying to figure out which coaches trashed BC in Athlon, I am glad we are well liked and have a coach that others like and respect.

Addazio at the ACC Media Days

The coach hit on all his talking points in his ACC Media interviews. He mentioned 60 of the scholarship players being freshmen and sophomores. He talked about Wade. He mentioned Ireland and Fenway. He joked about the Offensive Line. But I am not concerned about the talk. We will hear all these stories for the next few months. My positive takeaway is Addazio's confidence.

Watch the video above. This is a guy who likes his team and thinks he can win. That sort of confidence will help the young team and help his staff come together.

I don't think confidence is the only key to winning. If it was Addazio's second season at Temple would have been better. But I do think that he's on the right path.

BC to play Michigan State in hoops and other links

Multiple reports out of Michigan, say that BC will play Michigan State in the opener of the Wooden Classic. The Tournament is in Anaheim, so there are plenty of BC fans in the area.

The media picked BC to finish 5th in the Atlantic Division.

Julian Benbow wrote a feature on the two Seniors and how the team is using last season's near misses as motivation.

Recapping ACC Media Day 1

Monday was the players' chance to talk to the collective media at the ACC Meetings. BC's guys, Harris Williams and Mehdi Abdesmad, represented themselves and the school well. Here are the ACC's highlights of the two:

You have to admire both players' composure. English is Abdesmad's second language. And Williams works in references to the Wall Street Journal, NASA and Michelangelo. There will be more stories on both in the coming days as the writers start turning Monday's interviews into features and articles.

These sorts of events don't win games, but they do establish a culture. When you have seemingly smart, good guys representing the school, it sets a tone for the team and for the fans.

Addazio should be fun on Tuesday.

Here are the guys trying to do a little play-by-play of Matt Ryan's comeback at Lane Stadium. I think Meter's job is safe for now.

One other note about the ACC Media Day...even though BC grad Courtney Cox works for the ACC Network, she's still an Eagle.

Media Guide released!

Another sign the football season is near: BC released their media guide. The timing coincides with the ACC Media Days that started Sunday. It might not mean much to the casual BC fan, but the media guide is a huge project for the Sports Information Department. Congrats to them on publishing the 2015 version.

Is it worth reading the media guide? It is full of fact and figures, so it can be a little dull. However, the athlete profiles are always well done. For many of the players, their Media Guide bio is our first detailed introduction to them. The media guide is also a great source for team history and records.

The summer roster was also released. The only real news there is that Nat Dixon is still listed. On social media it seems like he might have left the team. I am sure the Sport Information department will clear that up soon.

Hanlan exploring options

Olivier Hanlan didn't play well in the Las Vegas Summer League. Now he has a decision. 

As a second round pick, the Jazz owe him a non-guaranteed one-year contract to keep his rights. He can sign, ride the bench, get a little money and get cut whenever they need to make room for someone else. He's unlikely to break the Jazz's rotation (based on how he played), so the only way to get better as part of the Jazz Organization is the D Leage. But that would solve one problem (playing time) and might create others (lack of money and lack of real coaching).

The other option is going to Europe. In this case the Jazz would retain his rights, but he could improve his game and make some decent money. If anything he should look at the nice career former Eagle Tyrese Rice created in Europe.  

I hope that he finds a place to develop. I think with the right coach and team, his shooting will improve and he'll become an regular NBA player. 

Lesson from the 2010 New Jersey recruits

NJ.com posted a look back on the state's top recruits from the Class of 2010. The focus of the article was Rutgers, but there is some BC stuff to learn too.

Three of the Top 20 guys enrolled at BC (Shakim Phillips, Steele DiVitto and Jarrett Darmstatter). They were part of Spaz's first full recruiting class. At the time it was encouraging to get three guys out of New Jersey but there was also a "what if" to the Garden State recruiting since we also missed on a few guys at friendly programs (Don Bosco). But with hindsight, it shows this whole group of New Jersey guys was relatively disappointing. Phillips multiple moves kept him from ever reaching the potential of his recruiting ratings. Darmstatter never became a big factor. Of BC's commitments, DiVitto clearly had the best career.

But looking back, not many of the guys in the New Jersey Top 20 exceeded or even met the expectations that came with their rankings. New Jersey is such a critical state for so many programs, so a weak recruiting year can impact teams all over the Northeast.

Overall this is a reminder that recruiting is not always as simple as "get all the best guys" in one area. Successful programs are the ones who are better at identifying talent than the recruiting services. They are also the ones that bring in good class after good class and have multiple regions where they find talent. That way one group that disappoints does not hamper the program long term.

Sneak peek at 2015 uniform

BC's Football Equipment Staff put this picture up on Twitter Thursday. While we cannot see everything, it is a pretty good look at what the 2015 uniform will look like. The stained-glass is still part of the numbers and the colors remain the same. The ACC Football logo is new. Since I cannot see the whole sleeve, I cannot tell if the piping at the base is different. The piping around the collar looks a little different. To my eye, it seems like the maroon part in the front is a little shorter. The white area seems about the same, but because the maroon seems shorter, also seems a little closer to the chest area.

The best part about the picture is that we are one step closer to the start of the season.

Watch lists don't mean much

Every day a different BC player seems to end up on a new preseason watch list. Let me now give a blanket congratulations to all of them and more importantly a congrats to BC Sports Information for getting the players on the list. However, it all means nothing.

These preseason lists are so big and so sprawling there is not much true selectivity to it all. Plus even just getting on the voters' radar doesn't mean all that much. It is all about playing, stats and peaking at the right time. As Stewart Mandel pointed out in his recent mailbag, you don't have to be on the list to win the final award. For some awards nominations are open into October.

Andre Williams won all the big running back awards, including the Walker. He started the season on the Walker Watch list, but it was the 200-yard game after 200-yard game that won the award. It was the same with his Heisman invite. He worked his way into the finals. He put up huge number, the right amount of highlights and peaked at the right time. The list didn't sway voters.

I hope we win all the awards this year because if we do, it will be about having a great season, not a well-marketed offseason.

UNC hires Crawley and other links

Former BC Women's Basketball Coach Sylvia Crawley is back in the ACC as an assistant at North Carolina. Because Women's Basketball doesn't get all that much attention, the Crawley tenure is often overlooked in how bad things got. Hopefully the rebuild is almost complete.

Olivier Hanlan's early struggles have disappointed some Jazz followers. If he cannot get more play in the Summer League, he's probably headed for the D-League.

Jay Paterno reached out to BC about staff jobs in the past. This came out as part of his lawsuit against the NCAA. He's been rejected by a number of Power 5 schools as well as James Madison. It is unclear if he talked to BC under Spaz or Addazio. As far as I know, Jay never enabled or ignored Sandusky's crimes. HE probably deserves another chance to prove himself as a coach. I don't see it happening at BC though...Addazio seems pretty committed to hiring from his own network.

Report: BC and North Dakota planning MSG game

It is good to be a BC fan in New York. New Yorker Eagles have been able to see the football and basketball teams locally numerous times. Now it looks like they will be able to see Hockey at Madison Square Garden. According to multiple reports, BC and North Dakota are in the final stages of scheduling a game the the New York arena in December 2016. 

The game should do well at the box office. North Dakota fans are known for traveling and BC showed they could sell ticket in New York. Plus the hardcore BC Hockey fans will make a trip of it to see BC play in the famous arena. Confirmation of the game should come during this upcoming hockey season. 

Carlos Reyes talks about his BC commitment

Here is BC newest big man John Carlos Reyes talking about his decision to commit to Boston College. It is a casual conversation and he reviews his finalists and BC's ultimate appeal. I know we spend a lot of time talking about what BC has to offer, but as you can see, sometimes it is as simple as playing time in the ACC.

Good luck to John. I look forward to seeing how he develops.

Hanifin signs and other links

The Hurricanes signed Noah Hanifin to a three-year contract with the standard AHL-NHL payouts. Good luck to him.

This Washington Post story on Jared Dudley starts with a BC anecdote. He only has a one-year deal in DC, but it seems like a good fit.

The BU alums won the Comm Ave Classic 7-5. The event raised over $55,000.

Campus Insiders BC Preview

In addition to the video above, their full preview is very similar to others we all read in preparation for the season. It's all going to come down to the OLine and QB.

Battle against ALS continues with Comm Ave Classic

Last summer, the Ice Bucket Challenge went viral in part due to the support of the Boston College community. This summer a different BC alum is keeping the fight against ALS alive. Friday night a group of BC and BU Hockey Legends will square off in the 1st Annual Comm Ave Classic. The brainchild of former BC Hockey Captain Pat Mullane, the game is a fundraiser and a tribute to former BC Assistant SID Dick Kelley.

Obviously the best way you can join the fight is heading down to BU's Walter Brown Arena Friday night. The doors open at 6 PM and the puck drops at 7 PM. Tickets are $10 and all proceeds go to Compassionate Care ALS. If you cannot make it, donations are always a good idea. Of course you can always help a local ALS charity in your area.

Reading too much into Williams and Abdesmad going to ACC Meetings

It is the offseason, so we are supposed to read tea leaves. BC fans found good news Wednesday in the announcement that Mehdi Abdesmad and Harris Williams will represent the school at the annual ACC Meetings. Selection is a collaborative process by the coaches and Sports Information. The intent is to select team leaders (usually upper classmen), who are expected to have big seasons and can represent the school well with the media.

This will be Williams second time at the event. He represented BC last year in anticipation of a big senior season (that was cut short by an injury in the UMass game). Abdesmad is also returning from injury. I am going to take both's selection as a sign that they are both 100% and ready to lead.

Last year's ACC Media Days didn't produce any memorable quotes or interviews. The event can be real hit or miss depending on the players and the questions asked. With little expected of BC, this year could be a bit boring too, or maybe the combination of Williams, Abdesmad and Addazio will prove interesting and the sign of good things to come this season.

Addazio doesn't like 7 on 7s

As football becomes a year round sport, 7 on 7 camps and drills are the go to set up for many offseasons. One football guy close to our hearts doesn't think too much of the trend. Last week in an interview with a Tennessee radio station Addazio talked about a variety of BC-related issues and eventually gets to the 7 on 7s. This is what he said:

"You don’t know how people really perform until you put them in those pressure situations, so I equate it to 7 on 7. To me, the 7 on 7 drill in football is kind of a joke. The quarterbacks are throwing, there is no threat of being sacked, or being hit, and there’s really not a heavy contact threat in the back end.”

His argument makes sense. 7 on 7s improve timing or passing routes, but tell you little.

Is it any wonder that Addazio feels so much is missing from 7 on 7s? He's made his living with good line play and running the ball. Both aspects are neutered in passing drills.

Once again, Addazio is a good interview and I like his honesty on the hot topics in college football.

CFN's BC Preview and the challenges or BC's current roster

College Football News posted their BC preview and their roster breakdown. The preview is pretty straightforward and hits on most of what we know and expect. Reading the player piece was a bit more of a reminder of the challenges we face this season. CFN ranks BC's best players as Hilliman,Wujciak, Daniels, Kavalec, Simmons, Adbesmad, Williams, Alston, Willis and Moore. Going purely on their history, that is not an elite group of players. If those guys are really BC's best players, then we need to hope for a few breakout seasons.

Of CFN's best, a few might still become All-ACC players (Hilliman, maybe Alston, maybe Kavalec?). Hilliman will probably get plenty of carries and showed great potential last year. Alston is a playmaker in space. If BC can get him the ball in situations other than sweeps, he could also be elite. Kavalec will get plenty of chances to make plays on defense. He started strong last year before plateauing a bit. Let's hope he can make the jump.

A couple of guys showed moments of greatness in the past, but now face huge question marks due to injury (Williams and Adbesmad). I have a little more faith in Williams' return since his injury and recovery were fairly typical. I don't know what to expect from Adbesmad. Like Swigert, after so many setbacks, any production Addazio gets is a bonus.

The other guys -- Simmons, Willis, Wujciak, Daniels, and Moore -- are all likeable and productive players. Each will make a play or two over the course of the year that will win BC a game. BC has won for decades with guys like these. Yet on our best teams, I don't think any would have cracked the Top 10. This is where I feel like the downturn in talent/recruiting under Spaz finally shows itself. Spaz and his staff found plenty of "BC guys." But didn't find enough elite difference makers that you need to win a conference.

But the shallow preseason Top 10 doesn't mean that all hope is lost. I do believe in Addazio's young talent and think that plenty of recruits who didn't make the list will step up and have huge seasons.

Jackson signs new deal with Detroit

Congrats to Reggie Jackson on his reported $80 million deal with the Detroit Pistons. After he turned down a smaller extension with the Thunder, many questioned if he would ever get as good a deal elsewhere. Turning down the deal also led to the trade to Detroit and many wondering if Jackson was worth the money or the fuss. Fortunately for Reggie (and his fans), he played well in Detroit and is now part of the Pistons' plans going forward.

Fireworks Addazio style

Happy 4th everyone.

BC recruits talk about how BC recruited them

Rivals put up a good summary of each of BC's current verbals and how BC approached them. Two things stood out to me. First, the varied time frames of each recruitment. You had guys like Scooter Harrington that were offered as freshmen in high school and others who BC approached later and moved on quickly. That shows that as much as a program wants to plan and build a class, they also have to be flexible and jump on late bloomers and new opportunities.

The other thing that stood out were the multiple mentions of Don Brown and Ben Albert. Al Washington is often mentioned and credited with the bulk of recruits, but all the coaches contribute. (And if you don't recruit well, Addazio will make a change.) At some programs, a coordinator like Brown wouldn't be as involved. At BC he is. That's a big asset, especially since he's recruiting players for his system. Albert is big on Twitter, so I imagine he can relate to young players well.

This is the first full Addazio class that won't be huge. Who they select and how they recruit is even more important this year. It is nice to see that recruits respect BC's approach and that all the coaches are finding "dudes."

Dudley traded and other links

Good news for BC fans in D.C.: Jared Dudley is coming to town. Dudley has done many events for BC alumni over the years and I am sure things will be similar in Washington. Plus he will serve as a nice replacement for Paul Pierce.

Another BC guy excited about a trade is Jimmy Hayes. The Massachusetts native is coming home to play for the Bruins.

Anthony Castonzo is now giving cooking tips.

BC pitcher John Nicklas didn't get drafted this June. That has him motivated for a big Senior year. His teammate Justin Dunn is playing in Cape Cod this summer.

BC adds a punter to recruiting class

Recruiting class are not just about stars and ratings. It is also about backfilling positions, especially in unique areas like Special Teams. It looks like Addazio found his punter of the future, as Texas kicker/punter Grant Carlson committed Wednesday.

Ignore Carlson's low rating. His position ranking (5th overall) is signal that he has enough leg. If a guy has enough leg, he can refine technique and improve (with BC's coaching and private special teams coaching). Carlson also kicks too. Maybe we will luck out and he'll be an asset in both.

BC has recruited plenty of good kickers and punters over the years. When they struggle it is rarely about the leg and all about the head. We won't know if Carlson can hack it at this level until he takes the field. Good luck to him and welcome aboard. 

Unhappy Oklahoma is good for the ACC

Oklahoma stirred the pot in College Football over the last few days by publicly complaining about the current Big XII. There are a host of issues but the main two are Longhorn Network undermining any chance of a Big XII Network and the lack of good expansion prospects. Nothing will happen this summer, but Big XII weakness is great for the ACC.

As long as there is just a four-team playoff and five major conferences, there will be plenty of selection controversy. Four major conferences with four auto-bids would make more sense. And if you take the next step, four-auto bids as part of a eight team playoff would work well. Some form of consolidation will come. It the Big XII is the weakest conference, then that means the ACC is safe. Plus the ACC's flexibility with Notre Dame is a clear signal to Texas or any other unhappy Big XII team, that we are the best destination for their athletic programs.

BC is never going to drive the conference shuffles, but we can influence things. I hope Brad Bates is working the back channels in the conference and the Big XII in a way that makes the ACC and BC stronger.

Thoughts on the out of conference Basketball schedule

BC announced their non-conference schedule and it is best to call it...soft. The best games -- outside of one holiday tournament -- are Harvard, Penn State and Providence. This is not a schedule to build BC's resume. It is designed to help Christian get through his second season with a very young roster.

I don't begrudge the soft scheduling this year. It is the same philosophy we are using in football. The belief is the easier wins now will lead to better wins in a few years. It's the opposite strategy of Steve Donahue's Death March meant to impress Selection Committees. The idea is that the team learns to win before taking on ACC teams. I think it might work. I also don't think we are heading to any tournament this year, so the team's resume is a non-issue. I also don't think scheduling a bunch of heavyweights would generate much interest. Or at least as much interest as winning should.

My only real gripe is not scheduling more local teams. Why not schedule a BU or Holy Cross in place of Delaware or St. Francis? Even though they are not basketball rivals, teams like those do carry some tradition. A little juice and energy into a non-conference game is better than nothing.

Gray verbals and other links

New Jersey DB/WR KJ Gray committed to BC this weekend. He's considered a three star and the one of the Top 20 players in New Jersey. He also had offers from Iowa, Rutgers and Syracuse.

Three Eagles were selected in the weekend's NHL Draft.

Hanlan is ready for the NBA's Summer League.

All the various NFL analytics reinforce how well Matt Ryan is playing.

Congrats to BC guy Bob Ryan on his Red Smith Award.

Buffalo on the 2016 schedule

BC's 2016 schedule is becoming a little more clear. After working FOIA requests, MattBC03 confirmed that BC will host Buffalo October 1, 2016. The good news is that this means that BC will have six home games despite the trip to Ireland. The bad news? The home games will be UMass, Buffalo, three ACC games and barring a miracle another FCS team.

Bates deserves credit for working with Buffalo, Northern Illinois and the MAC on making this work. Plenty of altered schedules and penalties were in play, so this did take a good amount of dealing and scheduling to pull it off. 

It will be interesting to see how the coach and AD spin the game. It confirms they are keeping the schedule manageable and winnable. The people who pay attention are going to be upset, but I feel like casual fans, recruits and the media won't. I think padding BC's win total is their goal and that will help change perception of the program. I think it will work too. However, if we do build the program with soft scheduling, eventually the media will start calling BC out.

We know about Wade, but who will catch his passes?

Each Darius Wade interview confirms that he's going to be the starting QB this season and probably have a long leash. If there was still uncertainty or if the other guys were breathing down his neck, BC wouldn't have him making the media rounds. That's good news. Locking in a QB is critical. Technically the OLine is a question mark, but we can trust the coaching there. The backfield is proven, so the only real unknown is the pass catchers.

Let's start with the obvious: it is unlikely any of the blocking Tight Ends will become big pass catchers. So that means Louie Addazio and Michael Giacone are not suddenly going to become threats to score or move the ball through the air. Drew Barksdale...hasn't gotten on the field much in two years. Probably more of the same this year. Wolford is a nice change of pace, but won't be a primary target. Harrison Jackson is returning from injury and was a secondary option prior to sitting out.

We could group Swigert with Jackson as an unknown after injury but when he has been healthy, he's been very good. Even if he doesn't have his previous speed, I still trust him to get open and make plays. I think Callinan can get some of the passes that went to Bordner last year. Dudeck always proves useful and has good hands, so I expect him to be good for a catch a game.

Alston and Outlow will be big parts of the passing attack. That is easy to predict. They are both proven. They both have huge upside and can make plays. And both will be on the field a lot. In most situations they will be easy passes for Wade to complete. If anyone has a big jump in production, it will be these guys.

Dixon, Smith and McClary [edited: he's now officially a DB] are all young and didn't get much attention last season. One of them will increase his role.

If there is one newcomer who might make an immediate impact, it could be Nolan Borgersen. He's got size, speed and a head start on the offense.

Even with a new QB and new OC, I don't expect us to turn into a Mike Leach offense. But we will throw it more. Let's just hope these guys can catch.

Jazz draft Hanlan

It probably wasn't as high as he dreamed of going, but Olivier Hanlan's decision to declare for the NBA Draft paid off as the Utah Jazz selected him with the 41st pick overall. As a second round pick, Hanlan won't get a guaranteed contract, but he should get a fair shot. The Jazz have done a good job over the years of developing their own picks and giving them playing time.

Throughout the night the experts talked up Hanlan's ability and Jay Bilas even felt Olivier should have gone higher. This wasn't a storybook ending, but he is now a professional. Congrats and good luck.

Answering email: names on uniforms

I try to answer all the emails sent to me. Sometimes the topic merits opening the discussion up to the larger BC fanbase. Here is an email from David H. and my response.

Question for ya -- do you think that player names should go back on the football jerseys? I believe that Spaz took them off, and Addazio has just kept the status quo.

I really wish they would put the player names back on. Makes it a lot easier to follow the team during the game and get excited about individual players. Not easy to remember all the numbers out there. I also think that the players and maybe even families might feel more proud with their family name on the uniform.

Wondering if there's any sort of movement or vocal group that feels the same way?

I would welcome a return of names on the back of the jerseys. Let’s be practical about the whole thing. It is not like we are preserving some history or tradition. The names have been coming on and off BC jerseys for five decades now. Sometimes we have them on the road but not home. Some coaches have mixed it up (TOB had it both ways). Even if you use the names (or lack thereof) as a motivational tool and a form of team unity, does that really make a difference?

Addazio is a big believer in motivational tools, so I don’t expect any change in the policy any time soon. Maybe if he hears enough negative feedback from recruits, he might change things.

The other factor that might help get names back is Under Armour. They are always looking to tweak the look and jerseys so adding the names back could be an upcoming recommendation. At least we no longer have the italics numbers, which made identifying players strictly by number very confusing.

My prediction is that names will return to home jerseys within two years. Addazio or Under Armour will make the change for sake of change.

New Texas recruit and other links

Texas WR Christian McStravick committed to BC Monday. Most of the services rate him as a 3 star prospect. BC is his first Power 5 offer, but he has the type of size that should work well in our offense.

The Herald featured Noah Hanifan in their run up to the NHL Draft.

Mikaela Rix, Tess Chandler and Caroline Margolis all earned spots on the ACC's All Academic Lacrosse team.

Carter is coming

Now we have a transfer! Former Rutgers and Florida guard Eli Carter announced he will spend his final year of eligibility at BC. The graduate transfer is eligible immediately. Carter fills multiple needs for Christian and is a huge get. We now have a proven Power 5 defender. He won't score like Olivier, but Carter can turn it on and should provide solid offensive production. Most importantly, Christian gets some veteran leadership. Carter is already 24 (he played at St. Anthony's and in prep school, plus the college transfer). He's a grown man. This should make a difference on a very young and green BC team.

The recruiting guys gave Scott Spinelli most of the credit for landing Carter. Christian also deserves credit for again being opportunistic. Ideally BC would have their pick of elite recruits. But picking up quality guys late in the process due to coaching changes or other team's musical chairs is not a bad plan. What others might view as scrambling, I view as upgrading talent.

Welcome to BC, Eli. It will only be one year. Let's hope it is a good one.

Bill Connelly's Boston College preview

SB Nation's Bill Connelly released his Boston College preview last week. As always it is worth the read and interesting to read what an unbiased observer feels about Addazio.

Bill's expectations are relatively low and thinks Addazio earned a mulligan for whatever happens this year.

Maybe they'll have more surprises in store, but even if they don't, this year's a mulligan. He's surprised twice, so if BC regresses, it's a freebie, not only because of the past but because of the future.

I think Addazio earned a lot of goodwill, but I am still not convinced this year will be or should be a full bottoming out. There is enough talent and Addazio has been in place long enough that we should compete in every game.

Frates on SC Featured

In case you missed it, here is ESPN's SC Featured: a father's legacy on Pete Frates, his new child and his father. It was produced by BC grad Drew Gallagher.

Watch Anthony Brown again and again and again and again

It is a summer Saturday, so there is not much BC news out there. Yet there are recruiting camps. Future BC QB Anthony Brown worked out at a Rivals camp and someone put up this Vine. Can you read or project anything into it? Of course not. But you can watch him complete a short pass over and over.

In the pocket with Boston College QB commit Anthony Brown https://t.co/obrjyUK8G3

— Woody Wommack (@RivalsWoody) June 20, 2015

Tweets of the Week

"Go be relaxed somewhere else. ... There’s no relaxing here." -@BCCoachAddazio http://t.co/zijqzNqB9X http://t.co/U7JzbSpu68

— BC Athletics (@BCSportsNews) June 18, 2015

Day 1 of camp in the books! Beautiful sunset over @BostonCollege to end the day. #WeAreBC pic.twitter.com/bQ4EnW7WxS

— Justin Frye (@CoachJFrye) June 18, 2015

Being dudes with @notthefakeSVP on the @espn tour. #morethanjustajock #WeAreBC #BCFootball pic.twitter.com/2w7Csd5aHq

— BC Football News (@BCFootballNews) June 16, 2015

800 yrs ago #OnThisDay 1215 King John of England signed the #MagnaCarta - depicted in this Bapst Library window. pic.twitter.com/6nv9bJrJy5

— Boston College (@BostonCollege) June 15, 2015

Sanity prevails. https://t.co/px68U1ZcDx

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) June 17, 2015

Christian gets his big man

As much as we (and to a certain extent Jim Christian's staff) wanted an elite transfer, Christian more than made up for it with another solid piece to this incoming class. 6'9 F/C John Carlos-Reyes committed to BC Thursday night. The Georgia product picked BC over offers from Penn State and South Florida. I don't know enough about Carlos-Reyes to know why he was still available at this point in the process. But kudos to Christian for being opportunistic.

The only downside to this scholarship is that BC is once again imbalanced with regards to talent. We have another mega-class that puts BC in the cycle of losing, hoping the guys get better and then rebuilding every four years. It will be up to Christian to add some balance in the next two recruiting cycles.

Steelers giving Murphy shot at QB and other links

Tyler Murphy may be a QB after all. The Steelers had him under center and throwing passes this week in their OTAs. While still unlikely to make the 53 man roster as a QB, Murphy's rotation at QB may earn him a practice squad spot. Now he gets to throw passes to Shakim Phillips again.

As expected Chris Shaw signed with the Giants and will forego his remaining eligibility. Best of luck to him and hopefully we will see him in the majors soon.

Ethan Tucky sounds like he has a good head on his shoulders.

Recruiting comings and goings

One of the top prospects in Massachusetts is going to...Michigan. If you want a sign that Addazio changed our recruiting culture, notice that BC recruiting nuts are not making a big deal out of this. Sean McKeon is a TE (not a position of need for BC) and even with the Michigan interest is lightly regarded by the major services. Addazio wants his pick of New England kids and the general feel is that McKeon was a low priority.

One of New Jersey's top players just visited and BC remains in good shape for his services.

Christian hires Stan Heath as final assistant.

After some initial reports, Vega confirmed with Christian that he added former Arkansas and South Florida coach Stan Heath to the staff. Heath fills the open position created by Preston Murphy's departure. On a very basic level this is a great hire. We replace a young assistant with an experienced major conference coach. Christian fills an open spot with a former boss (which I always take as a sign of respect between the two). Hiring Heath also speaks to a decent budget. BC won't release Heath's salary, but I doubt he came cheap.

There are of course questions related to the Heath hire. Can he recruit to a school like BC with tougher admission standards? Can he recruit New England? Does he have the young energy that enabled Murphy to relate to recruits?

As much as the Murphy departure worried me, this sort of move calms my nerves a bit. Sometimes personalities just don't mix. If Murphy and Christian weren't on the same page, it is better to address it early than late. I assume that Heath and Christian will work well together. The roles are reversed, but they had success once before. Even if Heath is not as effective as Murphy on the recruiting trail, a united staff is ultimately what Christian needs. There will be bumps ahead and by adding Heath he gets a trusted sounding board, who will hopefully lead BC back to success.

Father's Day recommendation

I've read "My Daddy Loves Boston College Football" approximately 3,918,547 times. Like all good kids books, it never gets older for the parent or child. With Father's Day just around the corner, I highly recommend getting it for any dad who loves BC and has young children. It's available on Amazon and was written by fellow Eagles.

Big recruiting win for BC

Ohio Linebacker Ethan Tucky committed to BC Sunday night. This is big news and a big win for Addazio and Al Washington. Tucky is one of the more highly ranked BC verbals and held offers from Wisconsin, Kentucky, Iowa and Northwestern. Rivals gives him 4 stars and ranks him the 14th best player in Ohio. 247 only gives him 3 stars, but they have him as the 13th best player in Ohio.

Although he didn't hold an Ohio State offer, there was interest and he's in the heart of Buckeye country. Getting a recruit like this -- with Big Ten offers -- is encouraging since we've somewhat shifted resources from the Midwest to other areas.

Being one of the younger guys on the staff, Al Washington is expected to be a key recruiter, but he's really having a strong season. If this keeps up, we are going to have to worry about other programs coming to poach him.

Maryland pushing for alcohol sales; when should BC try?

Maryland is the latest college sports program exploring alcohol sales at football and basketball games. Their logic -- like the other schools that have implemented similar programs -- is that the stadium sales increases revenue and decreases binge drinking. Current ACC schools, Miami, Syracuse and Louisville sell alcohol at events. At what point should BC try this?

The limited and restrictive nature of tailgating at BC games is a common complaint. The school also dislikes the late arriving crowd. Would serving beers and wine in Alumni make people happy and get fans to their seats on time? What sort of revenue boost would it provide? BC probably has some preliminary data from the UMass game at Gillette last season.

The local neighborhoods might object to giving BC a liquor license, but any reduction in tailgating might sway the approval boards. We've tried all sorts of other measures. Why not this?

Tweets of the Week

A couple new Eagles ready for BC freshman orientation! #ClassOf2019 #WeAreBC @ajturnerr11 @MattMilon pic.twitter.com/Lsz3dNmly2

— Jim Christian (@BCJimChristian) June 7, 2015

pic.twitter.com/C2K8xx0h2b

— Max Richardson III (@amillian_14) June 11, 2015

.@BostonCollege's own @DougFlutie with the shout out in the NYT crossword today! #EaglesAreEverywhere pic.twitter.com/iG2pXHoCJd

— Sarah Ganton (@sarah_ganton) June 10, 2015

@JasonKirkSBN @bcatleagle this is horrible pic.twitter.com/LL9ZOY6dtH

— Kyle Egan (@kylepegan) June 9, 2015

I love all the passive-aggressive swipes BC fans take at UConn. For example, the comments: http://t.co/jmSNJ7pEMz

— Russell Steinberg (@Russ_Steinberg) June 9, 2015

More verbals for Addazio

The coach keeps collecting commitments. Thursday brought news that Georgia LB Max Richardson verballed to BC. Richardson's best offers are from Duke and South Florida, but there is plenty of interest from other Power 5 programs. My regional bias aside, I do like the inroads Addazio is making here in Georgia (with Al Washington doing a lot of the heavy lifting). Although every southern school recruits in Metro Atlanta, there is so much talent depth in a relatively small space, that BC can still find under-appreciated kids or late bloomers.

Earlier in the week, New York DT prospect Adam Korutz verballed. He's a big kid who is expected to get bigger. Yet he moves well for his size. If Richardson plays in a deep talent pool, Korutz plays in a shallow pool. He dominates his local, upstate New York peers, so BC will be a step up for him. However, our staff has traditionally done a good job of evaluating guys who can make the jump in competition.

Scheduling is not simple

UMass scheduled a series with Mississippi State and got plenty of BC fans wondering, why didn't we do that? And mixed in with the good news of the Ireland trip is the very real possibility that we will only play five games in Alumni in 2016. Scheduling is tough and I don't think it will get an easier for Bates and Addazio in the next two seasons.

This is what we know. There are very few Power 5 teams not locked into deals for the next few years. (BC's schedule is still impacted by the ACC expansion to include Notre Dame and Syracuse and the ACC's flip-flop on nine conference games.) We are imposing restrictions on our schedule by the desire to have 6+ home games and Addazio not wanting to overburden his program. We also don't want to take 2 for 1 series (like UMass did with Miss St.). What's left? Not much. Unless ESPN steps in and creates a TV-friendly matchup, I think BC has two options for 2016. We either go on the road and only play five games at Alumni or we host a second FCS opponent.

Of those two options, I would prefer the road game. But I don't know if Addazio and Bates agree. 2016 is a critical year. It will be Addazio's fourth in the program. Expectations will be relatively high...or at least high enough to prove that Addazio can build a program. An easy win against a cupcake at home will help perception more than a close loss on the road.

I hope lucks into a great home game, but this is musical chairs. There aren't that many options, so Bates and Addazio will have to make a decision soon.

San Francisco Giants take Shaw

The World Series Champion Giants drafted Chris Shaw with the 31st pick overall. Shaw has to decide between now and mid-July if he will sign or return for his final season at BC. Despite injuries, Shaw had a very good season and made the ACC's Second Team All Conference. 

Most expect Shaw to sign. As much as BC will miss his power, success in the Draft should help recruiting efforts.

Congrats to Chris and best of luck at the next level. 

Confusing recruiting

I don't want to harp on one recruit but sometimes one kid can illustrate a bigger challenge. Remember Ronnie Blackmon? He's had a "will he" or "won't he" process with BC. At various times, various services have said different things about his status. He then seemingly committed to BC on his trip. In the continuing fickle nature of college recruiting, I wouldn't count on him now.

Blackmon took part in a local showcase here in Atlanta and was one of the top performers. However, in the write up there was no mention of Boston College. Also, most of the recruiting services have has interest in BC waning. What happened? I don't think we will ever know. Given what we are reading, I doubt he will come to BC. First of all we know that Addazio doesn't like kids committing and then flaking. Second, there must be more to Blackmon's story. He is performing very well against SEC-level recruits in SEC and ACC country and his best offers are from outside the region. It doesn't add up.

Let Addazio barnstorm

The satellite football camps started last year with Penn State in Atlanta. This week Jim Harbaugh took it to a new level by hosting a series of camps around the country and far from Ann Arbor. These are a great idea and seem like a natural fit for Addazio's energy and approach. But our coach cannot match Harbaugh's itinerary. Per ACC rules, all of BC's camps must be within 50 miles of campus. This rule -- shared with the SEC -- is designed to protect fertile recruiting territories in the south. This stink and BC needs to lead the change on this issue.

As much as I would like to think a BC camp in Sturbridge would be as fruitful as Michigan's in Dallas, the satellites with geographic restrictions are useless to BC. We have a good feel for all the talent near campus. I would guess that most ACC and SEC schools feel the same way. The benefit of the barnstorming camps is that you reach beyond your local pool. Coaches meet kids that they will never get to visit campus and get to see them athletically in drills run by BC coaches.

The Big Ten powers are doing this to steal top talent from the SEC. Even if we created camps everywhere, BC won't suddenly bring in five stars from the Deep South. However, this could make us a factor in that tier of recruits just below the elite. Plus camps are a way to unearth a hidden gem far from New England.

Unlike many of the big state schools, we already have a natural footprint to host the camps. We could approach Jesuit schools in Southern California, Cincinnati, Dallas and Tampa and invited prospects from the region. It's a win-win for the schools, the recruits and BC. The only group hurt are the local programs.

The ACC coaches will address the issue soon. My prediction is that they will first see if they can create an NCAA rule to limit the Big Ten schools. Hopefully that fails and instead they open up the restrictions. When they do, I will volunteer to host the first BC camp in my backyard.

Ray Marten verbals to BC

Another highly-touted prospect verbaled to BC Friday. New York's Ray Marten is the 8th commitment in this class. Rivals lists Marten as the 4th best player in New York and a 3 star. 247 has him as the 6th best player in New York and also gives him 3 stars.

Considering Dalton's decommitment earlier this spring BC can use him as a Tight End. Most services also list him as a defensive player. Getting a player who gives Addazio some options is nice at this point in the recruiting cycle. BC can still pursue more TEs or Dline prospects and shift Marten accordingly.

Welcome aboard, Ray.

Tweets of the Week

"It should be really special. The ACC is really behind us playing these games." -Addazio #BC2Ireland

— BC Football News (@BCFootballNews) June 4, 2015

#TBT 1988, last time @BCFootballNews played in Ireland beating Army. #WeAreBC #BC2Ireland #GameOnIre pic.twitter.com/Ztftu3OYUG

— BC Football Video (@BCFootballVideo) June 4, 2015

Great to have @AnthonyCastonzo in the facility today! Represents BC and #OLineU at its best! #WeAreBC pic.twitter.com/Jv48WvGjWU

— Justin Frye (@CoachJFrye) May 29, 2015

I told my dad next year we playing Georgia Tech in Ireland he goes oh Georgia Tech is in Ireland? 😂😂😂

— Isaac Yiadom Jr (@isaacshowtime) June 4, 2015

Pumped about #BC2Ireland but keep in mind we have a whole year of work to put in before then and to be focused on the present first! 💯

— 5⃣8⃣ (@jhendren58) June 4, 2015

Dazzy Boy: why are we really playing in Ireland

The long speculated, oft-rumored BC Football game in Ireland is finally happening. This is good for BC and good for BC Football. I am excited and I hope you are too. However, there is still a lot of BS surrounding this game. The only thing an Irishman (like myself) enjoys more than spinning a few tales and painting a romantic picture, is being the Irish guy in the corner of the room saying "he's full of s--t." So let's cut through the BS and get to a few truths about the game that you won't read much between now and 2016.

This is about Irish tourism, not BC's connection to Ireland
BC and Boston do have true ties to Ireland. Probably more than any other American school. But that is not why we are playing this game. BC was the first team to play in Ireland (1988) yet we haven't been back since. If these matchups were purely about Irish ties, do you think Pitt, Rutgers, Penn State, Navy and Central Florida would have played since our last game? This is a TV event that will serve as a 3 hour commercial for Ireland. Aer Lingus is the title sponsor. The game only came together because of the Irish government and Irish tourism ministry. Every commercial break will feature bumper shots of Dublin or the country side. Even now, just by reading this post, you are probably going to be served Irish ads on different website. The fact that BC fans have a connection and affinity to Ireland is just gravy for the Irish. Believe me, if Alabama was willing to give up a home date and travel across the Atlantic for a game, they would be there now. Irish ties or not. Heck, BYU will probably get a shot at this game in the near future.

Not many BC fans will travel to this game
I don't know what BC expects, but I predict less than 3,000 BC fans travel to this game. While there was plenty of excitement on social media Thursday morning, I think the realities of the game will limit those who actually go. Think of our turnout at other sporting events in the past ten years, that were easier to get to and less expensive. The once in a lifetime opportunity and the long sales time will help efforts, but for many of our fans time and money will always be an issue. The older, emptynesters of Irish decent will go. They should. Those same people make up the key demographic for Irish tourism. But your younger fan, who is a BC diehard is less likely. I hope that BC grads in Ireland, the UK and Europe turnout, but overall, this will be a neutral crowd that might cheer us on because we're Catholic.

This is a TV event
I already explained it is a big commercial for Ireland, but it is also key TV content for ESPN. It could start at a later and provide a better viewing time for BC and Georgia Tech fans across the country. But ESPN doesn't really care about BC or Georgia Tech fans. They care about college football fans and a 7:30 am ET kickoff time gives them wall-to-wall coverage on the first Saturday of a college football season. The fact that it comes with a natural title sponsor to buy up that commercial time is even better.

This is about recruiting
BC is giving up a home game for this. That is one less chance to host recruits. But they are also getting something to sell and promote. They can use it on the current recruiting class: "come to BC and you will get a trip to Europe!" and something that we can sell to future recruits. Follow any of the twitter feeds of the BC assistant. They are selling Wall Street connections and BC guys in the pros. This will be just another tool to differentiate ourselves. "At BC you'll play on an international stage!" The players that go will enjoy the trip and hopefully get what they can out of the experience of visiting a new country. As long as they come back selling future recruits on all the cool things that go on at BC, the trip will be a success.

If you are excited about going, start supporting BC and the team now
Almost by definition, if you're reading this blog in the offseason you are a BC diehard. And like me you probably know plenty of semi-casual BC fans who watch one game a year and still think Spaz is the coach. Of course many of these same people were quick to post "road trip" on Facebook the minute the Irish announced the game. I hope they go and we need all the support we can get. But if you are thinking of going remember the team will play 12 games this year and could use your support throughout. Watch a non-Notre Dame game. Learn a few players' names. Also, I know plenty of people who think nothing of shelling out $3,000+ for this trip but don't give to BC annually. I don't like telling people what to do with their money, but BC would appreciate even just a nominal donation. It all makes a difference and supports BC in ways that going to Ireland cannot.

Now that I've poked a few holes in the motivations for this game, let me restate how excited I am for the game. I doubt I will go, but love the idea and love any game that has a unique angle. Now I just need to learn "WE ARE BC" in Gaelic.

It's official: BC to Ireland

The #BCEagles and @bcfootballnews are headed to Ireland! #BC2Ireland pic.twitter.com/IkIcNXEBMC

— BC Athletics (@BCSportsNews) June 4, 2015

I will post more after the press conference.

ESPN confirms Ireland game

ESPN's college football reporters confirmed that BC will play Georgia Tech in Ireland on Saturday September 3, 2016. This game couldn't happen without ESPN, so I think the date and time are pretty solid. This gives ESPN a 7:30 AM kickoff in the Eastern Timezone and enables a day full of games for their opening weekend. It will be interesting to see if anyone discloses ESPN paying extra money for this game. My guess is they probably are throwing in a few extra bucks or this counts as one of the ACC's contractual non-Saturday games.

Ireland Update: BC holding "schedule" press conference Thursday

BC announced a press conference for Thursday morning. It happens to coincide with the rumored Irish press conference. Plus attendees include Father Leahy and Mayor Marty Walsh. If it is not Ireland, then why is Walsh coming? Eagles go bragh!?! I guess we find out tomorrow.

Report: BC vs GT Ireland game back on

The on again, off again nature of BC's return to Ireland is on again. Or at least it is according to Irish media. Official announcement is expected Thursday. The game would be the opening weekend of college football in 2016 and played in Aviva Stadium. There are a few hedges in the report and I don't know how it could be this quiet on this side of the Atlantic. Presumably Brad Bates and Georgia Tech AD Mike Bobinski would be in Ireland for the press conference. There would have been some whispers somewhere about their travels.

Getting to this game has been messy, so we shouldn't be that surprised. If it is another false alarm, time might be running out on the trip. 2016 is not that far off from a logistical standpoint. Both BC and Georgia Tech would have to do some unique planning with regards to practices, travel and logistics. If this game is going to happen, we will know soon.

I like laughing at UConn too...but we should still play them

UConn created a rivalry with UCF and didn't even bother to tell anyone, including Central Florida. This is funny and pathetic on many levels. The best part is that Central Florida disowned the rivalry publicly. Even UConn's conference foes want nothing to do with them. Considering UConn's fans and leadership spent the past decade trashing and suing BC, this is fun for me. But even after all the ridicule and bad blood, BC should work to get UConn back on the football schedule.

Like the UMass game, the UConn game makes too much sense not to play. It is a relatively inexpensive game -- either as a road or home game. It will be winnable in most years. While it won't generate massive interest, there will be more local excitement than our varied games against mid-majors from the MAC.

I don't think BC should or even could make UConn an annual game. With the looming Power 5 mandate for at least one non-conference game and the annual FCS game, there isn't much room for another annual opponent. But over a ten year period BC should play UConn around four times.

Father Leahy is the last player from the lawsuits still in a power position at BC. As long as he's part of BC's leadership, playing UConn is probably a non-starter. Since Connecticut named him in one of the lawsuits, I don't blame him for wanting to avoid the Huskies. Yet once he retires or steps down from BC, it will be time to consider a series again. It will be good for BC, good for football in the region, and be fun to pound them again.

Phil Steele's ACC team and other links

Phil Steele doesn't think much of BC's current top-level talent. Only three players made his preseason All ACC Team. Steele named Wujciak 2nd team Defense, Hilliman made 4th team Offense and Willis made 2nd team Special Teams. Steele is one of the better experts, but this doesn't mean BC guys won't break out this year. In fact, I think a few of the new OLine guys will be in the mix for All ACC teams.

Future BC QB Anthony Brown made a big impression at the Nike Camp in Ohio.

Being a former QB is helping Tyler Murphy's adjustment in Pittsburgh.