Which BC players will get drafted next year?

With the NFL Draft just completed, it is time to start thinking about next year. There are already Mock Drafts, so why not talk about just BC talent?

Zach Allen
Both the Sporting News and The Big Lead predict that Allen will be a first round pick next year. Last year at this time most had Landry as a first rounder, so this speculation does not guarantee anything. But if Allen has a good year, his size and flexibility should make him an ideal NFL player.


Lukas Denis
The results are clear. NFL teams like and trust what is going on with BC's DBs. The two just drafted are part of a trend that won't end next year. Denis -- who had a strong year -- will only be more popular next year (assuming he doesn't get hurt). His pass coverage skills will also be better than most safeties.

The OLine
I don't know which line prospects the NFL will prefer, but I do believe that at least one guy among Monteiro, Lindstrom, and Baker will be selected. If they all stay healthy and improve, maybe all will be drafted.

The other guys
BC hasn't had a WR drafted more than 30 years, so the odds are not good for Jeff Smith. But his speed and ability to do other things, will get him some looks. He needs a big senior year. Because of all the attention on Allen, plenty of people will also see Wyatt Ray on film. If he is good, someone will give him shot. As a Tight End, Sweeney won't be a priority for many teams, but a strong final season could get him more than just a chance as an undrafted free agent.

Lacrosse loses ACC Championship to UNC

The Women's Lacrosse team is no longer undefeated. They're also not ACC Champs, as the team lost a tough game against North Carolina in the conference finals.

While not winning the ACC is disappointing, the main goal still exists -- an NCAA Championship. They've proven throughout the year that they are a championship caliber team. Now they just need to prove it.

Robinson gone officially

A dozen reports -- including one from ESPN's Jeff Goodman -- confirm that Jerome Robinson is staying in the NBA Draft and will not return to BC. This makes sense for Jerome. He's likely a first round pick and doesn't stand to gain much with one more year of college. His versatility and offensive game is ideal for the current NBA. Even if he is not ready to be an elite NBA player, enough teams will see potential in his game to give him a chance to develop. Best of luck to Jerome and thank you for giving BC some exciting moments this year.

This leaves an enormous hole for Jim Christian. We know he is actively working the transfer market, but there is no one out there close to Robinson's talent. We know there is some promising freshmen coming in, but they will have some growing pains. Then there is Ky Bowman. As it stands now, Bowman can still come back to BC. And with Robinson gone, this team will be his and he will have a chance to lead the ACC in scoring. However, maybe he will follow Robinson out the door. If Bowman leaves too, then Christian is nearly back to square one and has to prove that he has built something worth keeping.

Saints draft Moore

Kamrin Moore joined a growing list of BC Defensive Backs in the NFL by getting drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round. This is great news for him as the Saints have been one of the better teams when it comes to incorporating and playing their draft picks. Moore will get a shot right away.

Congrats to Kamrin and good luck as a pro.

Broncos grab Yiadom in 3rd round

I guess John Elway knows a good thing when he sees one. For the second time in three years, he used a late third round pick to take a BC defensive back. This time it was Isaac Yiadom with the 99th pick overall. He joins former teammate Justin Simmons in Denver.

Yiadom was projected as a mid round pick, so it was nice to see him go on the early side. He should be an immediate impact player for the Broncos. Elway taking him so closely after Simmons is an endorsement of what BC is doing defensively. 

Congrats to Isaac and good luck in Denver. 

Titans take Landry in 2nd round

After the disappointment of Day1, the second round didn't get off to a great start, as teams kept passing Harold Landry. Finally, the Tennessee Titans realized the opportunity, moved up and took Landry with the 41st pick. New Titans Head Coach and current BC dad, Mike Vrabel was key to the selection. He had worked out Landry personally and had discussed him extensively with Addazio.

Congrats to Harold and now it is his time to shine. No one cares where you were taken once the whistle blows. As I said yesterday, hopefully Landry will use this slide as motivation to a great career. Good luck to him.

Harold Landry not selected in First Round

Harold Landry will be drafted high by an NFL team. Unfortunately it won't be in Round 1. That's disappointing for him (and his family and friends) but there is still plenty of opportunity ahead. Landry loses a bit of money going later, but I imagine teams will start jockeying and trading to get him in the second round.

How did this happen to a guy who at one point was listed as the best DE in the Draft? Obviously not playing most of 2017 raised a lot of red flags. As good as he was in 2016, teams don't know exactly what they are getting. With the first round, teams want sure things.

There was also some bad luck, where the teams that were supposedly interested went in another direction. The Lions went OLine, the Patriots went OL and RB, the Falcons grabbed a WR, the Dolphins went DB, and the 49ers went OL. None of the teams that "liked him" picked another DT or DE over him.

Mel Kiper has Landry as one of his best available still on the board. I don't think the wait will be long in the Second Round. I hope Landry has some patience and uses the snub as motivation.

The Christian extension is predictable and frustrating

According to reports, BC extended Jim Christian's contract through the 2021-22 season. This is adds two years to his current deal. BC did not release any information nor are any of the details of the deal known. Ever since the team made the NIT, there has been speculation about an extension for Christian. It comes with the territory as I am sure Christian and his agent said it was needed for recruiting. That part I get.

What frustrates me is that even with the improvement this year, Christian has yet to prove that he has built anything sustainable. We don't know if this year was a fluke. We don't know how good they will be without Robinson (and potentially Bowman). So BC is spending money on a losing coach with the hope that he can win consistently. While the recruiting has been better, results on the court matter more.

My hope is that BC didn't penalize itself with aspects of the extension. Because other than recruiting, there is no need to spend more money on Christian until we know where the program is headed.

Good news, bad news on Robinson and Bowman

A record 236 players have entered the NBA Draft. Two of them -- Jerome Robinson and Ky Bowman -- hold BC's season in their hands. The good news remains that neither hired an agent and the super crowded field means it will be that much harder for the two to standout at the NBA Draft Combine. If neither feel confident about their stock, they can both return to BC towards the end of May.

The bad news is that most still see Robinson as a first rounder and Bowman as a likely second. If those ratings hold coming out of the Combine, I believe Robinson will hire an agent and Bowman will return.

BC's 247 site is having a promotion

Just a heads up that Eagle Insider (not the same one I used to work for) but the 247 site focused on Boston College, is having a pretty good membership promotion that ends Wednesday. Full disclosure, I am not getting any referral money from them but may contribute to their site in the future.

BC on radar for 2019 hoops star

After the success of his most recent recruiting class, it seems like Jim Christian and his staff are going to continue to go for elite recruits. Now they are on 2019 recruit and Texas big man Drew Timme. All things considered, it is a little late to offer an elite 2019 player at this point, but Timme seems interested (at least on social media).

Timme is a Top 100 player with all the recruiting sites. He holds offers from many Big 12 schools, plus places like Virginia and Purdue. The other thing that is unique about him is that Wuczynski is his lead recruiter. Spinelli has been the guy with the best track record on elite players. Wuczynski's recruiting reputation is not as strong. It would be nice if he landed Timme.

Looking at BC's 990 form

The Heights did their usual reporting on BC's 990 tax filing doc. Being a private school, this is one of the few times we can get real information as to what BC is doing and where they are spending money. Part of the filing includes compensation of "key employees." There are a few predictable salaries and some trends that might be interesting.

1. Addazio, Christian, York, etc. As expected, Addazio is the highest paid BC employee (with a base comp of $2.4 M and another of amount of $54k). It doesn't say what the $54K is. Many non-sports employees have a similar number. Perhaps a bonus, or credited offset for tuition or maybe access to a leased car. I don't know. Christian is getting 1.4 (which is low for the ACC). York gets 600k. This was also one of those years where we didn't pay for fired coaches. And even though Bates got 600k in this filing, he won't be on next year's.

2. No other sports salaries listed. BC included Leo Sullivan on here even though he only made 190k in his semi-retirement role. There are other Athletic Department employees including some coordinators, assistant coaches and key leadership who made more than that but are not listed. I don't know how or why BC picks the employees they do include.

3. Non-athletic salaries continue to grow. Next time a member of the BC community criticizes the cost for sports, point him or her to this doc. Once again, the compensation for BC's leadership continues to rise. I am not begrudging anyone his or her salary. And I understand that despite the non-profit status, BC remains a huge operation and these people are in charge of millions in revenue and thousands of people (students and staff). I also know the cost of living in Boston and how the salaries across higher ed continue to grow. I don't know when the market corrections impacting colleges will (if ever) hit BC, but it will be interesting to see how the school adjusts its overhead staff accordingly.

BC hosts ALS/Frates Day at Fenway

More than 5,000 people showed up to watch BC take on Florida State at Fenway as part of the annual ALS Awareness Game. It was the event's largest crowd. Unfortunately the team didn't send the fans and Frates home with a win, falling to Florida State 13-7. With the loss, BC falls to 5-15 in ACC play.

But the bright spot of the day is what this does to help Frates and continue to keep his fight against ALS in the public eye. It has been four years since the Ice Bucket Challenge and Pete's and his family's work and fight continue to amaze.

Basseball loses tight game against FSU

A fly ball to right ends the game and Florida State wins, 13-12 in 11 innings#Birdball

— BC Baseball (@BCBirdBall) April 21, 2018

Lax completes undefeated regular season

Congratulations to the Lacrosse team for completing an undefeated regular season. They did so in dramatics fashion (see tweet below) as Sam Apuzzo won the game with just 1.7 second left.

BC enters next week's ACC Tournament as the top seed. Let's keep it going.

😨😨😨

Sam Apuzzo scored the game-winner with just 1.7 seconds left to lift @BCwlax to a perfect 17-0 regular season. #NCAAWLAX #SCTop10pic.twitter.com/VfjiskGIT8

— NCAA Lacrosse (@NCAALAX) April 20, 2018

(Despite the Women's success, don't expect a scholarship DI Men's program any time soon.)

Get to know Steve Lubischer

Recent verbal Steve Lubischer committed as a athlete, but as you can see from this video, he does have the skills to play QB. I like the idea of him coming as an athlete and potentially moving to WR or DB. It is really low-risk for BC. If he can't break into the QB depth chart, we can get him on the field in other areas. I also think reinforcing our New Jersey ties and keeping Football Alumni children in the program is a good thing.

Recruiting keeps rolling: adds Maryland DB

Another happy Spring Game visitor. Maryland DB prospect Jalen Williams verballed to BC once he got home from the weekend. The services rate him as a 3 star and he has a bunch of lower-level P5 offers from places like Kentucky, Rutgers, West Virginia and North Carolina. (Interestingly Maryland is not mentioned in the write up.)

Williams seems like the type of guy that has and will continue to thrive at BC. Respectable offers, but nothing that gets the Scouting Services excited. He has good size but not overwhelming speed. He is coming to BC for the right mix of reasons. This seems like a good fit. Congrats to Jalen and welcome aboard.

Addazio picks up commitment from CT Lineman

Connecticut OLine prospect Jack Conley verballed to BC Monday. He's from New Canan and has a history with Zach Allen so that helped in the process. He holds decent Power 5 offers and has a huge frame.

There are two things I find important about his commitment. First we haven't lost OLine recruiting momentum even with the change in position coaches. Frye was his primary recruiter, but the staff continued on him even after Frye left.

The second notable thing about Conley and other Connecticut recruits, is how they rarely mention UConn. I know losing hurts recruiting, but I also believe that the conference shuffle killed so much of their momentum in state. That's good for BC.

Denis named McGillis Recipient

Aside from the actual game and festivities, the Spring Game is also the time in which BC and the McGillis family selects the McGillis scholar for the following year. This year it will be Lukas Denis.

The acknowledgement is given to the senior defensive back who most exemplifies Jay McGillis' spirit and dedication. It also usually goes to the best Senior DB. Giving it to Denis is another sign that the staff has faith in his playing ability and his leadership qualities. If you look at the list of past winners, you see pretty much model players. It is good to know Denis is getting that sort of trust from his coaches.

If you look at the history, the winner usually has a good season. Let's hope that tradition holds true for Denis. 

Spring Game highlights

Here are some highlights from the annual Spring Game. I had kids sports on Saturday, so I haven't watched the game yet. I will watch it later this weekend and give my full thoughts.

Reminder: the Spring Game is also about recruiting

While Saturday's Spring Game will give us a nice glimpse into what the Football team has been doing the past four weeks, fans often forget it is not just about players on the roster. The game -- and the weekend -- is one of the critical for BC Football recruiting.

The Spring Game remains a big deal in recruiting because it is a chance for the recruited players to experience a big event on campus AND have the focus of the football staff. As exciting as a real game can be, Addazio and his staff can't spend all their time and energy on recruits during a typical game day. During the Spring Game, that is not an issue. Players can be close to the action. Assistants can run over and talk during the game. The lack of real stakes, turns the whole thing into a show.

BC's newest verbal Steve Lubischer will be at the game. So will 2020 target Jalen Berger. There will be more and hopefully they all have a good time.

Brighton Complex named after Harrington and other links

During the Yawkey debate, I suggested renaming the Football Facility after John Harrington, since it was Harrington's connection to BC that helped drive the donation. Well, BC has named the new Brighton Complex after the former Red Sox CEO.

BC is in the mix for New Jersey DLine prospect Bryce Nelms. He specifically mentioned talking to Campanile twice a week.

Thursday was the final practice before the Spring Game.

Landry talks Draft

Can the Women's Hoops Coach tell us about Jarmond's hiring?

BC hired Joanna Bernabei-McNamee as the new Women's Basketball Coach. Bernabei-McNamee comes to BC after successful runs at Albany and University of Pikeville. Prior to being a head coach, Bernabei-McNamee served as an assistant at Maryland and West Virginia. I don't know enough about Women's Basketball to know if Bernabei-McNamee will be a success at BC. What I do find interesting and relevant to the bigger picture is what her hire tells us about Martin Jarmond's process.

1. No ties to BC. Women's Basketball is a relatively low stakes hire for Jarmond. The program has not been good for a long time. While location and conference affiliation means we should be better, very few BC people are breathing down Jarmond's neck to make BC Women's Basketball elite. He could have hired someone with ties to the program (a former assistant, a former player, etc.) and kept those who do care happy. Now that model didn't work with Erik Johnson, but it still would have been low risk. Instead, he hired a true outsider.

2. No ties to Jarmond. Many ADs gravitate towards coaches they know and have worked with before. Unless we hear otherwise in the press conference, there is no prior connection between Bernabei-McNamee and our current AD. He didn't even take the easy route of hiring a respected Big Ten assistant.

3. Track record of success as a Head Coach. Bernabei-McNamee has won in both her prior stops. Now there are always coaches who reach the Peter Principle once they make the leap to a more competitive conference, but a history of winning is not a bad thing. It is something she can sell to recruits and indicates she can handle the ups and downs of a season.

4. He didn't just pluck an assistant from an ACC or Women's Basketball power. It would have been easy to pick a UConn assistant or Notre Dame assistant and hope he/she rebuild's BC in a winning image of those schools. But there is plenty of risk in that approach. Often the key ingredient is the head coach and the assistant doesn't have the tools to do it on his/her own.

I like what I read and see about Bernabei-McNamee. I think her success in Albany and history recruiting major conferences is a good sign. I also like that Jarmond didn't limit himself to the typical criteria often involved in a college search.

Matt Ryan talks about the birth of his twins

With Matt Ryan in the public eye and his wife Sarah active on social media, their silence following his day off during the playoffs for a "personal matter" was worrisome for anyone paying attention to Sarah's pregnancy. As Sarah explained in an Instagram post, she was put on bed rest in January and the twin boys were born very premature in Atlanta in February. The Ryans are now speaking publicly about their new expanded family and all seems well. I generally try to avoid getting into off the field stuff, but they have been such a high profile BC couple and still supportive of the school, that the public news and health of the babies is something I think is worth sharing. Below is Matt talking about the process as he prepares for his golf tournament which supports the hospital that is literally across the street from where his kids were born.

Big weekend for BC Baseball and Softball

Brian Rapp and Thomas Lane combined for a one-hitter as BC beat Pitt on Sunday. Rapp started and didn't allow his first hit until the seventh. Lane closed it out. It was BC's second shutout of the season.

The Softball team remains hot as they won their 10th straight. It is Softball's longest winning streak since 1995.

Who is interested in Landry?

We know the Patriots like Landry. We also know that he will get a long look at Detroit given the history with Pasqualoni. But who else is considering him early. Supposedly the 49ers are but could try to trade down from their pick and get Landry latter in the first round. Based on pre-Draft visits, it seems like the Cowboys are interested in his ability to be an edge rusher in a 3-4. Here is a breakdown of Landry from a Cowboys blog.

ACC adds Bowman highlight reel

The ACC Network didn't waste any time on the Bowman news. They put out a highlight reel to match Robinson's from earlier this spring. This doesn't mean that they know anything or that some good dunks and drives will be enough to get him drafted. I think the Network is just anticipating that more people will be looking for footage of him than they were a week ago.

I'm not freaking out about Bowman and Robinson

I've been travelling so I wasn't able to jump on the news that both Robinson and Bowman are testing the waters for the NBA Draft. (For those not up to speed on this, it means that they are not signing with an agent, are looking for feedback and can still return to college during the appropriate window.) Robinson's decision has been rumored for weeks. Bowman's was a bit of a surprise. But in the end, I think both need to do what's right for their respective careers. My big concern in all of this remains Jim Christian.

I know Christian has dealt with some difficult circumstances and has BC seemingly headed in the right direction. However, in my opinion he has yet to show that he is anything special and can take us to the next level. For every Duke win, there are some frustratingly bad losses. For every great play out of a timeout, there are huge defensive lapses. Is he a bad coach? No. Is he a great coach? I don't think so. So like any above average coach, he is going to need to recruit and develop talent. Bowman and Robinson are two guys he and his staff deserve credit for recruiting and developing. But if that is the end of the talent pipeline or its apex, then we have the wrong coach. I am not expecting BC to grab lottery pick after lottery pick, but borderline first rounders shouldn't be rare. If BC is ever going to sustain success under Christian, he needs at least one player maturing to an NBA first rounder every year.

If Robinson and Bowman return, Christian should have a Top 25 team. If just Bowman returns, he should have a team that can go .500 in ACC play. If neither returns, then he needs to avoid another flame out.

I wish nothing but the best for Bowman and Robinson. They are fun players and I hope they are not done. But either way, if Christian can't find others like them, then that is BC's real problem.

What the pundits are saying about Isaac Yiadom

If Landry is a Day 1 lock and Moore might not get drafted, Isaac Yiadom seems somewhere in between. Everyone has him drafted. It is just a matter of where.

The NFL site has him as a 3rd rounder.

NFL Draft Scout loved what he did at the Senior Bowl and see him as a 3rd or 4th rounder.

NFL Next sees him as a 5th rounder.

What the pundits are saying about Kamrin Moore

Kam Moore had a great season. He has great game tape. He earned a Senior Bowl invite. However, his shoulder injury remains his big question mark heading into the Draft. It impacted his workouts and his drills at the Combine.

247 reminds everyone how well he graded out but thinks he could go undrafted.

NFL Next sees him as a 4th rounder, but does have concern about his physicality in man coverage.

The NFL's site sees him as a 6th or 7th rounder.

What the pundits are saying about Harold Landry

Harold Landry is as close to a BC-related sure thing as there is in this year's NFL Draft. But where will he go and what do the pundits think of him?

In Mel Kiper's series of mock drafts, Landry keeps going late in the first round (his latest says Tennessee at No. 25) Kiper thinks Landry could have been a top 5 pick had he matched his production of 2016. His injury issues raise a few question marks.

NFL Draft Scout also still sees him as a first rounder: "2018 NFL Combine Winners: Harold Landry, DE, Boston College...After leading the FBS in sacks in 2016, Landry had a forgettable senior season due to injury. However, he helped remind scouts why he is deserving of first-round consideration. At 6-2 and 252 pounds with 33-inch arms, Landry ran a 4.64 40-yard dash with a 1.58 10-yard split, 6.88 three-cone and 36-inch vertical. Cut from the same cloth as Vic Beasley, Landry should hear his name called on night one of the draft. - Dane Brugler, NFLDraftScout.com"

The NFL's own site is pretty critical of Landry's strength and technique but still sees him as a first rounder. 

Happy Easter

In general I avoid religion on the blog even though what brings us together is our common interest in a Catholic, Jesuit school's sports team. Every once in a while it is good to recognize that aspect of BC's core mission and pray for more than just another BC win. Since this is the most important day in the Church, I wish you a happy Easter regardless of your faith. Back to sports tomorrow.