Arizona package? and other links

The best type of recruiting is when one elite player brings in another. According to Hoffses, that could be happening at BC if Arizona big man Andre Adams joins Sammy Barnes-Thompkins.  Adams will probably have to decide soon. The added bonus of the package is that it helps the transition for two kids far away from home.

For those who missed it, Chase Rettig signed with the Chargers. This follows a tryout with the Dolphins. I don't know why these teams are showing interest now but didn't really pursue Chase after Green Bay dropped him last season. I wish him well and think he can still be a solid NFL backup.

Rettig's teammate KPL is ready to get back on the field.

BC finished 6th nationally for APR success. 12 Eagle teams qualified for being in the Top 10th percentile of their respective sport in graduating student athletes.

NFL Draft ends with a run on BC players

No one really knew where Andre Williams was headed, but in the end if was very predictable. The Giants -- a team with a rich BC tradition -- took Williams in the Fourth Round. The Giants are changing their offense, but I don't think they are going to ask Andre to be a pass catcher. He's going to be about pounding the ball and establishing play action for Eli. I don't think Andre is a fit everywhere, so I am glad he went to a team that will use him well and be patient.

Williams got things started and then what could have been a slow day, quickly became a great day for Eagles. The Seahawks took KPL in the Fourth Round. I think that's a great fit for him as they like to use players in multiple roles, and he has the speed to play a small end but also cover TEs and RBs. The Lions drafted Freese in the Seventh Round and the 49ers used their last pick on Kaleb Ramsey. Freese should be a sure thing for Detroit. If Ramsey can stay healthy, he should also make the 49ers roster.

After the Draft ended, the undrafted guys quickly found teams. Divitto signed with the Jets, Edebali signed with the Saints, Sinkovec signed with the Ravens, White signed with the Chargers, and Rettig signed with the Packers. The Packer-Rettig situation reminded me so much of Matt Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck went through multiple coaches and coordinators and dealt with a lot of losses while at BC. But the Packers proved to be the perfect situation to become an NFL QB. Rettig has the same chance now.

The one surprise is that Matt Patchan has not signed with any team yet. Given the number of private workouts Patchan had, I think he'll catch on with some team soon, unless there is an issue we are not aware off. UPDATE: Patchan signed with Tampa.

I don't know if any of these guys will be stars, but they are all getting a chance. That's what matters.

A new commit and other links

Florida Offensive Line prospect Wyatt Knopfke verballed to Addazio Monday. Knopfke also had offers from Miami and Kentucky.

The Giants brought KPL in for a workout. As we know there is a long history of the Giants taking BC guys.

BC is also the first to offer Cincinnati-area WR Chase Pankey.

As expected Joe Rahon will complete his college career back on the West Coast.

KPL love and other links

The biggest BC winner coming out of the NFL Combine is KPL. Both Yahoo and FOX listed him among the biggest movers at the Combine. By dominating his position group in the drills, KPL will force NFL teams to go and look back at his game tape. While not as consistent as Kuechly (who is?), KPL certainly made a lot of plays and a lot of tackles. I think he could move up into the 3rd round.

It looks like BC might use as many as six different running backs next year.

Mike Naples and Steele Divitto are training together for BC's Pro Day at the renowned Parisi Football Academy. Naples started blogging about the experience too.

This Falcons blogger wants Andre Williams in Atlanta. Considering how often the Falcons like to screen, I don't know if it is a good fit.

OL Prospect Justin Skule is looking at multiple ACC schools.

The Women's Lacrosse team's matchup with Syracuse Wednesday is great opportunity for the team to move up the rankings.

Williams' NFL future, NC State gametime and other links

Andre Williams' breakout year is getting attention among NFL scouts. I didn't think Williams had much of a chance to get drafted prior to the season. Running backs are a dime a dozen in the NFL. Plus he had never shown any consistency (part of that was scheme and injuries). Now that he has improved his already powerful running, NFL teams are taking notice. As the article states, he hasn't caught many passes. Can he add that element to his game? I also wonder about his pass blocking. And then there are his usage rates. He is carrying the ball a lot and most running backs have only so many hits in them. There is still a lot of football to play, but if he keeps averaging 150 yards a game, someone will draft him on Day 2.

The NC State game will kick off at 12:30 and will be carried on regional sports networks (mostly Fox). Whatever network carried the UNC game in your region is likely to carry this one.

I am all for passion at the game, but agree with the Heights Board on vulgar cheers. You're BC students. Use some wit.

KPL earned All ACC honors for his performance against VT.

HD thinks the Virginia Tech win was a "statement game" for BC and Addazio.

KPL preseason All ACC and other links

I assumed that Steele Divitto would get preseason All ACC votes simply be being at the ACC Kickoff. Instead the media awarded KPL. Congrats to him. He certainly has the tools to be great. I hope the new defensive system allows him to shine.

The basketball team will also play USC this year. That will be a nice coming home for all of our Californians. I hope the Pac 12 Network isn't an issue with this game.

The Philly media likes the Momah story. Let's hope the coaching staff does too.

Denver resigned Dan Koppen.

This isn't BC related, but Stanford is rolling out dynamic pricing for their seats. If it works for them, it will be at Alumni shortly thereafter.

ICYMI: Links from the past week

Phil Steele thinks we will score more points this season. 

Kevin Pierre-Louis was named to the Nagurski watch list.

Pennsylvania Tight End strongly considered BC but verballed to UConn instead. BC's interest seemed to fade as other Tight Ends/Defensive Ends committed.

Temple closed on Jersey prospect Jarred Alwan. That's a big coup considering how hard BC went after him.

Former Eagle Steve Hailey now coaches on the Boston AAU circuit. Maybe that will help us with local talent.

BC still has interest in Ohio RB Keith Watkins.

Key Players for 2012: Kevin Pierre-Louis

This is a series on the key players for the 2012 season. Big things are expected for some, while others will need to improve over their previous performances. If 2012 is a good year, it will be in part to the key players overachieving.




Junior Linebacker, Kevin Pierre-Louis


What he's been: BC's second-leading tackler. On most teams KPL would already be a star. But he played next to college football's tackling machine. There wasn't much room for headlines or an extra tackle with Luke Kuechly doing so much. Pierre-Louis also missed three games last year and played through pain in others. When healthy, he showed great anticipation and was a very solid tackler. In a way, he's a lot like Kuechly.

What he needs to be: KPL needs to be more of a game changer. He's got the speed and instincts to do it. Also, his role won't be in the middle, so he can take chances that Kuechly could not. Ideally he'd have a season like Herzy's 2008. Where on one play he's blitzing the QB and on the next he's running a fumble back. While our scheme has defined much of the defensive success the past five years, we've also benefited from great individual performances. To be great again, we need someone with the tools like KPL to become elite.


Why I like his chances to shine: KPL played really well in the first half of 2011. If he had stayed healthy, he would've been all conference. There's no reason he can't be even better this year. We'll miss Kuechly, but the defensive line might be better this year -- that will create more opportunities for big plays from Pierre-Louis. I also like his stats. His tackles for loss and pass break ups in a shortened season give me hope that he'll do even more when playing in all games and playing at 100%.

I think KPL takes off this year. I think he'll be first team ACC, lead BC with over 110 tackles, and have at least two INTs and two fumble recoveries.

Who are the future 1st rounder's currently on the BC roster?

19 BC football players have been selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. We all hope Luke Kuechly becomes the 20th tonight. I think most BC fans realized Kuechly would be a high pick during his amazing sophomore season. I don't think many feel as strongly about our current roster. There are no obvious first-round picks, but I do think a few players have the chance. Let's look at the guys who can still play their way into the first round.

Kevin Pierre-Louis KPL played at an all conference level before injuries slowed him down in the middle of the season. Like Kuechly, he's very instintive, very productive and covers a ton of space. He's got good speed. The biggest question is size. KPL will need to add a little more bulk to his frame like Kuechly did. If he has stays healthy and productive over the next two seasons, I think he could be a first-round pick in 2014.

Kaleb Ramsey Kaleb Ramsey has one season to take his game to the next level. He's got the build and has shown flashes of potential, but NFL scouts are likely to questions his heart and desire. He needs to have a big year, stay healthy and prove to teams that he wants to play football.

Dominic Appiah At times it might seem like I am President of the Dominic Appiah fanclub, but I do think he has great game-changing potential. Plus BC has a history of producing solid NFL DTs. Because he's got so much playing time head of him, Appiah has the most upside. We know he is in the right system to display his talents. Now let's hope he develops and gets better every year.

Chase Rettig This might seem like the ultimate BC fan post considering he has a completion percentage in the low 50s, but Rettig has a few things going for him. NFL teams will like his size and arm strength. They will appreciate that he took a beating and kept playing. They will like that he's had to learn new systems and adapt to different coordinators. But if Chase wants to be the next Matt Ryan or even a guy considered for a late first-round pick, he is going to have to have an outstanding final two seasons. It will take a huge jump in productivity (which I will address in an upcoming post) but there is still the possibility that it can happen.

There are a few other players that may develop into something more, but for now this group stands our best chance. Let me know if you think I missed anyone else.

Alumni's noise and other links

Spencer Hall wrote an interesting post on noise levels in college stadiums. I know much of Alumni Stadium's noise is dependent upon crowd size and passion, but the there are a few inadvertent features that make our stadium surprisingly noisy for its size. The big factors are the narrow sidelines, the closed ends of the stadium and the secret weapon -- the full aluminum stands. All that metal is much less forgiving to sound than concrete aisles and rows would have been.

The Herald caught up with former Eagle Brady Heslip. I know many are saying Heslip could made Donahue's transition easier, but I don't begrudge Donahue for being honest with Heslip. Letting him walk might have hurt this year, but in the end Donahue is going to be judged on how his own recruits develop and win.

Brian Dumoulin, Johnny Gaudreau and Parker Milner all earned Hockey East honors this week. Here is a good article on Milner and the legacy of the BC goalies.

In recruiting news, BC has now offered a pair of teammates from Eire Cathedral Prep. Hayden Rettig keeps piling up big time offers. BC is after the latest Don Bosco star. BC now has more competition for Ohio Athlete Darron Lee.

From earlier in the week: a Q&A with KPL and a interview with Chris Pantale.

Year in Review: Defensive MVPs

Usually the defense carries the day for BC. This year it was the better side of the team, but still not that good. Or at least not as great as BC usually is. Talent was a big issue, as was experience. Even with some holes in the roster a few player stood out.

1. Luke Kuechly
Kuechly concluded his BC career with one of the most statistically impressive seasons in Boston College history. His productivity and fundamentals were well known prior to the season. This year he showed an added toughness by finishing the season despite a bad elbow injury. He also got better as the season progressed. Never a real liability in pass coverage, Kuechly became much better as he proved in his performance against Miami. I've debated where he ranks among the all-time BC greats, but there is no denying he was this team's most valuable player.

2. Kevin Pierre-Louis
Because of who he played next to and because he dealt with nagging injuries in the latter part of the season, it is easy to overlook how good KPL was in 2011. We already knew he was tough and strong but this year I think he improved in his ability to diagnose plays. He blew pass blockers and did a better job when in zones. If he's healthy, he should be all conference next year.

3. Max Holloway
Max Holloway's biggest issue among his critics is who he is not. He's not a game-changing sack machine. But he had a really solid 2011. Fourth in tackles, the leader in sacks and he had a INT. What he lacks in dynamism, he made up for in consistency. Holloway improved from last year and improved during the season. When you look for silver linings, that is one.

Freshman ready and other links

The Globe had a nice feature on our local freshmen. Many of these guys will redshirt, but let's hope they all develop and contribute. It would be nice if New England finally became a deep recruiting territory.

HD expects Kevin Pierre-Louis to make a big impact this year.

ACC Sports posted their Q&A with Anthony Castonzo.

BC target Chase Hounshell really enjoyed his visit to Florida.

People wonder why Dan Henning had trouble at the Heights...well this article on former DC Jim Reid gives some insight into how things worked.

Former Eagle Ron Brace's days in New England might numbered. Very strange that he's struggled to this extent and now can't pass a conditioning test.