Well, not many people saw this one coming.

According to multiple reports, Boston College defensive coordinator Tem Lukabu is joining the Carolina Panthers as the outside linebackers coach. Lukabu has been the DC in Chestnut Hill for the duration of Jeff Hafley’s tenure as head coach.

The move comes as a surprise given the fact that despite the putrid offense last season, Lukabu’s defense kept the Eagles in most games last season. Overall, his defenses weren’t eye-popping by any means, but they were certainly not the reason why BC went 3-9 last year or were a .500 team in the previous two seasons. Were they a top tier unit? Of course not, but you can do a lot worse in college football than

Tem Lukabu.Lukabu returns to the NFL where he has five previous seasons of experience. Lukabu was a defensive assistant with Tampa Bay, a quality control coach with San Francisco and linebackers coach with Cincinnati. Before that, Lukabu coached at Rutgers, URI, FIU and Mississippi State University.

One of the things BC will undoubtedly miss with Lukabu gone is his recruiting ability. Whether he was meeting with a potential player or talking to the media, Lukabu was always very engaging, always had a smile on his face and was always willing to talk ball whenever the opportunity presented itself. In a day where the transfer portal is king, being able to sustain relationships with players isn’t something everyone can do. Lukabu had that ability.

It’s unclear if Hafley is going to make an outside hire or promote from within like he did with the offensive staff, but with spring ball set to start March 3rd, you’ve got to think it might be a bit too late for an outside guy to come in at this point.