Conley ‘Grateful’ Staff Trusts Him With Another Chance at Left Tackle

Jack Conley lined up at tight end before he played left tackle at Boston College.

As strange as it sounds, the 6-foot-7, 316-pound offensive lineman was an inline tight end for a handful of jumbo packages in the first half of last season’s Week 5 matchup at Clemson. That same game, though, he was thrown into the fire at the blind side.

Conley, then a redshirt sophomore who had played 59 snaps at right tackle the first four weeks of the season, was tasked with shifting over to left tackle after Tyler Vrabel went down with a knee injury. The redshirt sophomore had big shoes to fill on the biggest stage in the ACC. He had to replace a third-year starter in Death Valley.

“I didn’t have much experience there,” Conley said this spring. “And, obviously, I hadn’t had much experience in that situation. But I mean that’s invaluable to me.”

Conley struggled, allowing six pressures and one sack in 29 pass blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. He was also penalized twice. But he was part of an offensive unit that was 11 yards away from snapping what was, at the time, a 30-game home win streak for Clemson.

“Just being in a situation like that, at Clemson in Death Valley, where the field was shaking at the end of that game, it was so loud,” Conley said, “it does numbers for you and your confidence going out on the field.”

Conley admits that he didn’t “play too well” in the back half of the season. His PFF numbers certainly weren’t kind.

In his start against North Carolina State, he posted a pass blocking grade of 41.0. Conley gave up eight pressures, five quarterback hurries and two sacks in the Homecoming beatdown. Then, in one of his three relief snaps at Louisville, he allowed a sack. And, after Vrabel left the Syracuse game with an upper-body injury, Conley conceded a trio of sacks. In total, he gave up six pressures in 23 pass blocking snaps, registering a meager PFF pass blocking grade of 6.7.

It was a learning experience for the New Canaan, Connecticut, native. And it didn’t disqualify him from the role in 2022. In fact, head coach Jeff Hafley and new offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo were steadfast in giving Conley another shot. Conley rolled with the ones at left tackle all spring.

“We saw him get game reps last year,” Hafley said. “We saw him in practice last year. So he’s been here, and he’s been around really good players. He knows what it’s supposed to look like. And he knows what the expectation is.”

Hafley continued: “I think he had a good camp, good spring. I think the biggest thing for him will be consistency and being able to do it in a very hard position to play. But I’m proud of the way he’s come out every day and gotten better.”

Conley knows the left tackle position comes with great responsibility.

He doesn’t take that lightly, either.

“I’m very grateful that they trust me to be there,” Conley said. “Especially after last year when I had a couple downfalls … It feels great that they still trust me to be there and hold it down and protect the blind side. It’s a huge responsibility, but I’m up for it.”

Conley mentioned that—whether it was him, Drew Kendall, Finn Dirstine or Ozzy Trapilo—all of the new starters worked in with the ones last season. But he emphasized how each of them was at their best when playing together, as the unit that now will be BC’s offensive front.

Conley called their chemistry “unbelievable” and noted that it’s rare to have as strong of a connection that they've fostered before training camp.

“I play next to Finn,” Conley said. “And I don’t even need to know what he’s thinking. I just know immediately. He doesn’t have to say anything. I just know exactly what he’s gonna do.”

Conley is excited about where BC’s offense is headed, especially when it comes to the Eagles’ ground attack. Last year, BC climbed from 118th to 61st nationally in rushing offense.

The way Conley describes its progression, the running game could be primed for another jump.

“We’ve been moving the ball pretty well,” he said. “We’ve been running the ball downhill better than I’ve seen when we’ve been here.”

Conley’s performance at left tackle last season begs questions. He knows that. And the skepticism that surrounds his role is a microcosm of the skepticism that hovers around an Eagles offensive line that’s losing four NFL hopefuls who started 34 games together.

Hafley is well aware, too. Except, that doesn’t affect his confidence in Conley.

“He’s part of that group that will be questioned all year by everybody. And I think they play with a chip on their shoulder.

“I think he’s a tough guy who we’ll be able to count on.”