For Some Eagles, Jersey Number Changes Have Added Significance

Players come and go. That's the nature of college football. Jersey number changes are customary, too. And there were a bunch this spring for Boston College.

Some are stylistic. For instance, sophomore wide receiver Jaden Williams didn't feel comfortable in No. 80 so he switched to No. 0.

"I was really picking between 2 and 0, and I thought 0 would be better, because that's really how many people can guard me," Williams said confidently.

The move to single digits is a popular one for players who have been around the program for at least one year. Running back Alec Sinkfield, who transferred in from West Virginia last offseason, dropped down from No. 26 to No. 6. He also shed 12 pounds of weight.

"Sink, he's kind of slimmed up and leaned up and looks faster," head coach Jeff Hafley said earlier this spring. "Maybe it's the single-digit number that he's wearing. I swear single digits make guys look totally different."

Transitioning to single digits isn't always about looking faster or cooler, however. For some Eagles, like running back Xavier Coleman and linebacker Kam Arnold, there's a deeper meaning to the change.

Coleman came in as a freshman wearing No. 28. Even as a mid-year enrollee, he got a lot of run in practice and earned five touches in the spring game. It looked like he'd be in play for a role in Frank Cignetti Jr.'s offense right away.

But the 5-foot-7 back from Lenape High School in Willingboro, New Jersey, appeared in just three games, carrying the ball a total of six times for 13 yards, per Pro Football Focus. While on the sideline, he took the game in and learned to stay patient.

"There was stuff that I needed to work on," Coleman said. "Even coming in, I knew that. Just learning from other guys. Trav (Travis Levy) was great. Pat [Garwo III] was great. They just teach me along the way.

"I realized, once my time came, I have the right tools to succeed."

Again, Coleman has been filling up the practice reports. This time, he's running behind a much younger offensive line. And new offensive coordinator John McNulty has his him lining up more out wide, where he played his junior and senior year high school.

2022 could be a special season for Coleman, especially because he's wearing No. 7.

"My grandfather, he passed away January 7th this year. So when I got this number, I realized like it meant so much to me. So it's definitely gonna be a good season for me to wear 7. For sure."

Junior linebacker Kam Arnold also made a jersey change because of family ties.

Arnold wore No. 5 when he starred at St. Mary's High School in West Bloomfield, Michigan. And he returned to that number this offseason after starting his Eagles career with the No. 27, which he first wore at safety in 2020.

"There's five people in my family," Arnold said. "So I really like to represent my family and show people on the field that I'm representing my family from back at home.”

In his first year playing linebacker at BC, Arnold was atop the team leaderboard with 61 total tackles. He was third with 35 solo tackles. Arnold also forced and recovered a fumble, in addition to defending two passes and logging a sack.

Now a junior, he's ready for even more responsibility.

"I feel like I can really take the initiative with that leadership role," Arnold said. "Get everybody going, get everybody on top of their stuff and just be be the leader of the defense. It's time for me to step up."

So, with jersey number changes—some family related, others not—come new demeanors for a handful of BC's returning playmakers.