Hafley 'Hoping' Eagles Get Jaelen Gill Back for Mizzou Game

In April, Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley called wide receiver Jaelen Gill’s development “one of the best stories of the spring.”

“The jump Jaelen has made from even after the season to now,” Hafley said at the time. “Jaelen Gill right now is doing everything he can, not only on the field but off the field. And he’s growing into a leader. It wouldn’t surprise me if one day he was a captain here.”

Gill hasn’t been able to showcase that jump this fall, though. He’s missed the first three games with a foot injury. But the Ohio State transfer started running again last week and Hafley says he’s “coming along really well.”

“I was hopeful we’d get him for Temple,” Hafley said Tuesday. “But we held him back. So I’m hoping we get him for Missouri.”

Gill caught 29 passes last year for 435 yards and a touchdown. He registered a pair of 100-yard receiving games, both of which featured 40-plus-yard receptions. Gill lined up in the slot 47.5% of the time last season and was a capable punt returner, returning seven punts for 61 yards and nearly housing one at Clemson if it wasn’t for a penalty.

Gill was great when the play broke down, improvising with quarterback Phil Jurkovec on the scramble drill.

Hafley is anxious to get Gill back in Frank Cignetti Jr.’s offense.

“It gives us a dynamic athlete who can line up in the backfield, who can line up at receiver,” he said. “He can run the ball, he can catch the ball, he’s an explosive kid. And it gives us some extra juice, and you can pay less attention to the other guys.”

Gill is currently listed as the Eagles’ top “F” receiver, ahead of Taji Johnson and Lewis Bond.