As soon as Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec announced his return to Chestnut Hill last week, the next question became: What about star wide receiver Zay Flowers?
After all, Jurkovec and Flowers have been the heartbeat of BC’s explosive aerial attack the past two seasons.
“I’m trying to get Zay,” Jurkovec said Saturday. “I think it’d be in his best interest to come back. I think he can have a great year next year, and we’d have a great offseason plan for how we’re going to get better.
“So I’ve been talking with him. We’ll see. But I’m hopeful that Zay will be back.”
Flowers earned All-ACC third-team honors this season. With Jurkovec out for six games, the speedy wideout’s production was down. Still, he led the team with 44 catches, 746 receiving yards and five scores. He also carried the ball seven times for 69 yards.
Flowers was tied for third in the ACC with six receptions of 40 or more yards. That number could very well have been doubled had Jurkovec been under center all season. Flowers frequently beat cornerbacks downfield only to dive for an overthrown ball and then somersault in frustration.
He was a Biletnikoff Award watch list nominee coming into the year. In 2020, Flowers racked up 892 receiving yards, the 18th-most in the FBS, en route to receiving All-ACC first-team recognition. He and Jurkovec instantly established a rapport that helped the Eagles surprise the ACC with the conference’s third-best passing offense.
Flowers was generating legit NFL Draft buzz before the season. One early-season CBS Sports mock draft even had him going to the Arizona Cardinals in the first round. BC has never had a wide receiver go that high.
Now, he’s not even rated inside the top 10 of either ESPN analysts Mel Kiper Jr. or Todd McShay’s wide receiver prospect rankings.
Still, Flowers could bet on himself, declare for the draft and excel in the pre-draft process. Flowers is fifth in BC history in career touchdown receptions (17), 10th in school history in receiving yards (1,979) and 12th in receptions (122).
