Most Surprising Players In 2024

It was quite a whirlwind from the time Hafley left to the final whistle in soggy New York on Saturday. I thought we'd start out positively with what I feel are the most surprising players of 2024.

1. Joe Marinaro - A real life (and way better) Rudy story here in Chestnut Hill. Marinaro went from special teams walk-on, to captain, to captain and starting linebacker who had a pretty big impact down the stretch. Marinaro finished this season with 12 solo tackles, 1.5 sacks and an interception. He got banged up early in the Pinstripe Bowl and came back in. Just a true heart-and-soul guy. Hard not to root for him every time he was on the field and love what he stands for. He truly appreciated the opportunity and took advantage of it. As a short guy myself, I can respect the dog he has in him as well. Joe was easily the most surprising contributor and ultimately the best story on the roster in 2024.

2. Grayson James - This is a pretty obvious one. After getting thrust into the starting role following Tommy's benching and departure, Grayson James proved he has what it takes to lead a program from the QB position. James' first 'real' campaign as a college player ends with 1,202 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. Despite having little-to-no time in the Bronx, he still put up 301 yards. While it wasn't a surprise to those of us that saw him out-perform TC in camp (last humble brag on being right, I swear), the way he helped lead the team to another bowl bid given the tough situation should be remembered fondly. He'll have to earn the job again this offseason, but the Eagles are in great shape with him at the helm if that's the route O'Brien and the staff chooses.

3. Reed Harris - Another guy who absolutely flashed in spring ball (and the spring game) and then carried it into training camp and the regular season. Harris is just a redshirt freshman but made his presence known this season with 17 catches for 486 yards and four touchdowns. At 6',5" 230lbs, Harris has a chance to be an elite receiver in the ACC over the next few years and his chemistry with James developed early when the two were lower on the depth chart at the start of spring practice. Harris gives whoever the QB is a massive target and is only going to get better as a route-runner as he gains more experience.

4. Daveon Crouch - Crouch flashed in camp, but he ultimately turned into a leader on defense and one of the only consistent linebackers the team had by the end of Saturday's game against Nebraska. I knew Crouch would be a factor when he made a diving sideline interception down in the red zone in (I think) like the second week of camp. He's athletic and can lay the wood at times. He seemed to step into more of a leadership role as a junior as the season went on and guys like Arnold and McGowan went down. Crouch finished with 34 solo tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles. He's arguably the best defensive player the Eagles have coming back and will no longer be flying under the radar.

5. Quintayvious Hutchins - Another defensive end/linebacker in this Tim Lewis defense that showed his versatility this season and should be one of the key pieces to that defensive puzzle next season as a redshirt senior. 'Q' finished with 14 solo tackles, 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. These two (Q and Crouch) are your No. 1 and No. 2 linebackers heading into this offseason and could easily both be captains in 2025.

6. KP Price - With the injuries on the back end, KP Price was a steady force back there and capped his strong season off with a sick interception in the Pinstripe Bowl. Price is just a sophomore but clearly showed he can play safety at a pretty high level. Price posted a whopping 51 solo tackles with five passes defended and two picks. Like most of the secondary, he's young and (presumably) is only going to keep getting better as he plays in more live game action.