It all fell apart so quickly.
Five years ago, Boston College had one of the best defenses in the country. Led by then-defensive coordinator Don Brown, the Eagles finished the 2015 season first in total yards allowed per game (254) and fourth in points allowed per contest (15.3). Brown departed for Michigan, and Jim Reid took over, but, for the most part, the Eagles maintained their defensive identity, despite dropping in the statistical rankings.
Pass rushers Harold Landry, Zach Allen, and Wyatt Ray all rounded out their BC careers inside the top-10 of the program’s all-time sacks leaderboard. Five defensive backs—Justin Simmons, John Johnson, Kam Moore, Isaac Yiadom, and Will Harris—played their way into the NFL Draft, and a few others received training camp invites. And the Eagles’ linebacking corps remained as fierce as ever with playmakers like Ty Schwab, Connor Strachan, Max Richardson, Isaiah McDuffie, and John Lamot manning the middle of the field.
Even in 2018, the unit earned national acclaim. No team that season held eventual national champion Clemson to fewer offensive points than the Eagles, who only allowed Trevor Lawrence and the Tigers’ offense to put up 20 in the teams’ top-20 College GameDay showdown (Clemson ended up with 27 total points because of a punt return touchdown).
Everything changed that offseason, when the Eagles lost eight starters to graduation and/or the draft. Reid was demoted, Bill Sheridan was promoted, and the rest was history. Ugly history. The Eagles’ linebackers held their own, courtesy of Richardson and Lamot (McDuffie missed all but four games after having offseason knee surgery), although it was all for naught because of BC’s porous secondary and non-existent pass rush.
The Eagles rewrote the record books in all the wrong ways. BC allowed 32.2 points per game, the most in single-season program history, and reset the school’s single-game record for most yards allowed on two separate occasions: first at Louisville (664 yards), then at Clemson (674 yards).
Out went Steve Addazio, and in came Jeff Hafley—the youngest BC football head coach since Ed Chlebek (1978-80)—who masterfully repaired Ohio State’s defense in 2019, helping the Buckeyes make the College Football Playoff and produce three first-round picks, after accumulating seven years of NFL experience. Hafley is now being asked to restore a defensive tradition at BC.
“It’s all about the fundamentals”: That’s what Eagles defensive coordinator Tem Lukabu told reporters on Aug. 13. Lukabu, 39, who spent 2019 as the Cincinnati Bengals’ linebackers coach, conceded that only having five spring practices can really set a team back, especially when there’s a new staff in place. Even so, he said that, because of Zoom, the defense is ahead of where it would normally be at this point of the year. Throughout the spring, Lukabu introduced defensive concepts in virtual meetings, enabling players to get a better idea of what scheme they’d be working with in 2020—in the process, a foundation was built. But now, as Lukabu said last week, “Our execution level has to match our knowledge level.”
There’s no looking in the rear view mirror: Following a season in which BC lost eight defensive starters, it returns nine on that side of the ball this fall. Ever since Hafley took over the reigns of the program in December, he and his staff have made the point of turning the page. It’s a clean slate for a defense that ranked 125th in total defense last year and gave up the sixth most yards per game (478.7) in the country while allowing 40+ points in four games.
“We don’t talk about anything that’s happened before,” Lukabu said. “We only talk about what’s going on now and how we can improve and move forward. Whatever happened last year, we tell the guys, it doesn’t define them. That’s not who they are. They only are who they are today.”
The defensive backs have a “why not us?” mantra: In large part thanks to former co-DC and defensive backs coach Anthony Campanile, BC began establishing somewhat of a “DBU” reputation from 2016-18. With Hafley at the helm and Aazaar Abdul-Rahim serving as the Eagles’ DBs coach, BC has a chance to get back on track. The duo already reeled in Maryland graduate transfer Deon Jones this offseason, in addition to Clinton Burton Jr.—the No. 23 cornerback in the Class of 2021 who flipped his commitment from Florida.
Jones said that transferring to BC was a “no-brainer” because of his father-like relationship with Abdul-Rahim (who originally recruited him at Maryland) and everything that Hafley had to offer.
“Coach Hafley’s done a tremendous job just changing my view of the game,” Jones said. “I’m still not where I want to be. I’m still learning. Every day, I’m trying to get better than I did the day before. As far as just playing football and the game slowing down for me, he’s definitely helping me get to where I want to be. Just having a vision, just being the quarterback of the defense.”
Other DBs on the team have heaped similar praise, including third-year starting cornerback Brandon Sebastian. Earlier this month, the redshirt junior commented about how Hafley has helped him better his technique in coverage and “tighten up the loose screws in my game.”
BC gave up 285.5 passing yards per game last season, the most in the ACC and the ninth-most in the FBS. But that’s not stopping the secondary from setting high expectations for 2020.
“Our mantra now is, 'Why not us?' Why can't we be the same in trying to be better?’ safety Mike Palmer said. “We're hungry and competitive, and I really like how we're coming together with the addition of Coach Hafley and Coach Aazaar.”
Vince Oghobaase has the D-Linemen focusing on technique and leverage: BC struggled mightily to get the quarterback in 2019, so much so that the Eagles ranked second-to-last in the conference in sacks (19). The fact that Richardson, a linebacker, led the team with 3.5 sacks is pretty telling. Of course, the lack of pass rush and poor coverage on the backend went hand-in-hand. The two groups are working together more than ever this time around, especially with specific pressure packages that involve defensive back blitzes. In BC’s new scheme, safeties and corners must have a general understanding of where the D-Line is lining up and attacking post-snap, and vice versa.
Oghobaase wants his guys up front to be technically sound and consistently play with leverage. He wants them to get their ball hand up fast on 3rd-and-short, rush the ball rather than the quarterback, and maintain/condense the pocket so that the QB feels like “he’s throwing in a phone booth,” Barlow said. Fifth year defensive end Brandon Barlow said that “Coach Vince” doesn’t accept mediocrity and constantly pushes the D-Linemen out of their comfort zone.
“He gives energy to us,” Barlow said. “Every day, he comes in locked in and he’s ready to give us the most. As a player, I feel compelled to give it right back.”
Lukabu told the media last week that Oghobaase’s teachings are reflected in his players’ performance. For instance, the DC said that defensive end Marcus Valdez—who only stands 6 feet tall—is striving to become a “technician” off the ball in order to make up for his lack of size. It all goes back to what Lukabu said back in February when he met the BC media for the first time: His scheme is designed to tailor fit defensive concepts to his players’ skill sets.
The D-Line room looks different than it did a year ago. Shittah Sillah beefed up, TJ Rayam cut 10 pounds of weight, and Chibueze Onwuka is now wreaking havoc in the middle of the trenches. The Buffalo transfer earned All-MAC Third-Team honors last year and, according to center Alec Lindstrom, he’s been giving BC’s vaunted O-Line some trouble in camp.
Max Richardson is the heart and soul of BC’s defense: Richardson could have easily entered the 2019 NFL Draft. After all, he was coming off a season in which he ranked eighth in the country in solo tackles (72) and tied Ty Schwab (2017) for the most total tackles by a BC player since Steele Divitto piled up 112 in 2013. Not only did Richardson lead the team in total tackles (107), but he also posted a team-best 14.5 TFLs and 3.5 sacks. From start to finish, the Duluth, Ga. native gave it his all, however, ending his career on the sideline with a bum hamstring while watching BC get blown out of the water by then-No. 21 Cincinnati in the Birmingham Bowl didn’t sit right with him. Richardson had “unfinished business.”
Coached by former BC captain Sean Duggan, Richardson headlines what is certainly the most experienced and arguably the team’s most talented position group. Alongside Lamot (graduate student) and McDuffie (redshirt junior)—both of whom have tallied 77+ total tackles in a season during their time on the Heights—the defensive stalwart has seen his fair share of action. But Richardson’s leadership extends far past the linebacking room, and even beyond the field.
“I think he’s a really good football player,” Hafley said, “and I think he’s an outstanding person. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him and the way he approaches and handles himself. He’s a pro, and he’s going to play football for a long time.”
Hafley said that Richardson sits in the front row of every team meeting and probably takes more notes than anyone else. Just as he can be serious about his craft, he also knows how to get his teammates to smile, as evidenced by his “Max Richy Preps” Q&A sessions.
Whether he’s on or off the gridiron, he’s leading by example and prompting thoughtful discussions about what’s going on in the world—delving into topics such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the upcoming presidential election, and the Black Lives Matter movement.
“It’s not just about doing the right thing on the field,” Richardson said, “but it’s about doing the right thing off the field as well.”
Hafley’s NFL experience is coming in handy in more ways than one: BC commits and current Eagles have alluded to Hafley’s understanding of the pro game. It’s a draw, no doubt. This offseason, the former Ohio State co-DC has received compliments across the football world for his work with Buckeye first-round picks Jeff Okudah (Detroit Lions) and Damon Arnette (Las Vegas Raiders). Even former All-Pro wide receiver Chad Johnson chimed in.
Hafley’s seven years in the NFL don’t just help him mentor defensive playmakers. They also provide him with a bank of schematic information that he can call upon in the film room to develop his own concepts or prepare for other teams in the ACC.
“Everything’s instant,” he said. “I can go back to 2012 and pull out a 3rd-and-4 play from when I was in Tampa. I mean all the data’s already inputted. If I say, ‘Hey, Coach Tem, we ran this blitz in 2015 in Cleveland, I remember it was against the Saints—third drive, second play.’ Bang. I can pick it out and probably have that to you in less than three minutes. … There’s no excuse not to be able to show really good tape anymore.”
