Vol. 4: 2022 Fall Camp Notebook

Boston College was in full pads for the first time this preseason Friday morning in Fish Field House. The Eagles completed their seventh practice of fall camp.

We're just about three weeks away from the start of the 2022 season.

The clock is ticking, and the storylines are rich. It's time to unpack some of them.

Drew Kendall is dealing with an undisclosed injury right now. Head coach Jeff Hafley said that Kendall has missed the last two practices and is "day-to-day."

"Hopefully he'll be back sooner than later," Hafley said.

Kendall was the crown jewel of BC's 2021 recruiting class. The four-star local product has been expected to replace two-time first-team All-ACC center Alec Lindstrom this season. In Kendall's absence, redshirt junior Jackson Ness was filling in with the ones. Ness switched over from the defensive line to the offensive line this offseason.

"Guge (offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo) saw it last spring when we moved him over and said, ‘Where’s this guy been?’," Hafley said. Sometimes you make a move like that, and it works. And he felt like that one worked right away."

Hafley applauded Ness for staying put at BC, despite being buried on the defensive line depth chart. Hafley added that, regardless of Kendall's status, Ness has the opportunity to be on the two-deep this year.

Blerim Rustemi has also taken snaps at center. He's in the mix, too. For what it's worth, here were the offensive line combinations I saw toward the end of the media's 30-minute viewing period of Friday's practice. Keep in mind, though, that BC is frequently rotating players up front to find the best fit.

First team:

LT - Jack Conley

LG - Kevin Cline

C - Jackson Ness

RG - Dwayne Allick

RT - Ozzy Trapilo

Second team:

LT - Nick Thomas

LG - Jack Funke

C - Blerim Rustemi

RG - Otto Hess

RT - Ilija Krajnovic

Again, take these combos with a grain of salt. Another reason: Finn Dirstine was back practicing, but he wasn't included in those two groups. Dirstine is expected to be a starter, given he was with the ones at left guard throughout the spring season.

That's what staff continuity, excellent recruiting and consistent development will do for a unit that's made a jump each of the first two years of Hafley's stay. Hafley hinted that, because of how established BC's defensive system is, the staff has been able to get more creative with scheme for 2022.

Defensive coordinator Tem Lukabu mentioned that the athleticism of BC's younger players will help in both the pass rushing and run stopping departments.

Lukabu, now in his third year as the Eagles' DC, said that the biggest takeaway he's had as a play-caller is that he needs to be self-disciplined.

"It's not about what I like," Lukabu said. "Yes, I set a vision for what each call should probably look like. But, at the end of the day, it's about them executing. I've gotta put them in positions where they can execute. I've learned that's when our guys do best."

Hafley told reporters that there were some good collisions during Friday's practice, even during a thud-tempo session. The catalysts? BC's linebackers.

Hafley pointed out that the group is younger than in years past. That said, he emphasized that their speed can often make up for the mistakes they might make.

Kam Arnold is one of those second-level defenders who can run from sideline to sideline. Arnold, who switched to linebacker from safety last offseason, is coming off a 2021 season in which he ranked first on the team with 61 total tackles. Arnold said he feels like he can play even faster now that he's more comfortable with the position.

Jaylen Blackwell is another linebacker that's been attracting buzz in fall camp. Blackwell is a second-year player who appeared in three games last year but still redshirted the season. The 6-foot, 209-pound Union Grove (McDonough, Georgia) native brings a certain ferocity to the field—a level of energy that Blackwell needed to tame.

"He's getting a lot better," Arnold said. "He's one of our more violent, physical linebackers. He just likes to hit people. Last year, he was just going to find the football. This year, he's starting to get a better understanding of things and starting to be in the right spots."

For the second time this week, Hafley compared Vinny DePalma to former BC linebacker Max Richardson, who left Chestnut Hill ranked 11th in program history in career tackles (316). Hafley says that they both have a way of seeing the field, knowing where to line guys up and where the ball is going to go.

Hafley is often his own harshest critic. He's always looking to learn as a head coach, and he doesn't shy away from admitting his mistakes. The 43-year-old player's coach talked Friday about how he realized that he needed to be more prepared for injuries than he was in 2021.

"Injuries are gonna happen," Hafley said. "I think you need to use training camp, and you need to throw your guys in the fire as a coach. Say, ‘It’s alright to make a mistake.’ But, all of a sudden, the reps start to accumulate. And, by Week 6 or 7 when we need 'em, they’re ready."

On the subject of linebackers, Hafley said that true freshmen Sione "Riz" Hala and Daveon Crouch are both getting reps right now.

When offensive coordinator John McNulty took the job, he emphasized the importance of relationships. He made it clear that he wanted to get to know the players and make them feel comfortable before bombarding them with the playbook. McNulty is leaning on those relationships, particularly his with Jurkovec, to cater the offense to his player's strengths.

McNulty described how he'll ask Jurkovec what he likes and what he doesn't like. On Friday, he even went to the veteran signal caller and asked him what play he wanted to run for a two-point conversion attempt. Jurkovec picked, and it worked, McNulty said.

McNulty, who was previously Notre Dame's tight ends coach, noted that Jurkovec is more positive and optimistic as a leader this summer.

"He's really embraced everything we're trying to do," McNulty said. "I think he's been in high spirits out here. He's been playing at a high level. It's his last year to win as many games as possible, to set his future up."

Although McNulty marvels at Jurkovec's dual-threat ability, he understands that there is a "fine line in running a guy like that too much," especially given Jurkovec's injury history. The first-year Eagles OC said that there's going to be a time and place in games where BC calls Jurkovec's number in the run game.

"I see it as a huge plus because his vision is really good when he starts moving around in the pass game," McNulty said. "We just have to find the right balance of it. We don’t want to run him too much."

BC star wideout Zay Flowers said earlier in fall camp that former UCF assistant Darrell Wyatt was what the position group needed to get to that next level.

It seems like everyone around the program has noticed an uptick in performance from BC's wide receiver corps. McNulty shouted out Wyatt's mentorship and noted how players like sophomore Jaden Williams and junior Taji Johnson have made leaps.

Two guys, in particular, who have made a significant jump are redshirt freshmen Lewis Bond and Dante Reynolds.

"Dante and Lew Bond look like new guys," McNulty said. "Like different humans. When I watch them on tape, I’m like, 'Wait, is that Zay?' And it’s one of those two guys."

Speaking of Flowers, McNulty compared the kinds of shows the dynamic wideout puts on in practice to those of future first-ballot NFL Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald, who McNulty coached with the Arizona Cardinals.

"I don't think he ever sweats in practice," McNulty said of Flowers. "I've never seen anything like this guy."

McNulty added: "Physically, he's been ridiculous. And, as a leader, just his personality has really changed that whole group and the offense. It lifts us up every day."

BC's strength defensively last season was its secondary. The Eagles were third nationally in passing yards per game allowed. The defensive backs' job was sometimes made harder by a BC defensive front that, at times, struggled mightily.

Luckily for the Eagles, they have more depth on the D-Line than they have had in years. That kind of ammo in the trenches should help BC shore up its run defense.

Lukabu is making run stopping a priority in fall camp.

"I'm a stickler about it," he said. "We had a serious talk about it as a unit in one of our defensive meetings. Every meeting, we put up what the yards per carry is. We have a set goal of what that should be."

Lukabu mentioned that the Eagles were impressive on third down last year—they ranked 27th nationally (34.7% opposing conversion rate) in that category—but, in order to be even better, he knows they have to use certain personnel and scheme concepts in run defense.

"They’re very aware of it. I’m very aware of it," Lukabu said of BC's run defense issues in 2021. "I take it personal."