One week to go.
BC officially opens up camp a week from tomorrow (Saturday) and we can finally stop projecting, wishing and hoping and actually have real football to talk about.
We've gone through each position, but now, it's time to narrow things down, Who are the Top 5 most important players for the Eagles if they're going to have success in 2024? I took a shot at ranking them...
1. Thomas Castellanos
I mean, this one's obvious. The team will go as Castellanos goes. It was very encouraging to hear him talk about being more comfortable and ready to show he's a better, smarter, more mature QB as opposed to just a scrambler who's almost impossible to tackle. If he truly is able to become a cerebral guy in the pocket on top of the ability to extend plays and make people miss, then this could be a special season. if the turnovers mount and the offense sputters early, it won't be pretty.
2. Jerand Bradley
I firmly believe this guy changes the offense by himself. Just the size and speed combination alone allows other guys to play off of him. Jaedn Skeete and Lewis Bond in particular could have a field day with second and third matchups while Bradley gets the most attention. His ability to body guys up on a comeback to the sideline or a slant over the middle, or his ability to win a 50-50 ball 60 yards downfield is something the Eagles simply haven't had. Bradley should make everyone's job easier and create more space all over the field. He can also be a very reliable security blanket for TC.
3. Amari Jackson
Everybody needs that one lock down guy. That one guy that you can leave on a team's best receiver and know he'll be fine. I think Jackson has a chance to be that guy. Now, he's got to prove it on a consistent basis, but we've all seen his potential and playmaking ability. With Tim Lewis running things on D now, I have to imagine he'll be put in places to make plays on a regular basis. Like Bradley, if Jackson can in fact be that No. 1, he makes everyone else's jobs easier and allows BC to do multiple things.
4a. Kam Arnold
4b. Neto Okpala
I couldn't pick between either guy. As far as Arnold goes I think the uncertainty about how much you're going to get from Bryce Steele makes his role that much bigger. Without DePalma serving as another coach on the field as the main communicator, Arnold not only has to take care of his own role and be a physical tone setter, but probably be the main catalyst in making sure everyone else is in the right position too. Physically he's as imposing as anyone you'll see and if he can put it all together, BC will have one of those classic LB's trying to go out with a bang. Can he produce a season that goes down in program folklore?
I think Okpala is equally as important because of how disruptive he was in spring ball. If Donovan Ezeiruaku is the pass rusher we all think he is, the addition of a second one on the other side will make this defense nearly unstoppable. Having two guys who can dominate the edge in the run game and get off the ball (allowing LB's and DB's to have to cover for less time) would be quite a luxury. His health is seemingly always a question, but that 1-2 punch could be the best in the ACC when it's all said and done.
5. Lewis Bond
I thought about putting Kamari Morales here simply because the offense hasn't had a true weapon at tight end in like five years, but Bond is just too talented and has that swagger that you need in a dominant receiver. If he can be a 1a. to Bradley, there's no reason why this offense can't put up 25-30 points per game. Bond has shown he can be elite and TC recently talked about how their connection has grown exponentially off the field. If that can transfer over and he can be another very reliable target regularly, the scoreboards at Alumni might be lighting up.
Let me know if I've overrated anyone or left someone off that could be more valuable. I'll be tossing out a 'mailbag' request this weekend too and firing one of those up in the days leading up to camp.
