Year Two of the Bill O’Brien coaching era at Boston College begins Saturday afternoon with historic opponent Fordham visiting Chestnut Hill, Mass.
After winning three of their final four regular-season games and finishing 7-6 in 2024, the Eagles figure to present a different look at several key positions in the new season.
Alabama transfer Dylan Lonergan will start at quarterback. He beat out the incumbent Grayson James, who took over following now-Florida State signal caller Thomas Castellanos’ transfer last November.
Lonergan played in three games at Alabama, where O’Brien originally recruited him while serving as Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator from 2021-22.
“He’s got a great feel for the game,” O’Brien said of Lonergan in the preseason. “He’s got a really good arm. He’s got good anticipation, good accuracy. He’s a very poised guy. So is Grayson. … At the end of the day, in the passing game, Dylan was a little bit ahead of Grayson.”
Redshirt senior Lewis Bond, who is 75 catches away from Zay Flowers’ school record, is the top returning receiver target.
After tying for the ACC lead with 17 takeaways last season, Boston College will need new faces to step up with reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year Donovan Ezeiruaku off to the Dallas Cowboys. Defensive back KP Price was the team’s top tackler in 2024 with 85 total stops.
On both sides of the ball, though, there will be room for plenty of contributors in O’Brien’s diverse systems.
“A lot of guys are going to play. … We play so many different packages (in all phases of the game),” O’Brien said. “I don’t really look at it like that — where there’s a real delineation between ones and twos.”
Fordham is turning the page past a 2-10 campaign, though both of its wins across the final four games in Patriot League play.
“I was really proud of the team and how they responded to adversity (in 2024),” Fordham coach Joe Conlin said. “They’ve shown resilience, mental toughness and fortitude. That’s why I’m probably as excited for this season as I’ve ever been in my coaching career.”
The Rams have three preseason All-Patriot League selections in linebacker James Conway, defensive back Alex Kemper and punter Will Haslett — all seniors or graduate students.
Senior quarterback Jack Capaldi threw for 1,561 yards and eight touchdowns last season.
Saturday marks the 28th-ever meeting of the Boston and New York foes, but the first since 1954 when a six-year run in their series ended.
