2011 BC football breakdown, Part VIII: Right tackle
By Joe Micik
(Note: today’s article will be listing all right tackles and those tackles not specified by left or right tackle. This includes recruits, so brace yourselves for a long one today.)
Rich Lapham, last year’s right tackle, has moved on to post-college life (as an undrafted free agent signing by the Buffalo Bills). His old position at Boston College is now open, and there are plenty of offensive tackles around to fill the void.
Cleary has played in twenty-four games over the last two seasons and is likely a leading contender to take this role full-time. If John Wetzel doesn’t take the spot at left tackle, Cleary could conceivably do that as well. Either way, it’s probable that Cleary will start on the BC offensive line in 2011. His measurements are 6-7, 300 lb. and he can boast solid playing time in previous seasons.
Seth Betancourt | 67 | RS-Freshman
This native of New Jersey has yet to see the field for the Eagles, but at 6-6 and 305 lb., he’s right around the size BC needs for the offensive line, and has a reputation of being fierce. He received local first and second-team honors during his senior season of high school while serving as a team captain. I could see him at either left or right tackle this year, and I think that he will eventually be a starter. His high school scouting report glowed on all points except for one, technique, which is fixable with the proper coaching. All indications are that he will be a significant contributor to this line over the next four years.
Aaron Kramer | 70 | RS-Freshman
Kramer (no relation to Cosmo) is a local from Duxbury who sat out the 2010 season. He was a two-sport athlete in high school who helped Duxbury win one of Massachusetts’ high school super bowls in 2008. Kramer played tackle, guard, and center over the span of his high school career. His father went to Notre Dame for football but he is coming here, so I’m glad he’s seen the light.
Bowen comes to Boston College in 2011 as a recruit from Radnor, PA in suburban Philadelphia; he was brought aboard by Ryan Day. He got some nice accolades, the best of which was being named to the all-state team in 2010. At 256 lb., Bowen is fairly light by offensive line standards, but he has time to bulk up.
Gaughan received fourteen offers by colleges, including ACC rival Maryland and 2010 Big Ten champion Wisconsin, but he picked BC in October. He, like Bowen, comes to Chestnut Hill from Pennsylvania, but what’s surprising is that he decided to commit to the Eagles after witnessing the disaster against Notre Dame first-hand. Anyhoo, Gaughan is a three-star recruit who helped lead his school to a district championship in his junior year.
Lembke, an Illinois native, is another one of the many offensive tackle recruits joining Boston College football in 2011. He was recruited by Coach Mike Siravo and would seem to have the size for the position (6-5, 282) but I would imagine he’ll redshirt like most of the others.
Eddie Meredith | 66 | Freshman
Meredith comes to Boston College from the great white north, having played for St. Andrews College in Aurora, Ontario, just north of Toronto. He definitely has the size already to succeed as a lineman in FBS (6-5, 291), though it’s doubtful we’ll see much of him in 2011.
Nelson’s is a name that’s come up in my searches over the course of the recruiting period, and you can see why: as a graduating high school senior, he measures at 6-7 and 300 lb. That in itself is impressive, but like many of the other incoming recruits, he’ll probably wait for his turn.
Porter is a Mass native (from Natick, otherwise known as Flutieville) who was recruited by the OL coach himself, Sean Devine. He weighs in at an impressive 310 lb. and was part of a very sizable offensive line for Natick High.
Boston College has a reputation to uphold as “O-Line U,” and by bringing some of these new recruits in to complement what they already have, I’d say the Eagles are in pretty good hands. As far as who will start at right tackle in 2011, it will probably be the more experienced Cleary with perhaps Betancourt right behind him, but one thing is clear: there will be plenty of competition at both tackle positions for years to come.