2011 BC football breakdown, Part XIV: Right defensive tackle
By Joe Micik
We’re moving left to right on Boston College’s defensive front four, today landing at right defensive tackle. The Eagles have another opening for starter here, as Damik Scafe has graduated from school. To whom will BC turn? Let me answer that question for you: his name starts with a “D” and ends with an “illon Quinn.”
Fellow New Yorker/Hudson Valley resident Dillon Quinn came to Boston College as a highly-touted recruit; getting four stars from Rivals, he, a 2009 commit, was one of their top 250 recruits from that season. He, too, received a team-rules suspension last year, but that didn’t slow him down. As a second-stringer last year, Quinn recorded 11 tackles, one of which was for a loss. When you take size into the equation, he’s a monster: 6-6, almost 300 lb., and he reportedly can bench 550 lb. If I even tried one rep at that weight, I’d be leaving the gym in a long plastic bag. In any event, the coaches made a wise decision in moving him out from behind Ramsey and giving him the vacant starting role at defensive tackle. Not to take anything away from Scafe, but his being on the defensive line as a starter will be a net plus.
O’Neal was Scafe’s backup last season, but he will be Quinn’s backup this year as well. In 2010, he appeared in eleven games as a defenseman where he made seven tackles. He’s got experience which the other guys going for this position lack, which may be good for something, but it certainly seems now like he is relegated to backup duties unless there is an injury or something which necessitates Quinn to miss time. He measures at 6-3, 286 lb. and was a two-sport athlete at his high school, as well as a two-position football player.
Murray, like his teammate O’Neal, is a junior, but Murray has not seen the playing time in the DT position that O’Neal has. We’ve seen Murray in twelve games so far in his Eagles career, and last season, he gave us two unassisted tackles. Murray was (obviously) not on the two-deep depth chart, so I would imagine his playing time will remain rather limited in 2011.
Jaryd Rudolph | 65 | Sophomore
Rudolph played in six games last season for the Eagles and also recorded two tackles. Just like O’Neal, he played offense and defense in high school and was a member of his school’s wrestling team. Rudolph looks like he’ll be a backup as well with undefined playing time.
Say hello to our new DT recruit, and he is enormous. Coming in at 6-4, 330 lb., he played both offense and defense in high school, but has reportedly worked on becoming quicker and more agile for his size. He will probably be a DT for the Eagles in future years, but as for his redshirt situation, it hasn’t yet been made clear yet. It’s likely that we won’t see him in 2011.
Before it became apparent that Dillon Quinn would be starting here, I would have gone so far as to say this position was up for grabs. It isn’t anymore, however, as Quinn should be a solid presence (and probably one who will start for the remaining years of his Boston College football career). We’re lucky here to transition from one solid player to another.