101 Days of BC Football: Manny Asprilla, #21

Boston College’s defensive backfield has some depth issues; that’s not a secret, nor is it the only place where the Eagles have roster holes. The talent on the top line, however, has not performed badly at all. At the cornerback starting position is where you’ll find Manny Asprilla.

Apsrilla, a rising sophomore from Everett, was one of the pleasant surprises for Boston College during his freshman season. Playing in just eight games last year, he made his appearances count: 30 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss, a sack and three passes broken up. Aside from the numbers, Asprilla performed well in what time he did get, showing a good instinct in the secondary and getting after the football (which would explain his sack and three passes defensed).

Asprilla was injured for spring football this year, so on that front, there was nothing to report. Injuries like these led to guys like Shane Cranmore and Joey Launceford playing in the backfield.

Generally, when freshmen come into a football program without four or five stars next to their names, expectations are tempered. As we all know, however, there was a loss of manpower in this unit prior to the start of the season and Asprilla was thrust into a tough situation. He played pretty well all things considered, and I think most Eagles fans would agree that he was one of the better corners BC had last year.

In 2012, he will be counted on for more. Not just for the fact that Boston College is thin in the backfield otherwise, but now Donnie Fletcher isn’t here anymore, either. Asprilla showed us some good things when he was a freshman, and he’ll have to step it up even more as a sophomore. If healthy, he’ll appear in all of the Eagles’ games, and one can expect that he’ll be a key go-to guy when BC needs a play made in the secondary.