101 Days of BC Football: Paul Gaughan, #69

We’ve reached the last of the returning offensive linemen. This one is a center from northeastern Pennsylvania by the name of Paul Gaughan. Last season, he wore #79 on the bench, but now owns #69.

Gaughan played high school ball in his hometown of Dunmore, a town bordering Scranton. While at Dunmore, Gaughan was honored several times as an offensive tackle, making All-State and regional teams and also being invited to play in the Big 33 Football Classic, as was fellow redshirt freshman offensive lineman Dave Bowen.

The body of work Gaughan put together prior to his arrival at BC got him listed as a three-star recruit by Scout, Rivals, and ESPN. The latter of those three had Gaughan as the 14th-best recruit in the state for the 2011 incoming class. Like so many of the newer offensive line faces on this team, Gaughan’s scouting report from high school raved about his skills as a run blocker, but he notably got additional praise for his strength and agility.

That report was written for his work as an offensive tackle, but Boston College currently lists him as a center. Gaughan made his living in high school football on the edge, but it appears that is no longer BC’s plan for him. It’s not likely of any imminent concern, as he did not make the two-deep coming out of spring football, but assuming he is as good as advertised, it is not unreasonable to suspect that he will play significant time in future seasons. As for this season, the jury is still out.