101 Days of BC Football: Jim Cashman, #72

The first offensive line newcomer for the 2012 recruiting class, like so many other players on the Boston College football team, comes from New Jersey. This one also happened to be heavily recruited. Meet Jim Cashman, a 6-7 and 285-pound tackle from Haddonfield, near Philadelphia.

Cashman appeared on both lines during his time at Haddonfield Memorial High School, but he joins the Eagles as an offensive lineman. It didn’t matter which side of the ball he played on, though: Cashman got results. He received too many awards to list, though the most prominent amongst them was the Maxwell Club’s 2011 New Jersey Football Player of the Year Award.

To say that Cashman was a highly sought-after recruit coming out of high school is an understatement. Some of his BC newcomers got half a dozen offers, but this kid beats just about everyone. Assuming Rivals’ page is correct, Cashman received 27. Some were FBS and others were FCS, and a few were even ACC rivals, but through all of the muddle, Cashman narrowed it down and picked Boston College.

Cashman’s scouting report beamed, as you might expect. He was one of MaxPreps recruiting analyst Tom Lemming’s top 25 offensive tackles for the 2012 recruiting class and just about everything in his evaluation of Cashman was positive. Lemming brought up his blocking ability, speed, agility, strength, and lateral movement ability, all of which are the hallmarks of a good offensive lineman. ESPN’s scouting report is perhaps a little less bright, as at the time Cashman needed to add more size. He still does, but he’s moving up into the 280s.

Barring the unforeseen, Cashman will probably redshirt in 2012. One would assume as much, anyway. Boston College used to be O-Line U, and if we want to get back to such things, Jim Cashman is the sort of player that can help make that happen in the years to follow.