101 Days of BC Football: Leonard Skubal, #53

The long snapping specialist on a football team is probably amongst the most forgotten players outside of those who perpetually appear on the bench. Nevertheless, somebody has to do it, and in the 2012 recruiting class, Boston College apparently took care of this position for the future. The person perhaps handling it down the road for the Eagles will be Leonard Skubal.

Skubal’s journey to the Heights started in his home state of Florida, where the young man attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, the same school attended by Olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross, tennis hall-of-famer Chris Evert, and NFL hall-of-famer Michael Irvin. This school boasts some great athletes from its past, so their football program today is about as prominent as you’d expect. Skubal played linebacker and long-snapped for the Raiders, for whom he had 98 career tackles and two interceptions.

Skubal signed a letter of intent on National Signing Day, which, by rule, means that he is a scholarship player. There was no other indication that BC had offered him a scholarship or targeted him, and unlike just about every other player BC is bringing in, information on his recruiting period is practically non-existent.

This is not to cast aspersions on Skubal’s abilities in any way: he competed in Chris Sailer’s Rubio Long Snapping Camp and earned praise in his brief scouting report, though they projected him as a Division III prospect.

The current long snapper, Sean Flaherty, is a senior. This will probably be Skubal’s job in 2013, but not yet. In the meantime, if BC does not redshirt him, he can appear elsewhere on special teams, as he has previously shown the ability to tackle.