Boston College Football Recruiting: Signing Day 2013 Primer
By Joe Micik
Boston College is not like other schools.
At any number of BCS-conference universities on National Signing Day, there is flare, drama, expectation, and for some, celebration. Other websites on this very FanSided network are knee-deep in excitement over the proceedings. At BC, Signing Day this year will have all the suspense of an election in North Korea.
For the most part, the Eagles know which players are coming to Chestnut Hill in the summer of 2013, and have for some time. We are not “in” on virtually any of the major recruits and there is literally no use in staying glued to the television once can watch some 17-year old kid put on a hat, because there won’t be one with a “BC” on it.
The signing class of 2013 that Boston College has all-but put together does not have any big names, but does have a number of young men who appreciate the school and speak of it with great fondness. Follow a few of them on Twitter and you’ll know that much is true. Any tangible measure of what BC has in these recruits can only be determined in the years to come, and the “star” system is far from an ironclad predictor of how talent will perform, but if nothing changes, this will be the first time since Rivals’ inception in 2001 that Boston College has not secured the commitment of at least one four-star recruit. Then again, Luke Kuechly was a three-star recruit and plenty of footnotes in BC football history had more.
Committed
This is the current status of Boston College football’s recruiting class of 2013, with these high school players expected to sign:
• Drew Barksdale. WR, Solon, OH (Solon; Aug, 2, 2012)
• Charlie Callinan. WR, Jersey City, NJ (St. Peter’s; Aug. 16, 2012)
• Jack Cottrell. LB, Eden Prairie, MN (Eden Prairie; April 7, 2012)
• Truman Gutapfel. DT, Harrison, OH (Harrison; July 11, 2012)
• John Johnson. DB, Hyattsville, MD (Northwestern Senior; Jul. 23, 2012)
• Kevin Kavalec. DE, Cleveland, OH (St. Ignatius; Jun. 22, 2012)
• Marquis Little. LB, Manchester, CT (Manchester; Sept. 25, 2012)
• Mackay Lowrie. QB, West Roxbury, MA (Roxbury Latin; May 6, 2012)
• Matt Milano. DB, Orlando, FL (Dr. Phillips; Jul. 15, 2012)
• Tevin Montgomery. DT, Marion, MA (Tabor; Dec. 2, 2012)
• Atem Ntantang. DB, Purcellville, VA (Woodgrove; Jul. 24, 2012)
• Joel Rich. DE, Minerva, OH (St. Thomas Aquinas; Jun. 30, 2012)
• James Walsh. QB, Dublin, OH (Coffman; Jan. 27, 2013)
• Myles Willis. ATH, Atlanta, GA (Marist; Jul. 20, 2012)
Editor’s note, Feb. 4: Please be advised that Tim Boyle has committed to Connecticut.
Boston College secured a commitment long ago from Tim Boyle (QB, Middletown, CT), who only recently reopened his status and has BC as one of three finalists. Many believe him to be the highest-rated recruit in the class and a possible successor to Chase Rettig, but he won’t be either of those things if he chooses UConn or Pittsburgh. His reevaluation is reportedly due to his concern over Boston College having pursued other quarterbacks.
Boston College also has some other offers out to other players, some of whom (like Asiantii Woulard) are big reaches, but there is no word yet as to their status.
Au Revoir
After any coaching change, it’s natural to have some turnover in a recruiting class. Let’s not revise history, though: BC was losing guys before Frank Spaziani got fired as well, and it happens.
A few of the notable decommits include:
• Andrew Isaacs, a tight end from Connecticut who switched to Maryland.
• David Coggins, a wide receiver from Connecticut who has not finalized his decision and may still return to the fold.
• Michael Geiger, one of the premier kickers in the 2013 class, who switched to Michigan State.
• LeShun Daniels, an Ohio running back who will now go to Iowa.
• Dan Monteroso, a wide receiver from Ohio who recently committed to Purdue.
Looking Ahead
With the recruiting class about to be finalized, save for some late comers, it’s more than fair to speculate on the composition of the depth chart going forward. We might ask some questions like this:
• If Tim Boyle does not commit to Boston College, what will BC’s quarterback situation be post-Rettig in 2014? If there were other quarterbacks on the pre-existing roster that this blog felt comfortable with, we’d have told you already. Chances are we’re going to see a fresh face in the following season, and that opens up some possibilities: Mackay Lowrie, Myles Willis, new commit James Walsh, or one of the other younger names on the team we’ve not yet explored. If BC did somehow hit the home run and land Woulard, that would probably answer that question with some finality, but not having Boyle would add some uncertainty. There is no guarantee he would have been the guy in 2014, anyway, but to say he would be a leading candidate is probably accurate.
• What will be the impact on offensive line depth? We ask because not one of the players mentioned is an offensive lineman. This is a unit that in several spots needs an upgrade, and for this year, BC appears to have nobody coming in. Like that one year where BC basketball had no recruits and it hurt depth down the road, this might cause a depth gap in a few years.
• Who will be the inevitable transfer? It’s not necessarily a newcomer, either: it seems like every year, someone bails out. Sometimes recruiting talented new players can impel that sort of action. If it happens, it would probably be at a position in which BC has a dearth of players and not enough slots on the depth chart: quarterback seems like a good place to start. There’s no science to it, but it does tend to happen.
Soaring to Glory and FanSided will walk you through Signing Day 2013, so stay with us as we learn who will officially join the BC football team. Follow hashtag #FSNSD13 on Twitter for network recruiting news.