Eagles Football: 2014 Boston College Defensive Line Preview

Nov 23, 2013; College Park, MD, USA; Boston College Eagles defensive lineman

(99) sacks Maryland Terrapins quarterback

(16) during the first half at Byrd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

2014 Boston College Defensive Line Preview: Potential Starters

Our Preview: Connor Wujciak, DL
Our Preview: Brian Mihalik, DE
Our Preview: Mehdi Abdesmad, DE
Our Preview: Nick Lifka, DL

This is not necessarily the starting four with which the Eagles might end up, since who knows where certain players might get plugged in, but it is the most experienced four they can come up with right now. All four of these players — Connor Wujciak, Brian Mihalik, Mehdi Abdesmad, and Nick Lifka — are the only seniors the Eagles have listed at the positions which make up the defensive line.

For the Eagles, it will be good to have Abdesmad back. Following an injury, he was sidelined for most of the season despite being on track for a fine year. Coach Steve Addazio said this spring that he felt Abdesmad might have been the unit’s best player, and they are excited to return him to the field.

He came to Boston College as a noted pass rusher from Montreal, and assuming he remains healthy all year, he might be able to have a season similar to that of Kasim Edebali in 2013. Given how Don Brown loves to blitz and attack the opposing quarterbacks, Abdesmad and others will have plentiful opportunities to run up a sack total.

Wujciak actually started most games last season, but ended up being supplanted by Appiah; the latter is reportedly out of football so it seems extremely likely that Wujciak will be starting at one of the interior tackle positions.

As for Mihalik and Lifka, they appeared in thirteen and eight games last season, respectively, and 2014 will not be their first rodeo, so to speak. For some of the guys on the next page, it will be.