Perhaps the truest aphorism in college football is “expect the unexpected.” This may not apply to who will enter or win the national championship, but it applies to almost everything else. Each season, unexpected players shape a season for each team. In 2020, Josh DeBerry established himself as a key player for the Eagles’ defense, even as some outlets questioned what he had brought to the team. In 2021, Pat Garwo took the lead in the running back job and never let go. Below are three players who could be the next breakout players for Boston College.
Ty Clemons, DE
One of the main goals for Boston College’s defense this season is to put more pressure on the quarterback. Ty Clemons should be an important part of this mission. Clemons was one of several true freshman defensive ends to get some playing time early in the season. He was eventually redshirted after appearing on defense in just four games. But he picked up a sack in just 29 pass-rushing snaps. He also had an incredible spring game, recording multiple sacks, albeit mostly against the second unit offense.
At this point, Clemons is still a bit buried on the depth map. There are suspected upper class starters, Marcus Valdez and Shitta Sillah, along with two sophomores who played more last season, Donovan Ezeiraku and Neto Okpala. However, I think Clemons could overtake those two players and maybe even Sillah. One of the reasons for this is that it’s actually built like a true defensive end. Clemons is listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 259 pounds; Ezeiraku and Okpala are both listed under 240 pounds. Therefore, unlike Ezeiraku and Okpala, Clemons should be able to be a triple defender. Nonetheless, his best trait is charging at the passer and he should be able to make significant contributions there as well.
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Bryce Steele, LB
Bryce Steele represents the future at the linebacker position for Boston College and perhaps college football as a whole. Steele came to BC as an extremely highly rated but undersized recruit. Many expected him to play the redshirt after the first few games to gain the weight needed to play linebacker. But injuries forced him into the lineup late in the year. He even started a game against Virginia Tech and played most of the snaps against Wake Forest.
Steele is one of the beginning outside linebackers this year. He will most likely be a more modern Sam linebacker playing in the overhang area between the tight end and the slot receiver. There are many similar players on other teams who have racked up tons of tackles and made numerous splash plays from their position. Steele’s incredible athleticism should allow him to pick up runs from the outside and RPOs. After all, he could also be the antidote to one of BC’s most enduring ailments: running quarterbacks.
CJ Burton, CB
Like Steele, CJ Burton was a very highly rated recruit who earned some playing time early in the season. With Brandon Sebastian moving to the NFL, Burton should be one of the starting outside cornerbacks this season. He can technically be a rotation player if Hafley and Lukabu allow Josh DeBerry to play outside and keep Elijah Jones on the field against heavier personnel. But he will certainly see a surge in snaps this season.
Burton could face a very volatile 2022 season. As the youngest member of the Eagles’ secondary school, many early-season offenses will test him. In the last couple of games last year when Burton played me, he made some good plays but also conceded some bad ones. That’s perfectly appropriate for a true newbie, and he’s likely to have some growing pains this year, too. But if Burton could live up to his bill as a recruit and build on his good games from last year, he could be the last slice of a dominant runner-up.