Boston College Football 2025: Defensive Preview
Can Cal snuff the effort out of BC?
Bill O’Brien left the NFL known as a fantastic ball coach and volatile manager of personnel, who has since found himself in the rapidly professionalizing college game. The same familiar questions of this moment surround this program. Can a superior ball coach develop lower star recruits? Can that ball coach retain said talent once he’s coached them up? Coach O’Brien’s first season leading the Boston College Eagles to a 7-6, with a trip to the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl, an event that takes place in every Bostonian’s favorite sporting cathedral, Yankee stadium.
Boston College’s season has gotten off to a tough start, dropping games to Stanford and Michigan State after giving Fordham a thumping in their opener. As much as this game will serve as a litmus test for Cal fans to figure out if last week’s egg against SDSU was a fluke, this game will serve as an indicator for BC fans as to whether they need to keep watching this team for the rest of the 2025 season.
2024 Defense in Review:
Noticeable turnaround from a disappointing 2023 season, seeing a drop in points allowed and improved third down efficiency.
Donovan Ezeiruaku wowed as ACC defensive player of the year, and is now playing Sundays with the Cowboys after being selected in the second round of the NFL draft.
Safety KP Price led the team with 85 tackles, he returns for his Junior year, he already has 20 total tackles under his belt in 2025.
2025 Defense:
Tim Lewis returns as defensive coordinator after a strong showing in 2024, although this year’s side has dropped 30 to an uncertain Stanford team.
While there are many returning starters on this defense, the talent drain at edge and interior line should not be overlooked.
Concerns about depth at linebacker have proven valid over the first three games of the season, but there’s plenty of time for the returning vets to wrangle the guys, and the young talent to step up and make plays.
Provisional Starters:
DE: Edwin Kolenge and Quintayvious Hutchins
Interior DL: NT – Kwan Williams; DT – Sedarius McConnell
Linebackers: WLB – Daveon Crouch; MLB – Owen McGowan
Secondary: LCB – Amari Jackson; SS – KP Price; FS – Omar Thornton; RCB – Max Tucker; NB – Cameron Martinez
Players and Personnel to Watch
Daveon Crouch returns for his senior year after a 77 total tackles in 2025. He is fast and will be key in thwarting what’s been an uneven Cal run game. Redshirt Senior lineman Quintayvious Hutchins makes a good faith effort replacing what the team lost in Donovan Ezeiruaku. How effective he is will certainly be a factor in Saturday’s game. KP Price also returns at Safety, as noted above. He is the leader of the secondary, as well as a top-end tackler who makes a difference in pass coverage as well.
How Cal Can Win This Game
Simply put, JKS needs help. No drops from pass catchers, more time in the pocket to go through reads, and a viable running game, are all necessary to elevate the Golden Bears against a demoralized but well coached Boston College team. I think we’ll know within the first five minutes whether BC is hungry or if the coaches have lost the locker room so early in the season. I would like to see if Cal can get Trond pulling down passes deep, attacking whenever they go single high.
Good article.
I think we’ll also know in the first five minutes if Cal came ready to fight or if Wilcox has suffered a blow in the locker room.
I really thought our O line had vastly improved but after last week?. . . They better revert back to their performance against Minnesota or the season is gonna get ugly.