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Nov 9, 2024; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; Boston College Eagles defensive end Quintayvious Hutchins (15) reacts after a sack against the Syracuse Orange during the first half at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Bill O'Brien Thinks Ezeiruaku is Irreplaceable, But There is Somebody to Keep a Close Eye On

Originally posted on Boston College Eagles on SI
By Graham Dietz | Last updated Jul 25, 2025 1:10 PM ET

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — One of the biggest question marks for the Boston College Eagles’ football program heading into head coach Bill O’Brien’s second year at the helm is how the defense will replace the production of reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year Donovan Ezeiruaku.

Ezeiruaku finished his career on the Heights as one of the top pass rushers and defensive players in BC history and became BC’s 13th Consensus All-American with first-team honors from the AP, AFCA and The Sporting News, along with earning second-team honors from the Walter Camp Football Foundation.

He led FBS with 1.38 sacks per game and tied the program’s single-season sack record at 16.5, which also led the nation at the end of the 2024 regular season.

Ezeiruaku played like a one-man wrecking machine and singlehandedly won multiple games for BC last year, O’Brien said to BC Eagles On SI at 2025 ACC Football Kickoff.

He is simply not replaceable.

But there are changes O’Brien and defensive coordinator Tim Lewis will make to reconfigure the dynamic of the defense schematically that can help ease the transition post-Ezeiruaku.

“In college football, there’s graduation, right?” O’Brien said. “Guys move on, move on to the NFL. … I think every year you have to evolve on both sides of the ball and try to make sure that you’re doing it strategically and schematically. You’re doing it to accentuate the positives, the strengths of your players.”

O’Brien listed off a series of players’ names who will be stepping up in the defensive realm for BC next season, consisting of KP Price, Daveon "Bam" Crouch, Quintayvious Hutchins, Owen Stoudemire, Amari Jackson, Max Tucker and Cameron Martinez.

While up front, the Eagles lost those difference makers in Ezeiruaku and Horsley—now on the Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans, respectively—the secondary and linebacker core is still very much intact.

But one player who can make a difference up front is Hutchins. After going through a position change early in his career in Chestnut Hill and playing mostly on special teams, Hutchins showcased the most potential of any BC football defender in the latter half of 2024. He even put up statlines similar to those of Ezeiruaku.

Hutchins’ teammates took notice of his development and think the sky is the limit for him next season.

“Just throughout his whole time, especially last year, the work he put in, it wasn’t surprising [to see him take off],” Price said. “He was going to get what he wanted. He was going to continue to earn and get what he wants. He definitely popped off to the public view, but behind the scenes, it’s not really surprising when you see what he does as far as working on his leadership and work ethic.”

Hutchins, a defensive end with a 6-foot-3, 246-pound frame—very similar to the size and weight of Ezeriauku—played in all 13 games last season after transitioning back to DE after trying to play tight end for a year and started seven games down the stretch.

Primarily in those final seven games, Hutchins totaled 31 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and eight quarterback hurries.

His approach on the field, no matter what position he lines up at, is to go get the ball, which is a piece of wisdom Price has picked up from Hutchins as well.

“We love football, that’s what we do and that’s what we love, no matter what it is and what the case may be,” Price said. “Put me at linebacker, safety, d-end, special teams. We gonna go get it no matter what.”

Hutchins’ breakout game occurred in late October against Louisville, where he forced a fumble and snagged an interception and with a 21-yard return along with four tackles in the loss. Two weeks later, against Syracuse, Hutchins registered two sacks, recovered a fumble and made five tackles.

Everything O’Brien has seen from Hutchins on tape makes him feel confident that he is going to be in the mix of some of the best edge rushers in the ACC in 2025.

“He could have easily been here [at ACC Football Kickoff],” O’Brien said. “But I think he’s his own guy. To think that somebody is going to come in and have 17 sacks and be the ACC Defensive Player of the Year? That’s a tough task, tough shoes to fill. … We have to come up with that production in different ways, schematically, but Hutchins is a big part of all of that.”

O’Brien sees an expansive skillset out of Hutchins, proven by his ability to rack up not just sacks but force fumbles, clog lanes in the trenches, track runners on the line of scrimmage, and even as a ballhawk in the middle ground.

“He can lineup on the edge of the defense, he can lineup inside,” O’Brien said. “He can line up at the second level. He plays very hard. He’s got great athletic ability, so we’re excited about him. We think he’s going to have a really good year.”

This article first appeared on Boston College Eagles on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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