Boston College Football Wraps Up Final Spring Practice of 2025 With Steady Momentum

“They're very, very smart guys,” O’Brien said. “They've picked up the offense, the new guys, Dylan and Shaker, like to only be here in January and to be where they are now, that's a testament to them. Grayson James has done a really good job.”

Lonergan didn’t receive the playing time he had hoped for with the Crimson Tide, sitting behind Jalen Milroe for the past two seasons, but his arm is a proven weapon. Not that it wasn’t to be expected, but Lonergan gave James a run for his money for first-team reps, and the competition is certainly heating up.

There is a special camaraderie built into that competition, however. James and Lonergan appeared to be gelling well together on the sidelines, picking each other up after completed passes with words of encouragement and signs of affirmation.

“I’ve been very impressed, and I think we’re lucky and we’re fortunate to have a quarterback room like this, because those guys are very talented guys and great teammates,” O’Brien said.

The only thing more important than having capable throwers is possessing linemen who can block up front in a slew of different formations, as well as a backfield which can complement the signal caller.

O’Brien lost key players in running backs Kye Robichaux and Treshaun Ward, and offensive linemen Ozzy Trapilo and Drew Kendall, to professional opportunities, but the program stayed equipped for that.

"In college, like it's a lot different than professional football,” O’Brien said. “They don’t graduate in the pros. They maybe go to free agency, but they don’t graduate. So we’re prepared for that.”

The players O’Brien mentioned that the Eagles will rely on for that missing production are returning running backs Jordan McDonald, Turbo Richard and Alex Broome, who tore his ACL before last season, and newcomers Bo MacCormack and Mekhi Dodd. Within the trenches, there is Dwayne Allick, Eryx Daugherty, Logan Taylor, Jude Bowry and Kevin Cline, all returners.

There were a handful of standouts in Saturday’s session, returners and newcomers alike, who have the potential to make BC even more robust than it played in 2024. The Eagles finished 7-6 and had an opportunity to win eight games for the first time since 2009.

The ones to look out for are transfer wide receiver VJ Wilkins, a redshirt junior who came from Campbell University, Alabama products Lockwood and Lonergan, returning pass catchers such as Reed Harris, Lewis Bond, Jaedn Skeete and Jeremiah Franklin and defensive end Quintayvious Hutchins.

Reisig, though not immediately set to take the reins as BC’s next signal caller, made an impression on O’Brien by just simply showing up instead of remaining at Union High School (Okla.) for what would have been his senior spring.

“They come in in January and they’ve got to come from a high school locker room to a college football division one locker room with a lot of veteran players, a lot of guys coming back,” O’Brien said. 

“To be able to assimilate into the locker room and then learn the offense and then learn how to call a play and execute that play, I give a lot of credit to Shaker and I think he’s a hell of a player. He’s got a great future.”