Boston College Eagles: Underclassmen carving out roles in 2022
Sour as the 2022 season as been for the Boston College Eagles through eight games, sweet spots have occurred.
Namely, a collective of underclassman are seeing a lot of field time. Many of which have lent a hand to an experienced defense.
Some of this rise in youth has been born out of necessity, with the Boston College depth chart taking a hit on a weekly basis. Some have seen increased playing time because of talent and effort. No matter the case, these underclassmen have been performing well as the Eagles build to a brighter future.
Growth for d-line for Boston College Eagles
The pass rusher of the future has arrived for Boston College. And he’s only getting better as 2022 progresses.
Sophomore defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku burst out of the gate this season, collecting nine tackles in a season-opening loss to Rutgers. And while he hasn’t collected that many tackles in a game since, Ezeiruaku has been a steady hand through eight games.
His 41 tackles are fourth on the team and is a main factor in Boston College’s improved run defense. Ezeiruaku leads the Eagles with five sacks, collecting one in each of the the last three games, and also has two forced fumbles and 8.5 tackles-for-loss.
Related Story. Boston College Eagles: 3 takeaways from painful loss to Rutgers. light
Neto Okpala, another sophomore on the defensive line, has also come along this season. Okpala has 19 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss. He and Ezeiruaku help form what has become a deep line, joining forces with experienced players Marcus Valdez, Cam Horsley, and Chibueze Onwuka. The unit has been much improved in 2022, though more sacks and pressures would be nice.
Ezeiruaku and Okpala have also seen fellow underclassmen in the other position groups on defense play well in 2022.