Boston College finally got a look at what its preseason work can look like when the gates are open and the turf is under its feet.
After more than two weeks of camp spent mostly around the edges of Alumni Stadium, Saturday morning’s scrimmage moved the Eagles onto the field itself for the first time in 2026. The setting brought the team a little closer to the season ahead, with the first home game against Rutgers on the horizon and the first run-out one week earlier against Cincinnati still ahead of them.
The day’s loudest early moment came from running back Nolan Ray, who broke loose for a 65-yard run in the opening stages of the scrimmage. In a real game, that kind of play would have sent the place into a frenzy. On Saturday, it served as a reminder that the Eagles are beginning to turn camp work into something that looks and feels more like football.
For head coach Bill O'Brien, the value of the scrimmage went well beyond the highlights.
"I think our schedule has been good," said head coach Bill O'Brien on Saturday. "The players have been able to get some sleep, and we've had enough time to meet and walk through and learn.
I've seen improvement, and we have about two weeks before we start ramping up for Cincinnati. We have to be careful with how many that we go in a row…I definitely see a good chemistry and good communication.
Guys are learning each other's communication skills and moves. That has a ways to go, but it's really improved."
That chemistry piece has been one of the main themes of camp, and Saturday gave the staff a chance to watch it in a more realistic setting. With officials and coaches overseeing the work, the scrimmage exposed how the offensive and defensive units are connecting, and where they still need help.
One area that drew attention was protection. Quarterback Mason McKenzie’s passes to players like Jaedn Skeete were not consistent enough for a normal Saturday, and O'Brien pointed directly to the issue afterward.
"I thought the protection was not great," O'Brien admitted. "Our o-line's done a good job, but I thought Coach Roof threw some stuff at us that was tough to pick up.
We have to go back and watch it and get better at it to walk through it, and then we'll do it again. Protection is going to be key in that deal."
That kind of unevenness is part of the point of a preseason scrimmage. Boston College needs the good and the bad to show up now, not later, so the staff can keep tightening the operation before the opener.
The larger lesson, though, is the same one that has shown up in recent BC seasons: balance matters. Since the COVID era, every Boston College team that finished at .500 or better and became bowl eligible posted longer time of possession than its opponent.
The best of those teams, in 2023 and 2024, held the ball for more than 32 minutes per game. Both seasons also lined up with strong runs in the Atlantic Coast Conference race, including the 2023 team’s five-game winning streak and undefeated October, and the 2024 group’s return to the national polls after winning four of its first five games.
The program has also shown that control of a game does not always show up in one simple stat. The 2018 team, for instance, leaned on a defense that kept opponents out of the end zone. That squad averaged 400 yards per game, with 215 coming through the air and 190 on the ground, but the bigger edge came from touchdowns and takeaways, including twice as many interceptions.
Boston College’s early 7-2 start in that season was built on the kind of games where the Eagles found the right mix on both sides of the ball. Wins over Wake Forest, Temple, Louisville, Miami and Virginia Tech came by multiple possessions, with the lone one-possession result against Wake Forest coming in a game that was pushed back two hours because of an impending hurricane warning.
Still, none of that can be projected cleanly onto this year’s team from one August scrimmage. Saturday was about building, correcting and learning, not forecasting September. The work is meant to get the Eagles ready for the September 5 game against the Bearcats, and for the road trip to the Big 12 that opens the 2026 regular season for real.
Wide receiver Johnathan Montague said the atmosphere inside the team has been strong.
"What I've seen so far, the chemistry is great," said wide receiver Johnathan Montague. "Everybody's getting along and having fun playing football, doing what we love. That's all we're going to ask for…I think we have a lot to prove, and we want to show everyone that we can take a stride and not just be that same old BC team, that we can set a new standard for us and the guys that are coming forward."
In Other News...
Boston College Freshmen Are Making Fall Camp Hard To Ignore
Fall camp is often where college teams find out which newcomers can handle the speed, contact and repetition that come with real practice, and Boston College has several freshmen and underclassmen making that evaluation a lot more interesting. Quarterback Babalola has been part of that conversation, while wide receiver Biggins, linebacker Klein, defensive lineman Fitzgerald and defensive back Rodriguez have all drawn attention for the way theyve handled the early work and the physical tools that stand out at their positions.
What makes the group worth watching is not just that they have shown up on the practice field, but that they are already pushing toward bigger roles before the season has even settled in. Coaches have liked the progress enough to keep them in the mix, and the next stretch of camp will help determine whether those early impressions translate into real movement on the depth chart, or simply serve as a promising start to their careers in Chestnut Hill. [Read more 🡒]
Boston College Tight Ends Suddenly Face A Problem Bill OBrien Must Solve
Boston Colleges tight end room took a hit this offseason when Kaelan Chudzinski, one of the more promising returning pieces at the position, went down with an Achilles injury. Bill OBrien confirmed the setback and the Eagles now have to navigate a thinner depth chart after also losing Jeremiah Franklin to graduation, leaving a noticeable gap in returning production at a spot that had been shaping up as a useful part of the offense.
OBrien has already started looking for answers, and one of them involves reshuffling the roster to help cover the loss. The challenge now is less about replacing one player than reworking the position group well enough to keep the offense balanced heading into 2026, with Boston College suddenly needing more help at tight end than it expected just a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]
Boston College Camp Has One Position Battle Fans Still Can't Ignore
Boston Colleges camp has produced a few encouraging signs as the Eagles get ready for 2026, with the quarterback room drawing notice and the backfield looking lively. Mason McKenzie has made real progress, the running backs Evan Dickens and Nolan Ray have both stood out in practice, and the receiver group appears to have enough depth to keep the offense moving.
Still, one spot continues to hang over the evaluation: tight end. The Eagles are trying to replace Kaelan Chudzinski, and the early returns there have not done much to quiet the concern, even with Bryce Lewis back in the mix after his rebuild. For a team that has seen some positions trend in the right direction, that remains the one battle fans will keep watching closely. [Read more 🡒]