Bill O’Brien spent part of the spring at Fenway Park, listening to Red Sox fans roar, “Sell the team!” He’s watched the response since then, and he sees a blueprint worth borrowing.
The Red Sox’ surge has turned them into contenders, and O’Brien wants Boston College to find that same kind of lift after a 2-10 season. The Eagles opened training camp Wednesday outside Fish Field House, and the tone was clear from the start: last year is over, and nobody in the room wants to keep reliving it.
“We talk a lot about that,” O’Brien said. “The City of Boston, Boston College, taking pride in putting this jersey on. What it means to be in this city.”
BC opens the season Sept. 5 at Cincinnati, and the first day of camp offered a few early clues about how O’Brien plans to chase a reset.
Evan Dickens arrived with a résumé that already travels well. After breaking out at Liberty, the junior running back is trying to show that production can carry over to the ACC. Dickens logged 229 carries for 1,339 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2025, and he says he’s not done climbing yet.
“I’m looking forward to mimicking or even having a better season this year,” Dickens said. “I’m still hungry, I’m not satisfied, and I’m going to keep climbing.”
Dickens said he came to BC to learn from O’Brien and get closer to his NFL goal. He also had praise for new running backs coach Mike Hart, calling him “a real joy” and saying he spends plenty of time with him in meeting rooms.
On the field, Dickens wants to expand his game as a receiver and blocker, not just as a runner. That matters for an Eagles ground game that finished 15th in the ACC in rushing yards per game last season.
“I know Coach O’Brien likes to run the ball,” Dickens said. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to take pride in the run game. You’ve got to set the tone for the game.”
There’s also a real opportunity at tight end with Kaelan Chudzinski sidelined by an Achilles injury. That opens the door for Bryce Lewis, Zeke Moore, Brady Clough, and Danny Edgehille. Moore is already viewed as a leader and a glue guy, and Lewis - a former defensive lineman - brings size at 6-6, 245 pounds.
O’Brien said Lewis has picked things up quickly.
“Bryce has done a really good job of picking up the system, knowing how to run routes, understanding the run game and the protections,” O’Brien said. “Very smart guy.”
On the other side of the ball, the defense is still searching for a cleaner start than it had a year ago. That group allowed the most yards per play (6.5), yards per game (433.3), and touchdowns (48) last season, so the bar for improvement is obvious. Transfers Anthony Palano, Bodie Kahoun, and Kris Jones are among the new faces expected to help.
With 26 transfers on the roster, there are chances for newcomers to make an immediate impact. Carter Davis said the early signs from that group have been encouraging.
“They’re showing they belong here,” Davis said of the transfers. “They’re coming here to work.”
O’Brien also laid out a practical plan for camp workload, saying the staff intends to gradually push full-speed work from 60 minutes to 70 and continue building from there until about 100. The idea is to limit injuries, something that mattered a lot last season. Wide receiver Jaedn Skeete and defensive back Syair Torrence were both back in action Wednesday.
“There’s nothing more important than the health of the team,” O’Brien said. “From a timing standpoint, we have to make sure we stay on track with that.”
He also made clear he’s not thrilled with the current NCAA setup, especially the way rules continue to change.
“Would we be opposed to guys coming back? No, not necessarily,” O’Brien said.
“If the guy wanted to come back, to improve the football team, I mean, yeah. But this trickling out of rules is just crazy.”
For now, though, BC’s focus is simpler: put last year behind it, find some rhythm, and see if the Eagles can ride a little Boston momentum of their own.
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