Boston College May Have A Defensive Weapon Ready To Break Out

Boston College's Israel Oladipupo captures attention with raw power and elite potential, earning a spot on the prestigious "Freaks" list for the 2026 season.

Boston College’s defensive front has been getting plenty of attention this offseason, and now another name has entered the conversation. On Monday, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman unveiled his 2026 “Freaks” list, and Boston College sophomore EDGE rusher Israel Oladipupo made the cut.

Feldman pointed to both Oladipupo’s limited production as a freshman and the kind of physical tools that could make him a bigger factor this fall. As Feldman wrote:

"He made only two tackles in seven games as a freshman last year but is expected to make a much bigger impact in 2026. The 6-3, 250-pounder squatted 415 pounds for five reps with remarkable speed, generating an impressive 1,123 watts of power output."

Oladipupo arrived in Chestnut Hill with plenty of attention of his own. He was a top-30 recruit from Indiana in the 247Sports rankings and picked Boston College over Indiana, Duke, and Oklahoma State after taking official visits to all three schools. At Noblesville High School, he piled up more than 130 tackles across his final two seasons, along with 12 quarterback hurries and 14.5 tackles for loss.

He joins a Boston College defensive line group that has been a recurring talking point as the Eagles continue preparing for the upcoming season. Onye Nwosisi, Kris Jones, E'lla Boykin, and Favor Bate are among the EDGE rushers drawing notice in Ted Roof’s revamped defense.

Boston College also had a player on Feldman’s 2025 Freaks list last year, with offensive tackle Jude Bowry earning that recognition.

In Other News...

Boston College Football Adds A Teammate Eagles Fans Can Rally Around

Boston College football added a new face to its program this week, and the story carries far beyond the practice field. Through Team IMPACT, the Eagles announced the signing of seven-year-old Logan March, who lives with Gould Syndrome, epilepsy and cortical visual impairment, giving him a place around the team for the next two years.

Team IMPACTs mission is to connect children facing serious illness and disability with college athletic teams, creating a bond built on inclusion, socialization and empowerment. For Boston College, it means another teammate for players and fans to embrace, and a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful additions to a roster have little to do with depth charts. [Read more 🡒]

Ashton Cunningham Is Emerging In A Crucial Battle For BC's Secondary

Bill O'Briens second season at Boston College is already putting a spotlight on the defensive backfield, and Ashton Cunningham is one of the names that keeps coming up for good reason. The second-year defensive back got on the field as a freshman, and that early experience now gives him a real chance to push for a starting cornerback role as the Eagles sort out their secondary heading into 2026.

Cunninghams rise matters because BC is ranking its most important players not just by what they did last fall, but by how much they could shape the next one. For a defense that needs reliable answers on the back end, the battle for those corner spots will be one of the more important storylines of the offseason, and Cunningham has positioned himself right in the middle of it. [Read more 🡒]

Boston College Opens With A Chance To Set A Different Tone

Boston College womens soccer gets its 2026 season started with a familiar kind of first test, a home opener against Siena at Newton Soccer Field on a 4:00 p.m. kickoff. The Eagles bring back a solid core from last year, including 13 returning players, giving the program a chance to build continuity right away rather than spending September trying to find its footing.

Sophie Reale returns as the leading goalscorer, while Olivia Shippee is back in goal after earning a starting role and a captains designation, two stabilizing pieces for a team trying to establish an early rhythm. Siena arrives with experience of its own, led by First Team All-MAAC midfielder Catherine Rogers and goalkeeper Cate Burns, so Boston College will get an immediate read on where it stands in a matchup that should say plenty about the tone of the fall. [Read more 🡒]