August is here, camp is underway, and Boston College is moving closer to the 2026 season with less than 20 days to go. With ACC Media Days wrapped and Bill O’Brien entering his third year at the helm, it’s a natural moment to start sorting out who matters most for the Eagles.
This ranking isn’t just a straight best-player list. It’s built around production already in the bank and the impact each player is expected to have in 2026, both on the field and in the win-loss column. In this spot, the focus lands on a player who began 2025 as a backup and ended up taking over early in the year: center Michael Crounse.
Crounse came to Boston College as a 2023 recruit from Schnecksville, Pa., after playing at DeMatha Catholic in Md. He was a three-star prospect with an 82 rating from 247Sports, listed as the No. 102 offensive lineman in the class and the No. 22 recruit in Maryland.
His path in 2025 was a steady climb. He opened the season behind Dwayne Allick Jr., but after the senior struggled, Crounse stepped into the job in the Stanford game.
From there, he played in all 12 games and made nine starts at center. Pro Football Focus ranked him 133rd out of 306 qualifying centers, which is a solid place to land for a player getting his first real college run.
His overall PFF grade was 64.6, essentially right around average. The pass protection numbers were better, with a 71.8 grade over 392 snaps, while the run game was more uneven at 63.4 across 240 snaps.
Now Crounse enters 2026 as the expected starter at center. There are still questions elsewhere on the line as O’Brien sorts out the rest of the starting five, but Crounse should provide a level of stability in the middle.
Camp so far has only strengthened that view: he’s been the clear top center on the roster and has also been noted as a leader. For a redshirt junior, that matters.
Boston College needs a veteran presence in a group with plenty of new faces around him, and Crounse has a chance to be the piece that gives the offensive line some much-needed steadiness.
In spring work, there were more positives than negatives. There were a few bad snaps mixed in, though they came early and weren’t treated as a major concern.
He also looked decent in the run game. Summer, though, is where the real test begins, and it will show whether he’s cleaned up the areas that still need work.
The rest of the rankings sit behind him as follows: No. 25 punter Bryce LaFollette, No. 24 running back Nolan Ray, No. 23 wide receiver Dawson Pough, No. 22 offensive lineman Robert Smith, No. 21 DT KJ Sampson, No.
20 LB Bodie Kahoun, No. 19 C B Max Tucker, No.
18 DB Carter Davis, No. 17 OT Vegeur Jean Jumeau, No.
16 OT Trevon Humphrey, No. 15 OT Pape Sy, No.
14 DB Ashton Cunningham, No. 13 tight end Zeke Moore, No. 12 DT Chris Marable Jr., and No.
11 G Kristian Phillips.
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Boston College Showed Something Important In A Tight Siena Test
Boston College got a useful early-season look Thursday at the Newton Soccer Complex, where the mens soccer team handled Siena 3-1 in a non-conference match that asked a few different questions along the way. Michael Asare got the Eagles going, and the offense kept finding answers with Bryan Toro and Brown adding goals, while Asare and Henze each chipped in assists to keep the pressure on throughout the night.
Andre Borak did his part at the other end with four saves, helping Boston College stay in control when Siena tried to make things uncomfortable. For a team looking to build habits against outside competition, the result offered more than a win in the standings, since it showed BC could create chances, respond to stretches of resistance and close out a match with contributions from multiple spots on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Former Boston College DB Is Turning Heads For What Miami Sees In Him
Omar Thorntons move from Boston College to Miami has already made an impression in Coral Gables, where the South Florida native is being talked up for the way he brings a physical, versatile edge to the Hurricanes defense. At Boston College, Thornton worked at both safety and nickelback, the kind of flexibility that tends to travel well when a staff is looking for help across the back end and near the line of scrimmage.
Miami has noticed that versatility at a time when it needs players to step into openings created by departures. The Hurricanes defensive coordinator and several teammates have praised Thorntons competitiveness and the way he shows up on tape and in practice, which is usually the first sign that a transfer is fit into a new locker room before the real role is fully defined. [Read more 🡒]
BCs Red Bandanna Game Just Got A Painful New Twist
Boston Colleges annual Red Bandanna Game will carry the usual weight of remembrance when Rutgers comes to campus on the evening of Sept. 11, with the Eagles honoring Welles Crowther and the 25th anniversary of the attacks. The matchup, set for an ESPN2 broadcast, has long been one of the most meaningful dates on the schedule in Chestnut Hill because of the way it ties the program to Crowthers legacy and the story behind the red bandanna.
This year, though, the game brings an extra layer of intrigue for BC because it will come against a familiar face. Dylan Lonergan, the former Boston College quarterback who transferred to Rutgers this offseason, is now in position to steer the Scarlet Knights in a spot that will feel especially personal on both sidelines. For Boston College, it turns a solemn and symbolic night into a matchup with a little more sting than anyone expected when the calendar flipped to September. [Read more 🡒]