Boston College Athletics
Football Adds 26 on National Signing Day
February 04, 2015 | Football
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Chestnut Hill, Mass. - The Boston College football team added 26 student-athletes to its roster on National Signing Day as student-athletes signed National Letters of Intent to play at The Heights in the fall. Four members of the class are already on campus, enrolling early to take spring semester classes and work out with the team.
"The goal was to fill positional needs. It was also to increase the athleticism and the team speed. Over the last two years, I think we have done that. You've seen evidence of that last year and I think you'll see more evidence of that this year with this recruiting class," said head coach Steve Addazio. "It's exciting here, the first Wednesday of February to get a chance to see the culmination of all the hard work our coaching staff has put into recruiting...The lifeblood of our program exists through recruiting and the development of the student-athletes we already have."
The 2015 signing class is made up players from 10 different states with 14 from the Northeast. Six hail from Massachusetts, three from Connecticut, two from New York, two from New Jersey and one from New Hampshire. Six commits call Florida home, while two are from Ohio. BC has one player each from Virginia, Georgia, Pennsylvania and California.
Along with the 25 freshmen, graduate transfer Evan Kelly joins the Eagles from the University of Richmond. Four freshmen - Nolan Borgersen, Chris Lindstrom, Jimmy Martin and Elijah Robinson - are already on campus, taking classes, working out and will practice in the spring.
The Eagles retooled on both offense and defense, picking up 13 players on both sides of the ball.
"I think we've really increased our athleticism, our team speed, yet it all starts up front in the building of your offensive and defensive lines, and we certainly attacked those positional needs. You're talking about roughly 56 of our 85-man roster is now comprised in the last two recruiting classes, which is an awfully large chunk and a very young football team. They are great building blocks for the future success of the program," Addazio said.
On offense, BC picked up two quarterbacks, a running back, tight end, three wide receivers and Ben Glines, a versatile athlete who Addazio said the Eagles could use as a slot receiver or running back. Five offensive linemen also signed to play at BC, nicked O-Line U for producing a high number of professional linemen.
"I'm excited about last year's and this year's O-line class," Addazio said. "We have eight guys who are going to be a dominant front as the years go by. With a young offensive line, it's very difficult to get them ready to play immediately at a high level. That's certainly one of the tallest orders we have in front of us right now. In the future, we'll be a dominant front."
On defense, the Eagles added four linemen, three linebackers and six defensive backs. Addazio noted that one of the things the coaches looked for was players who could push rush.
"One of the areas that we wanted to address in this class was pass rushing. It was really important for us to get a better four-man rush and not always have to create pressure through five- and six-man pressures. We're really excited about the pass rush right now of Wyatt Ray and Zach Allen. These are two young guys who are big-time pass rushers, so I am really excited about both these guys being on opposite sides and getting after the quarterback. They've got the speed, the size and the athleticism to create havoc in the pass rush. We thought that was critically important in this class."
| Name | Class | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | High School/Last School | Hometown |
| Zach Allen | Fr. | DE | 6-5 | 235 | New Canaan | New Canaan, Conn. |
| Jake Burt | Fr. | TE | 6-5 | 230 | St. John's Prep (Danvers) | Lynnfield, Mass. |
| Lukas Denis | Fr. | DB | 5-11 | 170 | Everett | Everett, Mass. |
| Medhi El Attrach | Fr. | DB | 6-1 | 185 | Lake Nona | Orlando, Fla. |
| Chris Garrison | Fr. | WR | 6-4 | 215 | Lawrence Academy | Goffstown, N.H. |
| Ben Glines | Fr. | ATH | 6-1 | 205 | St. Xavier | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Jordan Gowins | Fr. | RB | 5-11 | 206 | St. Anthony's | Bellport, N.Y. |
| Sharrieff Grice | Fr. | LB | 6-1 | 201 | Kingswood Oxford | Naugatuck, Conn. |
| William Harris | Fr. | DB | 6-1 | 210 | Choate Rosemary Hall | Swanee, Ga. |
| Davon Jones | Fr. | DB | 5-10 | 190 | St. John's (Shrewsbury) | Worcester, Mass. |
| Tanner Karafa | Fr. | LB | 6-3 | 230 | Stone Bridge | Ashburn, Va. |
| Evan Kelly | Gr. | DL | 6-1 | 285 | University of Richmond | Pittsburgh, Pa. |
| Wyatt Knopfe | Fr. | OL | 6-2 | 265 | St. Stephen's Episcopal | Bradenton, Fla. |
| Aaron Monteiro | Fr. | OL | 6-6 | 308 | Brockton | Brockton, Mass. |
| Anthony Palazzolo | Fr. | OL | 6-5 | 330 | Fairfield College Prep | Fairfield, Conn. |
| Chase Pankey | Fr. | WR | 6-1 | 179 | Archbishop Moeller | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| John Phillips | Fr. | OL | 6-6 | 285 | Christian Brothers Academy | Phoenix, N.Y. |
| Wyatt Ray | Fr. | DE | 6-3 | 230 | St. Thomas Aquinas | Boca Raton, Fla. |
| Jeff Smith | Fr. | QB | 6-0 | 162 | Central Catholic | Sminole, Fla. |
| Ray Smith | Fr. | DT | 6-1 | 264 | Cathedral Catholic | Carlsbad, Calif. |
| Taj-Amir Torres | Fr. | DB | 5-10 | 170 | Amherst-Pelham Regional | Amherst, Mass. |
| Michael Walker | Fr. | DB | 5-11 | 180 | Naples | Naples, Fla. |
| * - midyear enrollees |
Zach Allen, Defensive End, 6-5, 235, New Canaan/New Canaan HS
Named the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Connecticut, becoming the first player from New Canaan High School to receive the honor ... a three-year starter for the Rams, winning two state titles in 2013 and 2014 ... named a captain as a senior ... set the school record for career sacks with 33, the single-season record with 13.5 in 2014 and the single-game record with four on Thanksgiving day in 2014 ... named New Haven Register's MVP and earned first-team all-state honors as a senior, racking up 103 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, two interceptions, seven forced fumbles and one fumble recovery ... also scored three touchdowns as a tight end ... earned All-FCIAC and First-Team MSG All-Metro honors in 2014 ... named a three-star recruit by rivals.com ... received offers from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Northwestern, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse and Virginia.
Jake Burt, Tight End, 6-5, 230, St. John's Prep (Danvers)/Lynnfield, Mass.
Recorded 28 catches for 255 yards and scored seven touchdowns as a senior ... earned ESPN Boston All-State honors, along with being named to the Boston Herald's "Dandy Dozen," Salem News' All-Star Team and the Massachusetts Football Coaches Association's "Super 26" Team ... named a three-star recruit by rivals.com ... also ranked the ninth-best player in Massachusetts by ESPN and the fifth-best player by rivals.com ... received offers from Virginia, Old Dominion and Harvard.
Lukas Denis, Defensive Back, 5-11, 170, Everett HS/Everett, Mass.
Named ESPN Boston's 2014 Defensive Player of the Year and Massachusetts Prep Stars Defensive Player of the Year ... also earned ESPN Boston's All-State honors and was named to the Massachusetts Football Coaches Association's "Super 26" Team and the Boston Herald's "Dandy Dozen"... garnered Boston Herald All-Scholastic honors as a senior ... recorded 52 tackles, two forced fumbles, eight interceptions, including three returned for touchdowns, and 13 pass breakups in 2014 ... also scored 17 touchdowns on offense ... tallied 32 tackles and one interceptions as a junior ... ranked as the fourth-best player in Massachusetts by ESPN ... named a two-star recruit by rivals.com ... received an offer from Massachusetts.
Mehdi El Attrach, Defensive Back, 6-1, 185, Lake Nona HS/Orlando, Fla.
Earned Second-Team Class 7A All-State honors as a senior ... also named to the All-Central Florida Team ... recorded 47 tackles, including 30 solo stops, six interceptions, 11 pass breakups and one forced fumble in 2014 ... tallied 37 tackles, including 11 sacks, five interceptions and two forced fumbles as a junior ... named the 2013 MaxPreps.com Defensive Player of the Year ... named a three-star recruit by rivals.com ... received offers from Bowling Green, Duke, Eastern Carolina, FIU, Louisville, Massachusetts, Memphis, Northwestern, Rutgers, Southern Miss, Syracuse, Wake Forest, Western Kentucky and Western Michigan.
Chris Garrison, Wide Receiver, 6-4, 215, Lawrence Academy/Goffstown, N.H.
Three-time First-Team Independent School League (ISL) honoree ... earned ISL MVP accolades as a senior ... the Spartans shared the 2014 ISL Championship title ... earned Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Scholastic honors in senior season ... in 2014, tallied 402 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 33 receptions and 75 yards on nine rushes ... also recorded 14 kickoff returns for 355 yards and one touchdown ... in 2013, registered 571 yards and five touchdowns on 46 receptions and 83 rushing yards on 13 attempts ... also returned four punts for 48 yards, including one touchdown and 11 kickoff returns for 301 yards and two TDs ... named a three-star recruit by rivals.com ... ranked the seventh-best player in Massachusetts by ESPN and the second-best player in the state by rivals.com ... received offers from Connecticut, Duke, Maryland, Massachusetts and Syracuse.
Ben Glines, Athlete, 6-1, 205, St. Xavier/Cincinnati, Ohio
Rushed for 1,224 yards and 14 touchdowns and added 274 receiving yards and two touchdowns as a senior ... earned All-Ohio Division I honorable mention, Greater Catholic League First-Team and First-Team Division 1 All-District accolades in 2014 ... also a member of the US Under-19 National Team ... tallied 1,011 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior ... named a three-star recruit by rivals.com ... received offers from Akron, Toldeo and Western Michigan.
Jordan Gowins, Running Back, 5-11, 206, St. Anthony's/Bellport, N.Y.
Rushed for over 2,000 yards as a junior, adding 117 receiving yards and scoring 24 touchdowns ... rushing for 896 yards and 11 touchdowns on 101 carries and added 126 receiving yards and three touchdown receptions in six games as a senior ... earned first-team all-state honors, Daily News' CHSFL/Private League Player of the Year and the Hansen Award for the top player in Suffolk County in 2013 ... named a two-star recruit by rivals.com ... ranked the eighth-best player in New York by 24/7 Sports ... received offers by Stony Brook and Toledo.
Sharrieff Grice, Linebacker, 6-1, 201, Kingswood Oxford HS/Naugatuck, Conn.
A three-time New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) All-New England Team honoree ... also earned All-Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) First-Team accolades twice ... helped lead the Wyvems to their first-ever NEPSAC Bowl game ... recorded 53 tackles, including 12 for loss and five sacks, and two interceptions as a senior ... named a two-star recruit by rivals.com ... received offers from Albany, Rutgers and Massachusetts.
William Harris, Defensive Back, 6-1, 210, Choate Rosemary Hall/Suwanee, Ga.
Named the 2014 NEPSAC Class A Player of the Year ... also earned NEPSAC Class A Division All-Star honors ... recorded 72 tackles, 20 pass breakups and three interceptions as a senior ... also tallied 650 receiving yards and six touchdowns on offense ... helped lead the Wild Boars to the 2014 NEPSAC Bowl Championship title ... named a three-star recruit by rivals.com ... also ranked the seventh-best player in Connecticut by rivals.com ... received offers from Connecticut, Old Dominion and Syracuse.
Davon Jones, Defensive Back, 5-10, 190, St. John's (Shrewsbury)/Worcester, Mass.
A four-year starter for St. John's High School in Shrewsbury ... earned ESPN Boston All-State honors and Worcester Telegram & Gazette All-Star honorable mention as a junior ... racked up 45 tackles, one fumble recovery and four interceptions in senior season ... also recorded 60 yards on eight carries and 592 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 29 catches on offense ... made 125 tackles, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, eight interceptions and five pass breakups as a junior ... named a two-star recruit by rivals.com ... ranked the third-best player in Massachusetts by ESPN ... cousin Michael Cox is a running back for the New York Giants ... received an offer from Coastal Carolina.
Tanner Karafa, Linebacker, 6-3, 230, Stone Bridge HS/Ashburn, Va.
Named the 2014 Virginia High School League (VHSL) Regional and Conference Defensive Player of the Year ... also earned First-Team NHSL Group 5A All-State, First-Team North Region, First-Team NHSL All-Conference and Washington Post's First-Team All-Met honors as a senior ... tallied 103 tackles, including 30 for loss and five sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions ... named a three-star recruit by rivals.com ... received offers from Harvard, Kentucky, Old Dominion, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Virginia Tech.
Evan Kelly, Defensive Lineman, 6-1, 285, University of Richmond/Pittsburgh, Pa.
Graduate transfer from Richmond ... three-year starter for the Spiders ... registered 162 career tackles in 42 games, including 23 for loss and 17 sacks ... also recorded three career forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries at Richmond ... earned First-Team All-Colonial Athletic Conference in 2014 ... recorded 51 tackles, including six for loss and six sacks, two forced fumbles two fumble recoveries ... named to the All-CAA Second Team in 2013 and 2012 ... recorded a career-high 12 tackles against No. 4 Old Dominion in 2012 ... a standout two-way player at Seton LaSalle Catholic in Pittsburgh ... named all-conference as a junior and senior on both sides of the ball.
Wyatt Knopfke, Offensive Lineman, 6-2, 265, St Stephen's Episcopal School/Bradenton, Fla.
Earned Class 2A All-State First-Team accolades as a senior to go along with Class 3A All-State First-Team honors as a junior ... also garnered Sunshine State Athletic Conference (SSAC) First-Team honors in senior season ... named the MVP at the NUC All-South Classic ... named a three-star recruit by rivals.com ... received offers from Kentucky, Miami and USF.
Aaron Monteiro, Offensive Lineman, 6-6, 308, Brockton High School/Brockton, Mass.
Named to the Massachusetts Football Coaches Association "Super 26" Team as a senior ... also earned ESPN Boston All-State honors to go along with Boston Herald's "Dandy Dozen" and Big Three Conference honors ... named to the Boston Globe All-Scholastic Team ... helped the Brockton High offensive rush for an average of 227 yards per game ... named a three-star recruit by rivals.com ... received offers from Connecticut, Iowa and Massachusetts.
Anthony Palazzolo, Offensive Lineman, 6-5, 330, Fairfield College Prep/Fairfield, Conn.
Named to the Connecticut High School Coaches Association All-State First Team as a senior ... also earned USA Today and Walter Coach All-Connecticut Team honors ... named to the All-Southern Connecticut Conference First Team and the MSG Varsity All-Connecticut Second Team ... helped Fairfield College Prep run for 4,196 yards ... named a three-star recruit by rivals.com ... ranked as the third-best player in Connecticut by ESPN and rivals.com ... received offers from Connecticut and Pittsburgh.
Chase Pankey, Wide Receiver, 6-1, 179, Archbishop Moeller/Cincinnati, Ohio.
While injured most of the 2014 season, recorded 551 yards on 30 receptions, scoring nine touchdowns as a junior ... earned Second-Team Greater Catholic League All-Star honors as in 2013 ... part of the Crusaders teams that won two state championships and earned a third title bid, losing in the finals in 2014 ... named a three-star recruit by rivals.com ... received offers by Ball State and Marshall.
John Phillips, Offensive Lineman, 6-6, 285, Christian Brothers Academy/Phoenix, N.Y.
Named to the Class AA All-State First Team as a senior ... a two-time All-Central New York and three-time all-league honoree ... named a two-star recruit by rivals.com ... ranked as the eighth-best player in New York by rivals.com.
Wyatt Ray, Defensive End, 6-3, 230, St. Thomas Aquinas/Boca Raton, Fla.
Member of the St. Thomas Aquinas 2014 state championship team ... earned All-State Class 7A First-Team honors as a senior ... also notched first-team all-county accolades ... recorded 70 tackles, including 20 for loss and 7.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in senior season ... named a three-star recruit by rivals.com ... received offers from Cincinnati, FIU, Indiana, Miami (Ohio), Minnesota, Northern Illinois, Syracuse, Wake Forest and Western Michigan.
Jeff Smith, Quarterback, 6-0, 162, Central Catholic, Seminole, Fla.br> Set the Central Catholic school record for touchdowns by a quarterback with 34, both in 2014 and 2013 ... also set the school record with 397 passing yards in a single game and helped the Marauders racked up a record 507 points in 2014 ... threw for 2,163 yards and rushed for 1,236 more in senior year ... named the Tampa Bay Times All-Pinellas County Offensive Player of the Year ... earned First-Team All-State Class 3A honors ... led the Marauders to the Class 3A state title game as a junior ... recorded 2,194 passing yards and 1,258 rushing yards in 2013 ... named a three-star recruit by rivals.com ... received offers from Akron, Army, Indiana, Iowa State, USF and Wisconsin.
Ray Smith, Defensive Tackle, 6-1, 264, Central Catholic HS/Carlsbad, Calif.
Played on three straight California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state championship teams in 2012, 2013 and 2014 ... led the Raiders in the 2014 title game with 15 tackles, including two sacks ... named to the All-CIF Second Team as a senior ... recorded 42 tackles, including 11.5 for loss and 9.5 sacks, in five games in 2014 ... notched 56 tackles, including 16 for loss and nine sacks, in seven games in 2013 ... ranked as the No. 36 defensive tackle in the nation by rivals.com ... named a three-star recruit by rivals.com ... received offers by Air Force, Harvard, Navy and San Diego State.
Taj-Amir Torres, Defensive Back, 5-10, 170, Amherst-Pelham Regional HS/Amherst, Mass.
Recorded three interceptions as a senior while also racking up 558 receiving yards, five touchdown receptions, 124 rushing yards, four rushing TDs and two scores on special teams ... earned MassLive First-Team All-Western Mass honors in 2014 and 2013 ... also garnered All-Suburban League honors and a spot on the MassLive "Super 24" Team in senior season ... tallied 40 tackles, two interceptions and three forced fumbles as a junior ... also tallied 503 receiving yards, eight touchdowns and 603 return yards ... a two-time Massachusetts state champion in the 100m dash, earning Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year as a track & field athlete as a sophomore ... named a two-star recruit from rivals.com ... received offers from Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Michael Walker, Defensive Back, 5-11, 180, Naples HS/Naples, Fla.
Named the 2014 Naples Daily News Offensive Player of the Year ... racked up 907 rushing yards, 613 passing yards, 133 receiving yards and 31 offensive touchdowns ... also returned five kickoff returns, including two for touchdowns ... in 2013, recorded 25 tackles, one sack, one interception, 527 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns ... named to the 2014 Fort Myers New Press All-Area Team and AP Class 6A All- State Second Team All-State ... named a three-star recruit by rivals.com ... received offers from Arizona, Arkansas State, FIU and UCF.
