Boston College Athletics
Photo by: John Quackenbos
Signing Day Proves The Decision To #DecideToFly
December 20, 2017 | Football, #ForBoston Files
19 future Eagles signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday to attend Boston College.
Throughout its course of history, college football is constantly evolving. Conferences change, and matchups with opponents come and go. The current season can't quite find last year in its rearview mirror, no matter how big of a shadow it might cast. The future seems off in the deep horizon, no matter how bright the spotlight shines for it.
The constant evolution requires a team to remain in perpetual motion, and that's never been more evident than on National Signing Day. Recruiting is now a nationwide database, with evaluations and information accessible at anyone's fingertips. The news cycle is constantly changing, with just as many twists and turns as a regular season. A college football coach never really stops recruiting, even as his program's season marches through its schedule.
At Boston College, recruiting always followed a blueprint designed to fit its needs. The Eagles have always carved out a niche among high character, disciplined football players who are vastly underrated. They're successful high school athletes who project to the next level but in many ways remain raw and in need of refinement. On Wednesday, head coach Steve Addazio followed that blueprint to a T, signing 19 student-athletes during the NCAA's new Early Signing Period.
"I believe that we signed a terrific class," Addazio said. "(It) met all of our needs (and) brought some great future Eagles in here that will represent Boston College. They're good students. They're high character. They respect the mission of Boston College and what we're about, service for others, wanting to excel on the football field (and) in the classroom. I think we've hit on our class as well as meeting the needs of our roster. That's been very, very successful."
In signing BC's class, Addazio adjusted to the ever-changing recruiting landscape. The NCAA introduced an Early Signing Period where student-athletes can sign National Letters of Intent. Beginning Wednesday, recruits will have 72 hours to sign with a program, after which the window closes until February.
That creates a new grind for coaching staffs who may be preparing for bowl games. The accelerated timeline forces teams to hone in on their own needs. Coaches need to identify and evaluate quicker than ever, and it requires a solid plan of attack to ensure they get exactly the players they want for their team's future.
"You've got to be able to understand how to get the players that you need to make your program move forward," Addazio said. "(At BC), you have got to get targeted properly early. That's called identification and then evaluation. You've got to get (recruits) on your campus several times, (and) you've got to get them to camp. If you can't get them to camp, you're going to make too many mistakes because you're projecting on guys. You've got to have a good feel for those fits."
The Boston College approach to recruiting, especially with the accelerated timeline, built on the foundation already established in key areas. Freshman running back A.J. Dillon, for example, is a graduate of Lawrence Academy in Groton, Mass. The head coach at Lawrence is Paul Zukauskas, a former BC legend who started four years on the offensive line. The Eagles recruited three standouts from Lawrence this year, including four-star offensive lineman Finn Dirstine.
"I feel like we've established a strong influence here at BC with guys (from Lawrence Academy) who came before me like Chris Garrison and Eddy Fish," Dillon said. "It's one of those places that's like BC. It has a great academics, and the team is really a part of your family. The coaches feel like your family. It's kind of a smaller school. When (former teammates) tell you great things about the relationships, you tend to follow suit and keep your options open. I just told our (Lawrence) guys to look everywhere they want, then come here so I could tell them everything good and bad about BC. I feel like they made the right decision."
"You can't walk into New Jersey and recruit in New Jersey; it doesn't work out that way," Addazio said. "You've got to have longstanding credibility and contacts. That goes for all of New England (as well). You have to have a good plan here (in the Northeast) and (have) the ability to hit the Catholic schools nationally because there are good tie-in fits in there."
That approach manifests itself within the needs and wants of a program on the rise. Recruiting requires foresight and vision for the benefit of the team. The coaching staff identifies players who can be impact players right away, but it also needs to project measureables for the future once the current players are no longer on the BC roster.
"You can't chase people that don't fit or you don't have a great shot at," Addazio said. "You have to identify and recruit properly at the quarterback position (especially). When I got here, we had one established quarterback. That's where it ended. That was a process and a half because the first year, it was a mad dash. We've got a couple of really good, talented, young quarterbacks that are currently on our team with a couple of really talented guys coming in. That position will be good for a long time. That's important. The plan (overall) is important."
All of this comes within the framework of new rules. The NCAA changed the recruiting landscape by introducing the Early Signing Period. It accelerated the whole process, forcing teams to be more accurate in a shorter window.
"You better be early and accurate," Addazio said of the new rules package. "Early is fine, but if you're inaccurate and early, that'll bury you. We used to have that at BC anyways because I think that was critical here. But now with the rule change, everybody's got to be that way. It stresses some people because they want to take their time. In order to make decisions fast, you have to know exactly what you're doing because you can't afford to make a bunch of mistakes now. I can be on the road in January. The head coaches used to be on the road in May. So now January becomes the old-school May. So everything is going to accelerate now. Then you're talking about official visits in May."
Recruiting never really ends. Wednesday brought joy and satisfaction to the Boston College coaching staff responsible for bringing in the next generation of college football stars. The Eagles succeeded in creating a class committed in its loyalty to the program, which in turn will foster loyalty to one another. But the road is still winding to the Class of 2019, with this year providing additional teaching tools into the distant future that is fast approaching.
"We're majorly into the '19s," Addazio said. "It has totally changed strategies. You better be organized, you better be fast moving and you better make good decisions. Like everything else, it'll get evaluated. The landscape has completely changed. It's a whole different deal right now and very likely can lead to mistakes and bad fits if you don't do your homework properly and you're not on top of everything properly."
The constant evolution requires a team to remain in perpetual motion, and that's never been more evident than on National Signing Day. Recruiting is now a nationwide database, with evaluations and information accessible at anyone's fingertips. The news cycle is constantly changing, with just as many twists and turns as a regular season. A college football coach never really stops recruiting, even as his program's season marches through its schedule.
At Boston College, recruiting always followed a blueprint designed to fit its needs. The Eagles have always carved out a niche among high character, disciplined football players who are vastly underrated. They're successful high school athletes who project to the next level but in many ways remain raw and in need of refinement. On Wednesday, head coach Steve Addazio followed that blueprint to a T, signing 19 student-athletes during the NCAA's new Early Signing Period.
"I believe that we signed a terrific class," Addazio said. "(It) met all of our needs (and) brought some great future Eagles in here that will represent Boston College. They're good students. They're high character. They respect the mission of Boston College and what we're about, service for others, wanting to excel on the football field (and) in the classroom. I think we've hit on our class as well as meeting the needs of our roster. That's been very, very successful."
In signing BC's class, Addazio adjusted to the ever-changing recruiting landscape. The NCAA introduced an Early Signing Period where student-athletes can sign National Letters of Intent. Beginning Wednesday, recruits will have 72 hours to sign with a program, after which the window closes until February.
That creates a new grind for coaching staffs who may be preparing for bowl games. The accelerated timeline forces teams to hone in on their own needs. Coaches need to identify and evaluate quicker than ever, and it requires a solid plan of attack to ensure they get exactly the players they want for their team's future.
"You've got to be able to understand how to get the players that you need to make your program move forward," Addazio said. "(At BC), you have got to get targeted properly early. That's called identification and then evaluation. You've got to get (recruits) on your campus several times, (and) you've got to get them to camp. If you can't get them to camp, you're going to make too many mistakes because you're projecting on guys. You've got to have a good feel for those fits."
The Boston College approach to recruiting, especially with the accelerated timeline, built on the foundation already established in key areas. Freshman running back A.J. Dillon, for example, is a graduate of Lawrence Academy in Groton, Mass. The head coach at Lawrence is Paul Zukauskas, a former BC legend who started four years on the offensive line. The Eagles recruited three standouts from Lawrence this year, including four-star offensive lineman Finn Dirstine.
"I feel like we've established a strong influence here at BC with guys (from Lawrence Academy) who came before me like Chris Garrison and Eddy Fish," Dillon said. "It's one of those places that's like BC. It has a great academics, and the team is really a part of your family. The coaches feel like your family. It's kind of a smaller school. When (former teammates) tell you great things about the relationships, you tend to follow suit and keep your options open. I just told our (Lawrence) guys to look everywhere they want, then come here so I could tell them everything good and bad about BC. I feel like they made the right decision."
"You can't walk into New Jersey and recruit in New Jersey; it doesn't work out that way," Addazio said. "You've got to have longstanding credibility and contacts. That goes for all of New England (as well). You have to have a good plan here (in the Northeast) and (have) the ability to hit the Catholic schools nationally because there are good tie-in fits in there."
That approach manifests itself within the needs and wants of a program on the rise. Recruiting requires foresight and vision for the benefit of the team. The coaching staff identifies players who can be impact players right away, but it also needs to project measureables for the future once the current players are no longer on the BC roster.
"You can't chase people that don't fit or you don't have a great shot at," Addazio said. "You have to identify and recruit properly at the quarterback position (especially). When I got here, we had one established quarterback. That's where it ended. That was a process and a half because the first year, it was a mad dash. We've got a couple of really good, talented, young quarterbacks that are currently on our team with a couple of really talented guys coming in. That position will be good for a long time. That's important. The plan (overall) is important."
All of this comes within the framework of new rules. The NCAA changed the recruiting landscape by introducing the Early Signing Period. It accelerated the whole process, forcing teams to be more accurate in a shorter window.
"You better be early and accurate," Addazio said of the new rules package. "Early is fine, but if you're inaccurate and early, that'll bury you. We used to have that at BC anyways because I think that was critical here. But now with the rule change, everybody's got to be that way. It stresses some people because they want to take their time. In order to make decisions fast, you have to know exactly what you're doing because you can't afford to make a bunch of mistakes now. I can be on the road in January. The head coaches used to be on the road in May. So now January becomes the old-school May. So everything is going to accelerate now. Then you're talking about official visits in May."
Recruiting never really ends. Wednesday brought joy and satisfaction to the Boston College coaching staff responsible for bringing in the next generation of college football stars. The Eagles succeeded in creating a class committed in its loyalty to the program, which in turn will foster loyalty to one another. But the road is still winding to the Class of 2019, with this year providing additional teaching tools into the distant future that is fast approaching.
"We're majorly into the '19s," Addazio said. "It has totally changed strategies. You better be organized, you better be fast moving and you better make good decisions. Like everything else, it'll get evaluated. The landscape has completely changed. It's a whole different deal right now and very likely can lead to mistakes and bad fits if you don't do your homework properly and you're not on top of everything properly."
Players Mentioned
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