Hafley Announces 2021 BC Football Recruiting Class

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Boston College football head coach Jeff Hafley announced the addition of 25 student-athletes who signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday.

The 2021 recruiting class for the Eagles is currently ranked 39^th by 247 Sports, 38^th by ESPN and 34^th by Rivals.

The ranking by ESPN is the best in school history for Boston College since their rankings began in 2006. It's BC's best showing in the 247 rankings since 2011 and the Eagles' highest Rivals ranking since finishing 33^rd in 2008.

The recruiting class covers 10 states, the District of Columbia and has an international flavor with one signee from Serbia.

2021 Boston College Football Recruiting Class

Name	Position	Ht./Wt.	Hometown/High School
Shawn Asbury II	DB	5-11/185	Stafford, Va./North Stafford
Cole Batson	S	6-4/197	San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente
Jaylen Blackwell	S	6-2/195	McDonough, Ga./Union Grove
Lewis Bond	WR/RB	5-11/185	Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy
CJ Burton	DB	6-0/170	Richmond, Va./St. Frances Academy (Md.)
Jalen Cheek	DB	6-2/190	Sicklerville, N.J./Winslow Township
Tyeus Clemons	DL	6-3/250	Decatur, Ala./Sparkman
Xavier Coleman	RB	5-10/190	Willingboro, N.J./Lenape
Donovan Ezeiruaku	DE	6-3/210	Williamstown, N.J./Williamstown
Shawn Gates	DB	6-0/185	Akron, Ohio/Firestone
Otto Hess	OL	6-7/300	Oswego, Ill./Oswego
Quintayvious Hutchinns	DE	6-5/250	Bessemer, Ala./Bessemer City
Jamareeh Jones	ATH	6-0/205	Richmond, Va./Highland Springs
Ilija Krajnovic	OL	6-8/325	Zrenjanin, Serbia/IMG Academy (Fla.)
Connor Lytton	K/P	6-2/200	Christiansburg, Va./Radford
Owen McGowan	LB	6-1/225	Canton, Mass./Catholic Memorial
Emmett Morehead	QB	6-6/227	Woodside, Calif./Episcopal (Va.)
Neto Okpala	DE/OLB	6-2/235	Loganville, Ga./Loganville
Casey Phinney	LB	6-1/230	Marshfield, Mass./Noble and Greenough School
Danté Reynolds	WR	5-11/190	Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy
Bryce Steele	S	6-2/213	Raleigh, N.C./Millbrook (Va.)
Owen Stoudmire	DT	6-2/315	Creston, Ohio/Norwayne
Nigel Tate	DT	6-4/310	Washington, D.C./Bullis School
Jaden Williams	WR	5-11/180	Pflugerville, Texas/Hendrickson
Jalon Williams	DB	5-11/185	Grand Prairie, Texas/South Grand Prairie

Recruiting Class by Location:
Alabama (2)
California (2)
District of Columbia (1)
Georgia (2)
Illinois (3)
Massachusetts (2)
New Jersey (3)
North Carolina (1)
Ohio (2)
Serbia (1)
Texas (2)
Virginia (4)

Recruiting Class by Position:
Defensive Back (5)
Safety (3)
Wide Receiver (2)
Defensive End (2)
Defensive Tackle (2)
Linebacker (2)
Offensive Line (2)
Athlete (1)
Defensive End/Outside Linebacker (1)
Defensive Line (1)
Kicker/Punter (1)
Quarterback (1)
Running Back (1)
Wide Receiver/Running Back (1)

Shawn Asbury II
Defensive Back • 5-11 • 180
Stafford, Va. • North Stafford

Rated a three-star recruit by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals … ranked by 247 as the No. 38 recruit in Virginia and No. 110 cornerback in the country … second-best cornerback in Virginia according to ESPN and the No. 3 cornerback in the state according to 247 … No. 32 prospect in Virginia and the nation's No. 115 cornerback recruit according to ESPN … earned all-state, all-region and all-district honors as a junior and senior in 2019 and 2020 … helped North Stafford to back-to-back regional championships in 2019 and 2020 … played three years of basketball with two district titles … member of the National Honor Society.

Defensive Backs Coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim on Asbury:
"Shawn is a dynamic athlete with a blend of quicks and speed. Quick eyes and reactionary skills make him a threat anytime the ball is thrown. Extremely versatile athlete for the program."

Cole Batson
Safety • 6-4 • 195
San Clemente, Calif. • San Clemente

A three-star prospect by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals … rated as the No. 87, 91 and 97 player in the state of California by ESPN, Rivals and 247 Sports, respectively … graded as the No. 83 athlete in the nation by 247 Sports and No. 95 by ESPN … two-time all-league selection … earned All-CIF and all-county recognition in 2019 … also plays basketball at San Clemente … father Brian Batson and uncle Tyler Batson played football at Stanford.

Linebackers Coach Sean Duggan on Batson:
"Cole has great size and speed with the ability to sink his hips and bend. He is a high IQ player who plays with a chip on his shoulder."

Jaylen Blackwell
Safety • 6-2 • 195
McDonough, Ga. • Union Grove

Three-star prospect according to ESPN … rated the No. 132 safety in the country and Georgia's No. 170 prospect by ESPN … earned All-Region 4-AAAAA and All-Henry County honors as a junior … played running back and safety to help lead Union Grove to the Georgia state playoffs … also a track standout for Union Grove … entered his senior season with 1,048 career rushing yards and 15 touchdowns along with 62 tackles and five tackles for loss and an interception.

Linebackers Coach Sean Duggan on Blackwell:
"Jaylen is a rangy defender who possesses great lateral quickness and speed. He has the ability to line up in multiple spots for us on defense."

Lewis Bond
Wide Receiver/Running Back • 5-11 • 190
Chicago, Ill. • Kenwood Academy

Ranked as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals … rated as the No. 20 player in Illinois by 247 Sports and the state's top-ranked all-purpose back … ranked 29th in Illinois and the state's fourth-best running back according to ESPN … the No. 29 player by Rivals and the state's No. 4 wide receiver prospect … identified as the No. 10 all-purpose back in the country by 247 Sports … surpassed 1,000 all-purpose yards in 2019; averaging over 10 yards per carry and 13 yards per reception ... teammate of fellow commit Danté Reynolds at Kenwood Academy.

Wide Receivers Coach Joe Dailey on Bond:
"Lew is a young man who has a number of unique skills sets. A true athlete, he can line up at a number of positions and play at a high level. He has great speed, quickness, strength and ball skills. Another competitor who loves the game."

CJ Burton
Defensive Back • 6-0 • 170
Richmond, Va. • St. Frances Academy (Md.)

Four-star prospect by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals … rated as the No. 74 recruit in the ESPN 300 … graded as the No. 3 cornerback in the country by ESPN, No. 22 by 247 Sports and No. 27 by Rivals … ranked as the No. 2 player in Maryland by ESPN, No. 10 by 247 Sports and No. 11 by Rivals … Maryland's No. 1 cornerback recruit according to 247, ESPN and Rivals … led St. Frances to an undefeated season as a junior … had a key forced fumble that was returned for a touchdown as St. Frances defeated Lee County (Ga.) in the State Champions Bowl Series 43-14 his junior season …  also runs track at St. Frances Academy.

Defensive Backs Coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim on Burton:
"CJ is a bulldog, an aggressive in your face DB. He is a quick-footed athlete with twitched up movement skills and body control. Competitor playing the football, and on and off the field."

Jalen Cheek
Defensive Back • 6-2 • 190
Sicklerville, N.J. • Winslow Township

Rated a three-star prospect by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals … ranked the No. 8 player in the state of New Jersey by ESPN, No. 10 by Rivals and No. 12 by 247 Sports … identified as the No. 43 corner in the country by ESPN, No. 50 by Rivals and No. 60 by 247 Sports … two-time team captain at Winslow Township as a two-way player … earned all-conference as a junior in 2019 … surpassed 40 tackles each of the last two seasons with three total interceptions … Philadelphia Inquirer All-South Jersey honorable mention honors as a junior … played 7on7 for NLG; winning a 2019 national championship.

Defensive Backs Coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim on Cheek:
"Jalen is efficient, smart, and tough. Has a knack for the football. Always in position and has extremely quick feet in transition and change of direction."

Tyeus Clemons
Defensive Lineman • 6-3 • 250
Decatur, Ala. • Harvest

A three-star recruit by 247 Sports and ESPN … graded as the No. 45 player in the state of Alabama by 247 Sports, No. 51 by Rivals and No. 53 by ESPN … rated the No. 67 weakside defensive end in the country by 247 Sports and the No. 81 defensive tackle in the country by ESPN … produced 84 tackles as a senior in 2020 with nine sacks, 20.5 tackles for loss and three pass breakups.

Defensive Line Coach Vince Oghobaase on Clemons:
"Tyeus is a very talented player born with the tools and skillset to stuff the run, rush the quarterback, and be that eraser upfront for our defense."

Xavier Coleman
Running Back • 5-10 • 190
Willingboro, N.J. • Lenape

Ranked as a three-star prospect by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals … New Jersey's second-rated running back recruit according to 247 … rated as the No. 12 player in New Jersey by Rivals, No. 17 by 247 Sports and No. 20 by ESPN … listed as the No. 47 running back in the country by 247 Sports and the No. 14 all-purpose back by Rivals … nine touchdowns on the season, including six on the ground and three receiving … first team all-state in 2020, second team all-state in 2019 … named the 2019 Burlington County Player of the Year … Lenape's all-time touchdown leader … part of 2017 state title team.

Running Backs Coach Rich Gunnell on Coleman:
"Fast, twitchy, tough kid with good ball skills and return ability."

Donovan Ezeiruaku
Defensive End • 6-3 • 210
Williamstown, N.J. • Williamstown

Three-star recruit by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals… graded as the No. 16 player in New Jersey by Rivals, No. 26 by ESPN and No. 34 by 247 Sports… captained Williamstown and provided 47 tackles and two sacks in 2020 … helped guide one of South Jersey's top defenses in 2020 with nine tackles for loss and 11 quarterback hurries … led his team to a 7-2 record as a senior and a huge 6-0 victory over St. Augustine in the West Jersey Football League Bracket C final … tallied more than 50 tackles with 7.5 sacks in 2019… played 7on7 for NLG.

Defensive Line Coach Vince Oghobaase on Ezeiruaku:
"Smart, quick, and savvy player that loves ball, is a game changer, and a natural born leader."

Shawn Gates
Defensive Back • 6-0 • 185
Akron, Ohio • Firestone

Rated a three-star recruit by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals … rated the No. 28 player in Ohio and the nation's No. 66 cornerback recruit by 247 … Ohio's second-ranked cornerback recruit according to 247 and ESPN … listed as the No. 29 player in Ohio and the nation's No. 72 cornerback by ESPN … played cornerback and wide receiver and returned kickoffs for East in 2019 to help the Dragons (7-3, 5-0) win the City Series championship … six interceptions, broke up 14 passes and had four touchdown receptions in 2019 … competed in three sports at Firestone for two years, helping the Falcons win City Series titles in track and field and baseball as a sophomore … his hitting and defense in the outfield helped Firestone finish as a Division I district runner-up in 2019.

Defensive Backs Coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim on Gates:
"Shawn is tough, he's a guy who never shies away from contact. When he runs, he runs with urgency to the point of attack defending the run and pass. He is a naturally aggressive athlete, with great field awareness, twitchy with nasty acceleration."

Otto Hess
Offensive Lineman • 6-7 • 300
Oswego, Ill. • Oswego

Rated a three-star recruit by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals … ranked as the No. 25 player in Illinois by ESPN and No. 27 by 247 Sports and Rivals … graded as the No. 86 offensive tackle in the country by 247 Sports and No. 92 by ESPN … two-time all-area selection … also threw shot put for the Oswego track & field team.

Offensive Line Coach Matt Applebaum on Hess:
"Otto is a long, athletic lineman that has been well coached. He has a high football IQ, good technique and will be able to adapt to college football smoothly."

Quintayvious Hutchins
Defensive End • 6-5 • 250
Bessemer, Ala. • Bessemer City

A three-star prospect by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals … rated as the No. 41 player in the state of Alabama by 247 Sports, No. 46 by Rivals and No. 81 by ESPN … graded as the No. 64 weakside defensive end in the country by 247 Sports.

Defensive Line Coach Vince Oghobaase on Hutchins:
"Q is a versatile edge rusher with the hips, hands, and feet to become one of the best defensive ends in the ACC."

Jamareeh Jones
Athlete • 6-0 • 205
Richmond, Va. • Highland Springs

Ranked as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals … the No. 22 player in the Commonwealth of Virginia by 247 Sports, No. 22 by ESPN and No. 23 by Rivals … graded as the No. 52 athlete in the country by 247 Sports and No. 68 by ESPN … played quarterback, wide receiver and safety for Highland Springs … served as team captain and helped team to a 2018 5A state championship … also a member of the track & field team.

Defensive Backs Coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim on Jones:
"Long, rangy and springy athlete that plucks the ball from the air. A seamless mover, fluid but aggressive. Instinctive and natural athlete that could shine on both offense and defense."

Ilija Krajnovic
Offensive Line • 6-8 • 325
Zrenjanin, Serbia • IMG Academy

A three-star prospect according to 247 Sports and ESPN … originally from Serbia but played high school football at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. … listed as the No. 112 offensive tackle in the nation and Florida's No. 186 recruit according to 247 Sports … rated No. 110 at his position and No. 180 in the Sunshine State by ESPN … versatile athlete who participated in volleyball, basketball, soccer, water polo and mixed martial arts in Serbia … was a middle blocker on Serbia's U19 volleyball team.

Offensive Line Coach Matt Applebaum on Krajnovic:
"Ili is a huge man with untapped athletic ability. He has improved his football skills quickly since coming to the U.S. and plays with an aggressive attitude."

Connor Lytton
Kicker/Punter • 6-2 • 200
Christiansburg, Va. • Radford

Three-star prospect by ESPN and Rivals … ranked as the No. 5 kicker in the country by 247 Sports and No. 26 by ESPN … earned all-district and all-region honors at kicker in 2017, 2018 and 2019 ... three-time captain at Radford … converted eight field goals in 2019 with a long of 48 yards … spent three seasons (2016-2018) playing for Team USA Football.

Special Teams Coordinator Matt Thurin on Lytton:
"Connor is a tremendously talented kicker with excellent form and incredible work ethic."

Owen McGowan
Linebacker • 6-1 • 225
Canton, Mass. • Catholic Memorial

Rated a three-star prospect by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals … ranked as the No. 4 player in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by ESPN and Rivals and the No. 6 player by 247 Sports … graded as the No. 20 inside linebacker in the country by ESPN and No. 32 by 247 Sports … surpassed 100 tackles in 2018 and 2019 … totaled eight career sacks, seven forced fumbles and 11 touchdowns as a running back or wide receiver … 2019 Catholic Conference MVP as a junior … earned Boston Globe and Mass Varsity player of the year honors … first team all-state selection in 2018 … also played basketball at Catholic Memorial … member of the National Honor Society … brother Jack McGowan plays football at Harvard … father Brian McGowan played football at Central Connecticut State … mother played field hockey at Northeastern and served 14 seasons as head coach at Bentley; winning a 2001 national championship.

Linebackers Coach Sean Duggan on McGowan:
"Owen is aggressive and strong player at the point of attack. Good tackler who plays the game at 100 mph."

Emmett Morehead
Quarterback • 6-6 • 227
Woodside, Calif. • Episcopal (Va.)

A three-star recruit by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals … rated as the No. 28 player in Virginia by Rivals, No. 40 by ESPN and No. 52 by 247 Sports … graded as the No. 56 pro-style quarterback in the country by 247 Sports and No. 62 pocket-passer in the country by ESPN … also played three seasons of varsity baseball and one varsity basketball.

Offensive Coordinator Frank Cignetti on Morehead:
"Emmett has tremendous upside. He has the mental and physical characteristics that were looking for to succeed in our offense."

Neto Okpala
Defensive End • 6-2 • 235
Loganville, Ga. • Loganville

Ranked as a three-star prospect by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals … identified as the No. 85 ranked player in Georgia and the No. 58 weakside defensive end in the nation by 247 Sports … 2020 all-state selection … two-time all-region pick in 2019 and 2020 … set school record with 17 tackles in a game … totaled 88 tackles, 13 sacks, five fumble recoveries, three pass breakups and a touchdown as a senior in 2020 … ran the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay on the track & field team.

Defensive Line Coach Vince Oghobaase on Okpala:
"Tough, physical and relentless player that is going to wreak havoc in the ACC."

Casey Phinney
Linebacker • 6-1 • 230
Marshfield, Mass. • Noble and Greenough

Three-star recruit by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals … No. 2 inside linebacker prospect in Massachusetts according to 247, ESPN and Rivals … rated as the No. 6 player in Massachusetts by Rivals, No. 7 by 247 Sports and No. 13 by ESPN … graded as the No. 39 inside linebacker in the country by 247 Sports and No. 48 by ESPN … led the Bulldogs with over 100 tackles as a junior … totaled 101 tackles at middle linebacker while also piling up 1,525 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns for the Bulldogs as a sophomore … two-time team MVP in 2018 and 2019 … earned All-ISL and All-New England honors … played guard for the basketball team.

Linebackers Coach Sean Duggan on Phinney:
"Casey is a hard-nosed, tough player who is going to give you everything he has."

Danté Reynolds
Wide Receiver • 5-11 • 190
Chicago, Ill. • Kenwood Academy

Rated a three-star recruit by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals … ranked as the No. 23 player in the state of Illinois by ESPN and No. 46 by 247 Sports … rated the fourth-best wide receiver in Illinois according to ESPN … 2019 first team all-conference selection … teammate of fellow commit Lewis Bond at Kenwood Academy.

Running Backs Coach Rich Gunnell on Reynolds:
"Strong physical kid, with good speed. He is a good route runner with great ball skills."

Bryce Steele
Safety • 6-2 • 213
Raleigh, N.C. • Millbrook

A four-star prospect by 247 Sports and ESPN as well as a three-star recruit by Rivals … rated as the No. 11 player in the state of North Carolina by Rivals, No. 21 by 247 Sports and No. 28 by ESPN … graded as the No. 18 safety in the country by 247 Sports and No. 24 by ESPN as well as the No. 34 outside linebacker in the country by Rivals …  didn't get to play as a senior because the seasons were cancelled, first in Virginia where he was going to school, and then in North Carolina when he returned home to Raleigh.

Linebackers Coach Sean Duggan on Steele:
"Bryce is a twitched up defender with great size and speed. His toughness and competitiveness are exactly what you want."

Owen Stoudmire
Defensive Tackle • 6-2 • 315
Creston, Ohio • Norwayne

Rated a three-star recruit by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals … No. 2 defensive tackle recruit in the state of Ohio according to 247 … Ohio's No. 33 overall player and the No. 48 defensive tackle prospect in the country by 247 … played both left tackle and defensive tackle in high school … standout wrestler as well … two-time captain who led Norwayne to a pair of WCAL championships … second-team All-Ohio as a junior and senior … all-district and all-league performer.

Defensive Line Coach Vince Oghobaase on Stoudmire:
"Monstrous size, immovable force, and huge blockade of a player that demands double and triple teams."

Nigel Tate
Defensive Tackle • 6-4 • 315
Washington, D.C. • Bullis School

Ranked as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals … identified as the No. 24 player in the state of Maryland by Rivals, No. 25 by 247 Sports and No. 32 by ESPN … graded as the No. 57 defensive tackle in the country by 247 Sports and No. 68 by ESPN … all-conference selection at defensive tackle … totaled 75 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in 2019 … also played basketball.

Defensive Line Coach Vince Oghobaase on Tate:
"Big, athletic, and disruptive player that will be the lock and anchor for our BC defense."

Jaden Williams
Wide Receiver • 5-11 • 180
Pflugerville, Texas • Hendrickson

Three-star wide receiver according to 247 Sports and ESPN … rated the No. 215 wide receiver nationally and the No. 240 prospect in Texas by 247 … standout point guard on the basketball court … two-way standout in high school playing both wide receiver and defensive back … in regular season finale, scored two rushing touchdowns and posted 151 yards of offense on just five touches to lead his team to the No. 3 seed in the district …  hauled in 40 catches for 955 yards and 10 touchdowns in football during his junior season … helped Hendrickson's basketball team to a 24-win season and a spot in the second round of the state playoffs while averaging nearly 17 points and more than five assists as a junior.

Wide Receivers Coach Joe Dailey on Williams:
"Jaden is a pure athlete who can a play a number of skill positions. He has great size, speed and quickness. Jaden is a relentless competitor who is extremely dynamic with the ball in his hands."

Jalon Williams
Defensive Back • 5-10 • 180
Grand Prairie, Texas • South Grand Prairie

Three-star prospect by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals … graded as the No. 36 cornerback in the country by ESPN and No. 39 by 247 Sports … rated as the No. 65 player in the state of Texas by 247 Sports and No. 92 by ESPN … 2019 all-district pick … also ran track and was a part of school record-setting 4x100m team (40.98).

Defensive Backs Coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim on Williams:
"Jalon has tremendous speed. Texas speed. He's extremely nimble, agile and fast. Jalon is quick to play the perimeter game and fast to eliminate the deep ball."

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Hafley Announces 2021 BC Football Recruiting Class

2021 Boston College Football Recruiting Class

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