Boston College Athletics
Photo by: Billie Weiss
Small Class, Big Impact: Inside BC's National Signing Day Recruits
February 10, 2020 | Football, #ForBoston Files
Jeff Hafley "didn't want to rush" with getting the right players to the available spots
Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley always knew he faced a shortened timeline for his first recruiting trips. His arrival in Chestnut Hill occurred right after Ohio State's game against Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl, well after the early signing period tied the bow on a dozen recruits already committed to coming to his football program.
It gave him limited hours to hammer a number of objectives. He needed to solidify the older recruits, all while answering questions about who exactly would be his assistant coaches. He could recruit new players, but he had limited resources until his staff converged on New England. That didn't include the equally shortened number of scholarships he could actually offer.
So for him, the fact that he solidified his 12 previous commitments and still added three players stood out as a badge of honor.
"We didn't want to rush," Hafley said. "We didn't want to just go crazy and offer everybody and make sure we filled up all the slots. But I think we feel really comfortable with (the players we signed)."
National Signing Day produced a 15-member full class, and Hafley's three signed Letters of Intent last week signified the pouring of his first concrete accomplishment. He signed a quarterback, always a position ready for a competitive infusion, and drew upon his own experience for two defensive backs.
"We set out, and we had limited scholarships," Hafley said. "We evaluated a lot of players. We went out and saw a lot of players, and we feel really good about our three. Our staff did a really good job of getting those three."
All three are potential impact players. Quarterback Matt Rueve, the top pro style signal caller in Ohio, is a three-star product who threw for 3,216 yards and 28 touchdowns in one season at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati. He's a pro style-rated quarterback according to most recruiting services but has the pedigree almost custom-fit for the Boston College program. He's a cousin of the Hasselbeck brothers, and St. Xavier is the same high school where new assistant coach Sean Duggan once played.Â
Duggan, himself a former Eagle, is part of a strong lineage from the school at linebacker, where he is part of Steven Daniels' and Luke Kuechly's alumni base.
"He only started senior year," Hafley said. "For a quarterback, it's hard to get recruited like that. Most people jump on quarterback really early, and they look at junior year and sophomore year. He was behind two really good quarterbacks, both of whom went on to get scholarships. As we got to know him, we just felt really comfortable with the person that he is, and we feel like we can develop him because he only played for a season. The upside is really exciting."
Rueve is one of two quarterbacks signed this offseason to the Boston College program, along with Notre Dame transfer Phil Jurkovec. The duo is joining a room stocked with mature, developing talent, all of whom will learn a new offense this year under offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti.
Hafley's calling card, though, came on the other side of the football, where Jio Holmes and Kam Arnold signed as two coups from the Midwest. The defensive backs, from Ohio and Michigan, respectively, both provide a layer of versatility to developing BC secondary, which itself returns a number of starters from last season.
"I think they both have the ability to play man," Hafley said. "And I think nowadays you have to. Your corners have to be able to cover. The receivers are getting so big and so strong and so athletic. It seems like, right now, everybody wants to play wide receiver. So you try to find guys who can play man but are tough enough to tackle and play some zones."
Both played two ways in high school, with Arnold, a safety at St. Mary's High School, finishing his high school career with over 1,100 yards receiving and over 160 tackles on defense. Holmes, a three-year starter at wide receiver, played corner for Cleveland Heights, leading his team with a first-team all-state selection during his senior season.
Both also returned punts as specialists for their respective teams.
"Kam Arnold is a big defensive back who plays corner and safety," Hafley said. "Great family, great kid, really smart kid. He can run. He's physical. He'll fit really well in the scheme."
Arnold and Holmes combined for 25 pass breakups in their senior seasons and finished their respective careers as three-star recruits. For Arnold, that meant holding the No. 2 safety position in the entire state of Michigan as the 19th-best overall prospect. Holmes, who ranked as the 60th-best prospect, drew on his previous relationship with Hafley, which developed in heart of Big Ten country.
"I actually had Jiovanny in camp and in my office a lot at Ohio State," Hafley said. "Truthfully, I was very close to offering him at Ohio State. He's a big, long corner from Cleveland Heights. So as soon as I got the job (at BC), he was one of the first kids I called. I had a history with him. I knew exactly what I was getting. I've seen him live. I called and said to him, 'Hey, it's funny how things work out sometimes, but I'd love for you to come and join me.' And he did.
"(Defensive backs) come in all different sizes," he said. "One might be five feet, ten, and one's really big and really long, but I think both are good players with a lot of upside. I know (defensive backs coach) Aazaar Abdul-Rahim and myself will work to develop them as much as we can."
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It gave him limited hours to hammer a number of objectives. He needed to solidify the older recruits, all while answering questions about who exactly would be his assistant coaches. He could recruit new players, but he had limited resources until his staff converged on New England. That didn't include the equally shortened number of scholarships he could actually offer.
So for him, the fact that he solidified his 12 previous commitments and still added three players stood out as a badge of honor.
"We didn't want to rush," Hafley said. "We didn't want to just go crazy and offer everybody and make sure we filled up all the slots. But I think we feel really comfortable with (the players we signed)."
National Signing Day produced a 15-member full class, and Hafley's three signed Letters of Intent last week signified the pouring of his first concrete accomplishment. He signed a quarterback, always a position ready for a competitive infusion, and drew upon his own experience for two defensive backs.
"We set out, and we had limited scholarships," Hafley said. "We evaluated a lot of players. We went out and saw a lot of players, and we feel really good about our three. Our staff did a really good job of getting those three."
All three are potential impact players. Quarterback Matt Rueve, the top pro style signal caller in Ohio, is a three-star product who threw for 3,216 yards and 28 touchdowns in one season at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati. He's a pro style-rated quarterback according to most recruiting services but has the pedigree almost custom-fit for the Boston College program. He's a cousin of the Hasselbeck brothers, and St. Xavier is the same high school where new assistant coach Sean Duggan once played.Â
Duggan, himself a former Eagle, is part of a strong lineage from the school at linebacker, where he is part of Steven Daniels' and Luke Kuechly's alumni base.
"He only started senior year," Hafley said. "For a quarterback, it's hard to get recruited like that. Most people jump on quarterback really early, and they look at junior year and sophomore year. He was behind two really good quarterbacks, both of whom went on to get scholarships. As we got to know him, we just felt really comfortable with the person that he is, and we feel like we can develop him because he only played for a season. The upside is really exciting."
Rueve is one of two quarterbacks signed this offseason to the Boston College program, along with Notre Dame transfer Phil Jurkovec. The duo is joining a room stocked with mature, developing talent, all of whom will learn a new offense this year under offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti.
Hafley's calling card, though, came on the other side of the football, where Jio Holmes and Kam Arnold signed as two coups from the Midwest. The defensive backs, from Ohio and Michigan, respectively, both provide a layer of versatility to developing BC secondary, which itself returns a number of starters from last season.
"I think they both have the ability to play man," Hafley said. "And I think nowadays you have to. Your corners have to be able to cover. The receivers are getting so big and so strong and so athletic. It seems like, right now, everybody wants to play wide receiver. So you try to find guys who can play man but are tough enough to tackle and play some zones."
Both played two ways in high school, with Arnold, a safety at St. Mary's High School, finishing his high school career with over 1,100 yards receiving and over 160 tackles on defense. Holmes, a three-year starter at wide receiver, played corner for Cleveland Heights, leading his team with a first-team all-state selection during his senior season.
Both also returned punts as specialists for their respective teams.
"Kam Arnold is a big defensive back who plays corner and safety," Hafley said. "Great family, great kid, really smart kid. He can run. He's physical. He'll fit really well in the scheme."
Arnold and Holmes combined for 25 pass breakups in their senior seasons and finished their respective careers as three-star recruits. For Arnold, that meant holding the No. 2 safety position in the entire state of Michigan as the 19th-best overall prospect. Holmes, who ranked as the 60th-best prospect, drew on his previous relationship with Hafley, which developed in heart of Big Ten country.
"I actually had Jiovanny in camp and in my office a lot at Ohio State," Hafley said. "Truthfully, I was very close to offering him at Ohio State. He's a big, long corner from Cleveland Heights. So as soon as I got the job (at BC), he was one of the first kids I called. I had a history with him. I knew exactly what I was getting. I've seen him live. I called and said to him, 'Hey, it's funny how things work out sometimes, but I'd love for you to come and join me.' And he did.
"(Defensive backs) come in all different sizes," he said. "One might be five feet, ten, and one's really big and really long, but I think both are good players with a lot of upside. I know (defensive backs coach) Aazaar Abdul-Rahim and myself will work to develop them as much as we can."
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Players Mentioned
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