Boston College Athletics
Gill's Fresh Start Brings Him to Boston
July 23, 2020 | Football, #ForBoston Files
Jaelen Gill received an immediate eligibility waiver from the NCAA two weeks ago.
College football players don't always receive a second chance. The game's nature operates at an ultra-fast pace, and players who jump on a train are often hesitant to jump off for a new ride. There's always risk involved, and the decision to move on or transfer from one program to another is often incredibly difficult.
It's even more difficult for players with local ties to their old teams. The emotional pull to remain in one place can be overwhelming, and the choice to enter the transfer portal carries enormous weight within municipalities and families. It requires thoughtfulness and discussion at every level from the player to his family and his coaches.
Jaelen Gill understands that concept better than most. He was a top-rated recruit with explosive measurables when he committed to Ohio State in the 2018 recruiting class, but after two years of playing at home, he found himself desiring something different. With love for his old program in his heart, he entered the transfer portal and found his way to Boston College. Now, as an incoming transfer, he is ready to prove how he can develop his game to another level within a new system and a fresh start.
"(Coming to BC) isn't about trying to prove anyone wrong," Gill said. "I just want to prove everyone around me right. I have faith in myself, and my immediate family and friends have faith in me. I can have a big impact in whatever role (the coaches) give me. Boston College is trying to change things around here, and it definitely ties in together (with my goals). I want to prove myself right, but we're both trying to prove the country wrong."
Gill was a dream come true for anyone who grew up loving Ohio State. His hometown is less than a half hour from Columbus, and he spent his childhood in the shadow of the Horseshoe. He bled scarlet and gray in a way that ran deep through his family roots. He celebrated with the Buckeyes right up through his college commitment and celebrated Big Ten championships as a fan and, in his first two years at the school, as a player.
"Ohio State is a great program," Gill said, "and I have love and respect for it. I learned a lot from the people who (were Buckeyes) before me. They played in front of me, so I sat back and watched, and I worked as hard as I could to learn from them. It's a little bit of pressure being a hometown kid, and whenever I would go back (home), people would ask questions that I blocked out to keep tunnel vision."
It seemed like a storybook written in real time, but Gill struggled to get onto the field with any kind of consistency. K.J. Hill returned to Ohio State for the 2019 season and remained the incumbent for Gill's H-Back position, and the local son only saw limited action in six games. He scored his first touchdown against Rutgers last year and saw a dozen-plus snaps against Indiana, but Hill's presence, coupled with the H-Back's transition into a slot receiver role, forced Gill to adapt on the fly.
Still, he remained optimistic, and the Buckeyes once again claimed the Big Ten's championship en route to the College Football Playoff. A loss to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal ended the season, but Gill entered winter practice with the optimism and intention to claim the starting job vacated by Hill's graduation into the NFL.
The story, though, stopped in mid-air when the coronavirus breakout abruptly ended Ohio State's spring ball. Shortly thereafter, Gill met with wide receivers coach Brian Hartline and received the honest, sobering news that his flame began to flicker for the Buckeyes in such a way that moved the program in a different direction.
"I was really looking forward to spring practice to show my worth," Gill said, "but, unfortunately, the COVID situation led to us shutting everything down. I felt really good through winter workouts, and I was excited for spring practice.Â
"I had battled to get on the field at the H-position at Ohio State," he said, "but I had lengthy conversations with Coach Hartline. After those talks, I felt it was best to reach out to my family to talk about our next steps. The decision for me was to look elsewhere, and that's when Coach Hafley reached out."
For Gill, mixed emotions about transferring highlighted a true love for his home state and his beloved Buckeyes even as it drew him to Boston. Jeff Hafley was the Buckeyes' defensive coordinator during the 2019 run to the Fiesta Bowl and witnessed firsthand Gill's potential for opposing offenses. Hafley loved the player skillset and saw a perfect fit for what he wanted to build at Boston College, where he was now the head coach. The two reconnected immediately, and it helped draw Gill through a decision-making process that included Florida, North Carolina, Baylor, and Pittsburgh.
"I had a solid relationship with Coach Hafley and everyone on staff (at Ohio State)," Gill said. "Coach Hafley talked to me during the spring last year, and he just kept telling me everything that he thought about me. Once I decided to look elsewhere, he was one of the first, if not the first, to reach out to me. I knew what he was saying was honest because he's a straight-up, honest guy, and I just felt like I would be taken care of the most here (at BC)."
Gill is now a unique asset for the Boston College offense, and his presence will be felt in 2020 thanks to the NCAA eligibility waiver he received last week. He will have the fresh start so many athletes don't receive, and his potential will now mesh with a new program. He will have the stress of starting with a new school and new teammates under the curtain of the ongoing pandemic, but he knows BC will become his new home. He will, in many ways, remain an Ohio kid with Buckeye blood, but it's his opportunity to spread eagles' wings and create a new home in the ACC and in New England.
"Going to a new school, you don't know what you're getting into with a whole new set of coaches," he said. "Coach Hafley just kept emphasizing how much they would take care of me. Football isn't promised, and they really want to take care of me here. This team embraced me, and the whole program is (taking me in). That's all you can ask for in a new spot, and this is the happiest I've been in a while. I'm just excited."
It's even more difficult for players with local ties to their old teams. The emotional pull to remain in one place can be overwhelming, and the choice to enter the transfer portal carries enormous weight within municipalities and families. It requires thoughtfulness and discussion at every level from the player to his family and his coaches.
Jaelen Gill understands that concept better than most. He was a top-rated recruit with explosive measurables when he committed to Ohio State in the 2018 recruiting class, but after two years of playing at home, he found himself desiring something different. With love for his old program in his heart, he entered the transfer portal and found his way to Boston College. Now, as an incoming transfer, he is ready to prove how he can develop his game to another level within a new system and a fresh start.
"(Coming to BC) isn't about trying to prove anyone wrong," Gill said. "I just want to prove everyone around me right. I have faith in myself, and my immediate family and friends have faith in me. I can have a big impact in whatever role (the coaches) give me. Boston College is trying to change things around here, and it definitely ties in together (with my goals). I want to prove myself right, but we're both trying to prove the country wrong."
Gill was a dream come true for anyone who grew up loving Ohio State. His hometown is less than a half hour from Columbus, and he spent his childhood in the shadow of the Horseshoe. He bled scarlet and gray in a way that ran deep through his family roots. He celebrated with the Buckeyes right up through his college commitment and celebrated Big Ten championships as a fan and, in his first two years at the school, as a player.
"Ohio State is a great program," Gill said, "and I have love and respect for it. I learned a lot from the people who (were Buckeyes) before me. They played in front of me, so I sat back and watched, and I worked as hard as I could to learn from them. It's a little bit of pressure being a hometown kid, and whenever I would go back (home), people would ask questions that I blocked out to keep tunnel vision."
It seemed like a storybook written in real time, but Gill struggled to get onto the field with any kind of consistency. K.J. Hill returned to Ohio State for the 2019 season and remained the incumbent for Gill's H-Back position, and the local son only saw limited action in six games. He scored his first touchdown against Rutgers last year and saw a dozen-plus snaps against Indiana, but Hill's presence, coupled with the H-Back's transition into a slot receiver role, forced Gill to adapt on the fly.
Still, he remained optimistic, and the Buckeyes once again claimed the Big Ten's championship en route to the College Football Playoff. A loss to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal ended the season, but Gill entered winter practice with the optimism and intention to claim the starting job vacated by Hill's graduation into the NFL.
The story, though, stopped in mid-air when the coronavirus breakout abruptly ended Ohio State's spring ball. Shortly thereafter, Gill met with wide receivers coach Brian Hartline and received the honest, sobering news that his flame began to flicker for the Buckeyes in such a way that moved the program in a different direction.
"I was really looking forward to spring practice to show my worth," Gill said, "but, unfortunately, the COVID situation led to us shutting everything down. I felt really good through winter workouts, and I was excited for spring practice.Â
"I had battled to get on the field at the H-position at Ohio State," he said, "but I had lengthy conversations with Coach Hartline. After those talks, I felt it was best to reach out to my family to talk about our next steps. The decision for me was to look elsewhere, and that's when Coach Hafley reached out."
For Gill, mixed emotions about transferring highlighted a true love for his home state and his beloved Buckeyes even as it drew him to Boston. Jeff Hafley was the Buckeyes' defensive coordinator during the 2019 run to the Fiesta Bowl and witnessed firsthand Gill's potential for opposing offenses. Hafley loved the player skillset and saw a perfect fit for what he wanted to build at Boston College, where he was now the head coach. The two reconnected immediately, and it helped draw Gill through a decision-making process that included Florida, North Carolina, Baylor, and Pittsburgh.
"I had a solid relationship with Coach Hafley and everyone on staff (at Ohio State)," Gill said. "Coach Hafley talked to me during the spring last year, and he just kept telling me everything that he thought about me. Once I decided to look elsewhere, he was one of the first, if not the first, to reach out to me. I knew what he was saying was honest because he's a straight-up, honest guy, and I just felt like I would be taken care of the most here (at BC)."
Gill is now a unique asset for the Boston College offense, and his presence will be felt in 2020 thanks to the NCAA eligibility waiver he received last week. He will have the fresh start so many athletes don't receive, and his potential will now mesh with a new program. He will have the stress of starting with a new school and new teammates under the curtain of the ongoing pandemic, but he knows BC will become his new home. He will, in many ways, remain an Ohio kid with Buckeye blood, but it's his opportunity to spread eagles' wings and create a new home in the ACC and in New England.
"Going to a new school, you don't know what you're getting into with a whole new set of coaches," he said. "Coach Hafley just kept emphasizing how much they would take care of me. Football isn't promised, and they really want to take care of me here. This team embraced me, and the whole program is (taking me in). That's all you can ask for in a new spot, and this is the happiest I've been in a while. I'm just excited."
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