Boston College Athletics
BC's New Monster In The Middle
September 16, 2020 | Football, #ForBoston Files
Luc Bequette will make an immediate impact after transferring to the Eagles two weeks ago.
Luc Bequette just wanted to play football, but the news unfolding in front of him screamed an impossibility. He was a veteran lineman for the Cal Golden Bears, and the NCAA granted him a sixth year as a medical redshirt for when he lost his 2016 season. He wanted to have one final season in Berkeley, but the season churned towards an abyss as headlines and a news cycle swirled with rumors and social media.
"(I was) holding out hope, and the coaches were holding out hope," he said of those fretful days. "I am a pretty loyal guy, so I wanted to hear the official notice before I looked anywhere else. For me, personally, I was going to play this season, no matter what, whether it was in the Pac-12 or another conference."
The Pac-12 officially postponed its season and opted to cancel play in the fall, and Bequette forced himself to make an inevitable decision to leave Cal. He chose Boston College, and on Saturday, he will debut as a quickly-added force for the Eagles.
"It was unfortunate that the Pac-12 canceled, but I'm just very happy to be here," Bequette said. "I'm happy to have the opportunity to play. I just waited until the release of the information that the season was canceled, and I immediately started looking into schools. It's been a quick transition, but it's good. I'm getting the playbook down and getting the physical reps that I need before a game, but it's been smooth."
He departs Cal and arrives in Boston as one of the Golden Bears' most productive defensive linemen after playing 42 games over the past four years, including 38 straight over the past three seasons. The active career leader in consecutive starts at Cal after last season, he instantly assumes the same role at BC while tying Travis Levy and Kobay White for most consecutive games played.
He amassed 130 tackles over the four years while establishing a menacing presence in opposing backfields. More than 12 tackles went for a combined loss of 57 yards, and his 10 sacks contributed 53 yards lost for opposing offenses. He further contributed three broken passes, three more defended throws, four forced fumbles with one recovery, and four quarterbacks.Â
"We saw (run-pass option) in the Pac-12," Bequette said. "I redshirted the first year and only played four games the next year before I got hurt, but the Pac-12 trended towards run-heavy teams and defense first. We faced several teams with dual-threat quarterbacks, so I have experience with that. I think there were a lot of containing (of) running quarterbacks to avoid open lanes to run downfield, (where) the secondary is going to drop into coverage. We just need to stay in our defense and keep pressure on the quarterback."
A second-team preseason All Pac-12 selection by Athlon Sports last season, he twice earned the Brick Muller Award as the Golden Bears' most valuable lineman. He's also the product of a true sports family, the son of Debi Thomas, a bronze medalist at the 1988 Winter Olympics, and Chris Bequette, a former offensive lineman at Arkansas. His cousin, Jake, was a third round pick of the New England Patriots and a member of the practice squad during the team's Super Bowl XLIX run.
"He's doing well," head coach Jeff Hafley said. "He hasn't been here for very long, so he's working to learn everything we're doing. He's a great kid, mature, (and he) practices like a pro. He's strong and big, and we're just grateful we have him on the team."
With BC, Bequette will remain a strong presence along the interior line. The Eagles listed him as a starter in their first depth chart this week and are expected to line him up next to Chibueze Onwuka, another graduate transfer. It's part of an experienced, developed line with four to five returning pieces to it, a depth chart littered with potential impact players.
Bequette is listed ahead of freshman Cam Horsley, but he's one of a handful of upperclassmen on the depth chart. Redshirt junior Marcus Valdez is listed on an edge, ahead of graduate student Bryce Morais, and graduate student Brandon Barlow on the left end behind sophomore Shita Sillah. Returning nose tackle TJ Rayam and redshirt sophomore Ryan Betro will also see snaps at nose tackle with Onwuka in front of one of the most experienced linebacker units in the ACC.
"I still need to prove myself in these next few practices," Bequette said, "that I understand the playbook, and that two weeks of practice is sufficient enough to play in a game. At the end of the day, my goal is to play at the next level, and at the next level, guys move or are traded and are expected to learn a playbook to get in the swing of things quickly. This is good practice in that regard.Â
"It's been pretty smooth," he continued. "Guys are helpful and stay after practice to walk through plays. Everyone has aided me in learning the playbook. From my standpoint, we have captains, and they know the program and team far better than I do. I'm letting them lead the team, and I'm trying to help as much as I can. I want to bring energy to this defense and this defensive line."
"(I was) holding out hope, and the coaches were holding out hope," he said of those fretful days. "I am a pretty loyal guy, so I wanted to hear the official notice before I looked anywhere else. For me, personally, I was going to play this season, no matter what, whether it was in the Pac-12 or another conference."
The Pac-12 officially postponed its season and opted to cancel play in the fall, and Bequette forced himself to make an inevitable decision to leave Cal. He chose Boston College, and on Saturday, he will debut as a quickly-added force for the Eagles.
"It was unfortunate that the Pac-12 canceled, but I'm just very happy to be here," Bequette said. "I'm happy to have the opportunity to play. I just waited until the release of the information that the season was canceled, and I immediately started looking into schools. It's been a quick transition, but it's good. I'm getting the playbook down and getting the physical reps that I need before a game, but it's been smooth."
He departs Cal and arrives in Boston as one of the Golden Bears' most productive defensive linemen after playing 42 games over the past four years, including 38 straight over the past three seasons. The active career leader in consecutive starts at Cal after last season, he instantly assumes the same role at BC while tying Travis Levy and Kobay White for most consecutive games played.
He amassed 130 tackles over the four years while establishing a menacing presence in opposing backfields. More than 12 tackles went for a combined loss of 57 yards, and his 10 sacks contributed 53 yards lost for opposing offenses. He further contributed three broken passes, three more defended throws, four forced fumbles with one recovery, and four quarterbacks.Â
"We saw (run-pass option) in the Pac-12," Bequette said. "I redshirted the first year and only played four games the next year before I got hurt, but the Pac-12 trended towards run-heavy teams and defense first. We faced several teams with dual-threat quarterbacks, so I have experience with that. I think there were a lot of containing (of) running quarterbacks to avoid open lanes to run downfield, (where) the secondary is going to drop into coverage. We just need to stay in our defense and keep pressure on the quarterback."
A second-team preseason All Pac-12 selection by Athlon Sports last season, he twice earned the Brick Muller Award as the Golden Bears' most valuable lineman. He's also the product of a true sports family, the son of Debi Thomas, a bronze medalist at the 1988 Winter Olympics, and Chris Bequette, a former offensive lineman at Arkansas. His cousin, Jake, was a third round pick of the New England Patriots and a member of the practice squad during the team's Super Bowl XLIX run.
"He's doing well," head coach Jeff Hafley said. "He hasn't been here for very long, so he's working to learn everything we're doing. He's a great kid, mature, (and he) practices like a pro. He's strong and big, and we're just grateful we have him on the team."
With BC, Bequette will remain a strong presence along the interior line. The Eagles listed him as a starter in their first depth chart this week and are expected to line him up next to Chibueze Onwuka, another graduate transfer. It's part of an experienced, developed line with four to five returning pieces to it, a depth chart littered with potential impact players.
Bequette is listed ahead of freshman Cam Horsley, but he's one of a handful of upperclassmen on the depth chart. Redshirt junior Marcus Valdez is listed on an edge, ahead of graduate student Bryce Morais, and graduate student Brandon Barlow on the left end behind sophomore Shita Sillah. Returning nose tackle TJ Rayam and redshirt sophomore Ryan Betro will also see snaps at nose tackle with Onwuka in front of one of the most experienced linebacker units in the ACC.
"I still need to prove myself in these next few practices," Bequette said, "that I understand the playbook, and that two weeks of practice is sufficient enough to play in a game. At the end of the day, my goal is to play at the next level, and at the next level, guys move or are traded and are expected to learn a playbook to get in the swing of things quickly. This is good practice in that regard.Â
"It's been pretty smooth," he continued. "Guys are helpful and stay after practice to walk through plays. Everyone has aided me in learning the playbook. From my standpoint, we have captains, and they know the program and team far better than I do. I'm letting them lead the team, and I'm trying to help as much as I can. I want to bring energy to this defense and this defensive line."
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