New Year, New Phil: 2022 Is Jurkovec's Time
August 07, 2022 | Football, #ForBoston Files
He's already entrenched in the BC record book, but this year could elevate Phil Jurkovec into some elite company.
It was only the second day of camp, but how Phil Jurkovec operated during drill periods at the start of Saturday's practice underscored the sense of urgency facing his fellow upperclassmen. From the opening jump, he surveyed the field like an NFL signal caller, and he looked both left and right for receivers as he cocked throws with a rigid decisiveness. His steps and throws delivered tight-spiraling rockets that sliced the clear blue skies of a steamy morning, and more than one occasion saw his receivers work stride-for-stride for explosive plays.
The catches added flavor and color to days that are largely inconsequential to casual observers. Nobody was in full pads, and the lack of a true pass rush meant Jurkovec - and the other quarterbacks - operated effortlessly on their mechanics and dropbacks. It wasn't entirely important if the receivers actually caught their balls, though the pass catchers would likely disagree after obliging pushups in the event they outright dropped the pass.
Through it all, the image of No. 5 delivering pinpoint dimes echoed the immediate splash of his first two seasons. The starting quarterback of the Boston College program had seen it all since arriving in Chestnut Hill, and he understood that his final year of eligibility meant every day was the final something in a final road spent redefining the entire BC program.
"It feels good," Jurkovec said this week about being back with the Eagles for a third year. "I've been through three camps, so I know what to expect, and practice so far is going well. I feel good, and a lot of the [veterans], the older guys, are feeling good about [the season]."
Jurkovec's story has never been a series of straight lines, and any look over the past two years produces both the highest highs and lowest lows of a college quarterback's career. The Notre Dame transfer stepped immediately into BC's starting role after receiving a late eligibility waiver for the 2020 season, but his output effectively matched the numbers of former Eagle legends. His 2,558 passing yards were the most by a quarterback in his first 10 starts in program history, and his subsequent transformation of the offense delivered the most 300-yard games in a season since Matt Ryan's iconic 2007 performance. His 17 touchdowns dwarfed his five interceptions, and he finished without a pick on six occasions during a season heavily influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The season itself had one non-conference game, but BC's six overall wins included the most ACC wins in over a decade. Along the way, Jurkovec led furious comebacks against North Carolina and Pittsburgh, the former of which saw him arguably outduel Sam Howell in a marathon, 37-for-56 day throwing, albeit in a loss. One week later, his season-high 358 yards and three touchdowns cemented his cult hero status in an overtime win over Kenny Pickett and the Panthers, itself coming less than a month after his debut performance against Duke missed a 74 percent completion rate by one-tenth of a percentage point.
The dream start revolutionized the perception of Boston College football, but Jurkovec couldn't sustain the momentum through the entire season after the wear and tear of playing week-after-week caught up with him. The Clemson game on Halloween left him with a separated shoulder, and his season ended after a Thanksgiving weekend win over Louisville, his fifth consecutive game without 300 yards passing.
"I took a lot of hits," he said, "and I sustained a lot of little injuries, then I separated my shoulder…I just took too many hits."
Plenty of reasons existed why BC slowed down as the 2020 season ended - that Clemson game, for example, was on the road against the No. 1 team in the nation and preceded a road game at Syracuse and a home game against No. 2 Notre Dame - but it did nothing to quell the excitement or juice injected into the conversation about the Eagles in the offseason. Even Jurkovec's injury seemed to melt away in the conversation, and when Clemson opened 2021 with two poor performances in its first three games, BC felt like the logical replacement in the recreated Atlantic Division, especially since the Eagles' offense looked solid in its first two games.
Indeed, the team at least looked well oiled in its first game when the QB eviscerated Colgate for 303 yards and three touchdowns on 16-of-24 passing, but a major problem developed against UMass when Jurkovec suffered a freakish wrist injury in the first quarter. It had changed the entire outlook on the season and removed BC from the conversation entirely after four consecutive losses erased a perfect, 4-0 start. He eventually returned and led the Eagles back into bowl contention with wins over Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech, but failing to pass for 150 yards in three of his final four games book-ended the lone 300-yard game that occurred in the win over the Yellow Jackets.
"We beat a couple of teams that people didn't think we could beat [but] lost some that we shouldn't have," head coach Jeff Hafley said. "I'm not going to use injuries as an excuse; we won some games at the end, [but] we need to get better. I'm going to be here for a while, and I'm going to build it. It's about the process and [if] our team gets better. Can we coach better? Can we play better? And is there improvement?"
That message arguably resonated the most with the quarterback entering this season as one of college football's best-known commodities. His 3,472 passing yards at BC already rank him among the dozen best passers in program history, and he reasonably stands within striking distance of any quarterback standing in front of him that isn't named Flutie or Foley. He could conceivably join both Mike Kruczek and Paul Peterson as the only BC quarterbacks with a career completion percentage over 60 percent, and his connection with Zay Flowers could enable the speedy receiver to finish his career as BC's most prolific pass catcher.
All of this hinges on how he continues to develop. Injuries aside, Jurkovec started his career in Chestnut Hill as a raw passer who could rely on his most trusted targets. He's now a field general who learned how to create time and space with one step or move, and his vision is arguably the best in the country. He's in the conversation as one of the five best quarterback prospects for the 2023 NFL Draft, and Mel Kiper, Jr.'s early rankings included Jurkovec alongside Devin Leary, Tanner McKee and Jaren Hall.
"My first training camp coming into college was a lot different than anything before [in] high school," he said. "It was challenging at first, but I just feel so much better about the game, about being out there and practicing, making the different types of plays that before I didn't feel great or feel good about.
"The more you see it, the easier it becomes," he added. "Our defense has been running this scheme since Coach Hafley got here, and I got here [at the same time]. So we've seen a lot of their coverages, and right now they're pretty basic, but they'll keep installing [more] as we move through camp."
The catches added flavor and color to days that are largely inconsequential to casual observers. Nobody was in full pads, and the lack of a true pass rush meant Jurkovec - and the other quarterbacks - operated effortlessly on their mechanics and dropbacks. It wasn't entirely important if the receivers actually caught their balls, though the pass catchers would likely disagree after obliging pushups in the event they outright dropped the pass.
Through it all, the image of No. 5 delivering pinpoint dimes echoed the immediate splash of his first two seasons. The starting quarterback of the Boston College program had seen it all since arriving in Chestnut Hill, and he understood that his final year of eligibility meant every day was the final something in a final road spent redefining the entire BC program.
"It feels good," Jurkovec said this week about being back with the Eagles for a third year. "I've been through three camps, so I know what to expect, and practice so far is going well. I feel good, and a lot of the [veterans], the older guys, are feeling good about [the season]."
Jurkovec's story has never been a series of straight lines, and any look over the past two years produces both the highest highs and lowest lows of a college quarterback's career. The Notre Dame transfer stepped immediately into BC's starting role after receiving a late eligibility waiver for the 2020 season, but his output effectively matched the numbers of former Eagle legends. His 2,558 passing yards were the most by a quarterback in his first 10 starts in program history, and his subsequent transformation of the offense delivered the most 300-yard games in a season since Matt Ryan's iconic 2007 performance. His 17 touchdowns dwarfed his five interceptions, and he finished without a pick on six occasions during a season heavily influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The season itself had one non-conference game, but BC's six overall wins included the most ACC wins in over a decade. Along the way, Jurkovec led furious comebacks against North Carolina and Pittsburgh, the former of which saw him arguably outduel Sam Howell in a marathon, 37-for-56 day throwing, albeit in a loss. One week later, his season-high 358 yards and three touchdowns cemented his cult hero status in an overtime win over Kenny Pickett and the Panthers, itself coming less than a month after his debut performance against Duke missed a 74 percent completion rate by one-tenth of a percentage point.
The dream start revolutionized the perception of Boston College football, but Jurkovec couldn't sustain the momentum through the entire season after the wear and tear of playing week-after-week caught up with him. The Clemson game on Halloween left him with a separated shoulder, and his season ended after a Thanksgiving weekend win over Louisville, his fifth consecutive game without 300 yards passing.
"I took a lot of hits," he said, "and I sustained a lot of little injuries, then I separated my shoulder…I just took too many hits."
Plenty of reasons existed why BC slowed down as the 2020 season ended - that Clemson game, for example, was on the road against the No. 1 team in the nation and preceded a road game at Syracuse and a home game against No. 2 Notre Dame - but it did nothing to quell the excitement or juice injected into the conversation about the Eagles in the offseason. Even Jurkovec's injury seemed to melt away in the conversation, and when Clemson opened 2021 with two poor performances in its first three games, BC felt like the logical replacement in the recreated Atlantic Division, especially since the Eagles' offense looked solid in its first two games.
Indeed, the team at least looked well oiled in its first game when the QB eviscerated Colgate for 303 yards and three touchdowns on 16-of-24 passing, but a major problem developed against UMass when Jurkovec suffered a freakish wrist injury in the first quarter. It had changed the entire outlook on the season and removed BC from the conversation entirely after four consecutive losses erased a perfect, 4-0 start. He eventually returned and led the Eagles back into bowl contention with wins over Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech, but failing to pass for 150 yards in three of his final four games book-ended the lone 300-yard game that occurred in the win over the Yellow Jackets.
"We beat a couple of teams that people didn't think we could beat [but] lost some that we shouldn't have," head coach Jeff Hafley said. "I'm not going to use injuries as an excuse; we won some games at the end, [but] we need to get better. I'm going to be here for a while, and I'm going to build it. It's about the process and [if] our team gets better. Can we coach better? Can we play better? And is there improvement?"
That message arguably resonated the most with the quarterback entering this season as one of college football's best-known commodities. His 3,472 passing yards at BC already rank him among the dozen best passers in program history, and he reasonably stands within striking distance of any quarterback standing in front of him that isn't named Flutie or Foley. He could conceivably join both Mike Kruczek and Paul Peterson as the only BC quarterbacks with a career completion percentage over 60 percent, and his connection with Zay Flowers could enable the speedy receiver to finish his career as BC's most prolific pass catcher.
All of this hinges on how he continues to develop. Injuries aside, Jurkovec started his career in Chestnut Hill as a raw passer who could rely on his most trusted targets. He's now a field general who learned how to create time and space with one step or move, and his vision is arguably the best in the country. He's in the conversation as one of the five best quarterback prospects for the 2023 NFL Draft, and Mel Kiper, Jr.'s early rankings included Jurkovec alongside Devin Leary, Tanner McKee and Jaren Hall.
"My first training camp coming into college was a lot different than anything before [in] high school," he said. "It was challenging at first, but I just feel so much better about the game, about being out there and practicing, making the different types of plays that before I didn't feel great or feel good about.
"The more you see it, the easier it becomes," he added. "Our defense has been running this scheme since Coach Hafley got here, and I got here [at the same time]. So we've seen a lot of their coverages, and right now they're pretty basic, but they'll keep installing [more] as we move through camp."
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