The well-known tradition is mentioned every time linebackers are discussed for the Eagles and forces every group to produce its own personal brand while handling the pressure with individualized grace. This year's group is no different; as new names rise to the starting rotation, a position coach who once handled the job himself is prepared to tackle a head-on challenge to elevate the defense to a new level.
"I wanted to come to BC to continue that tradition," graduate transfer Isaiah Graham-Mobley said at the start of training camp. "They had a great year with a lot of ups and downs, but I think (there were) definitely more ups than downs. I'm going to try and build off that and continue the energy commodity."
Graham-Mobley's addition takes some of the heat off of a position under the microscope for what it lost in the offseason when Isaiah McDuffie and Max Richardson matriculated to the NFL ranks. Both led the team in tackles by a wide margin and combined for almost a third of BC's total numbers with a combined 206 takedowns, a number that included over 14 tackles-for-loss with more than six sacks.
McDuffie's four quarterback hurries were most among the Eagles, and he exited the season as the only non-defensive back with an interception. Richardson added a pass break-up against North Carolina and pushed double-digit tackles in two games - including the season finale against Virginia.
2021 LINEBACKERS
Returning Letterwinners: Kam Arnold (So.), Nick DeNucci (RJr.), Joseph Sparacio (RJr.), Vinny DePalma (RJr.), Hugh Davis (RJr.)Newcomers/Redshirts: Bryce Steele (Fr.), Isaiah Graham-Mobley (Gr.), Jaylen Blackwell (Fr.), Joe Marinaro (RFr.), Emmett Hanna (Fr.), Casey Phinney (Fr.), Owen McGowan (Fr.), Tommy Degnan (RFr.)
Linebackers Coach: Sean Duggan (Second Season)
It led Richardson to finish his college career as the heart and soul of last year's unit, and McDuffie, a junior, declared early in the spring for the NFL Draft before he was picked in the sixth round by the Green Bay Packers. Richardson, meanwhile, latched on with the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent and survived the first round of cuts this week after an impressive showing in the team's first exhibition game against Seattle.
"When Max was here, he would tell me to lock in," sophomore Kam Arnold said during spring practice. "He would talk about being detailed in the film room to be critical of myself. There are always going to be mistakes, but (he said) every day is an opportunity (to improve)."
Their departure left a void backfilled by a unit defined by its youth and relative inexperience in defensive coordinator Tem Lukabu's scheme. Graham-Mobley is a graduate transfer from Temple, but few Eagles have seen full game action over their careers. Redshirt junior Vinny DePalma played in all 13 games in 2019 but missed last season with an injury, and fellow junior Hugh Dvais spent the bulk of last season on special teams after seeing limited action as a redshirt freshman two years ago.
Arnold converted to the position after being recruited as a three-star safety, but the rest of the Eagle backers are a group of raw, talented freshmen all vying for time. Four-star prospect Bryce Steele leads that list as the No. 11 player in North Carolina and the 34th-rated outside linebacker in the country, but he didn't play last year after COVID-19 canceled his season first in Virginia where he was attending high school and then again North Carolina.
Position Notes
• BC aims to. replace the production of its top-two tacklers from a year, both within the linebacking group with the departure of McDuffie and Richardson to the NFL.• Isaiah Graham-Mobley enrolled at BC as a grad transfer from Temple and brings 43 games of experience, including a 70-tackle campaign in 2018.
• Redshirt-juniors Sparacio, DePalma, Davis and DeNucci have all seen playing time over the course of their careers. Sparacio was a spot-starter in 2019 with 50 tackles, while DePalma managed 33 tackles in a reserve role before missing 2020 due to injury.
• As a true freshman, Kam Arnold saw playing time in all 11 games, primarily on special teams, in 2020. This season he transitions from defensive back to linebacker.
"I felt like this year could be a big year for me," Arnold said during spring practice. "I saw I could give more value to the team, and it was perfect timing in the spring to get the feel for the (position) to take small strides."
Steele enrolled at BC in the spring and participated in spring practice, and his monster reputation is enhanced to compete against players considered more diamonds in the rough. Jaylen Blackwell is one of them as a converted safety, and two local products - Owen McGowan and Casey Phinney - all stood out in Massachusetts, with the former winning Gatorade Player of the Year honors at Catholic Memorial.
"We know there are some young guys at backer," said defensive lineman Marcus Valdez at the start of camp. "Some older guys want to step up at secondary and in the D-line, but obviously the backers have stepped it up too. We preach that everyone can be a leader in their own role, and it's important to help everyone out."
How they develop within the Boston College defense is paramount within the unit's cohesion, and the fact isn't lost on Duggan. The position coach played at BC and understands exactly how clutch linebackers are to the Eagles' success and contributed to the 2015 unit that finished the season atop the national rankings in total defense and points allowed. He captained the team in 2014, the year BC beat Southern California at home, finished his career with 115 tackles, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
His coaching career led him to every corner of the country when he spent two seasons at Hawaii, and he spent one season at UMass before he joined Ohio State as a graduate assistant in 2019. It was his only year with Ohio State, but he sat in the booth with Jeff Hafley and made enough of an impression to convince the new head coach to bring him home to Chestnut Hill as part of his defensive staff.
"There's some really good competition in there," Hafley said. "I think those guys have done a good job - Vinny and (Graham-Mobley), and we have some young guys mixing in there. It's a really good, smart group of guys. Kam Arnold is a guy that looked really good in the spring (when he) moved from strong safety to linebackers. Between (them), Bryce, (Nick) DiNucci, Hugh Davis, whoever looks best in camp and is the most productive is going to play. If we have to play and rotate multiple guys, we will have different packages for second down, third down, base-sub, nickel, dime. We'll get guys on the field."
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'Backers Enter Next Phase Of Long Tradition - Boston College Athletics
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