Five Freshman That Could Make an Impact This Year

[Front Page'd for great minds thinking alike, etc. etc. - Ed.]

Every Boston College fans knows that the team is going to rely heavily on key players such as Montel Harris, Luke Kuechly, and Chase Rettig this year. But the team is also going to need some younger players to unexpectedly step up and make an impact. Without further ado, here are the five true freshmen that are most likely to make an impact this year.

1.  Arguably the most college-ready freshman is defensive back Al Louis-Jean Jr. from Brockton, Ma. Boston College originally lost the recruiting battle for Louis-Jean as the four star prospect verbally committed to the University of Miami. However, after head coach Randy Shannon was fired, Albert decided to come and play for his hometown team.  One of the big advantages than Louis-Jean has is that he enrolled at BC in January, meaning that he has already gotten a feel for his coaches and teammates. He is also already listed on the two-deep, listed behind starter Donnie Fletcher at safety.  He has the speed, size, and athleticism to be great in coverage. If the jump from local high school wideouts to ACC level wide receivers isn’t too great, I could easily see Albert getting playing time this year.

2. The only other true freshman to be on the preseason’s two-deep was defensive lineman Mehdi Abdesmad. Mehdi is a physical specimen, measuring 6’6’’, 235lbs yet also running a 4.68 40 yard dash.  He is a bit of a question mark, as he comes from Canada, not exactly a hotbed for football recruits. Because of this, people will question the level of competition he was playing against. It could take him a year to adjust and bulk up a bit, but hopefully enrolling early in January will help Mehdi adjust and make an impact this year.

3. The 3rd most likely freshman to make an impact is wide receiver Curt "Spiffy" Evans. BC picked up Evans after he decommitted from Wake Forest in January. Evans makes good hard cuts, has great jumping ability, and is a potential deep threat. He could hit the field as a freshman due to the recent departures of fellow receivers Clyde Lee III and Shakim Phillips. I think Evans will be a terrific wideout down the road for the Eagles, and believe we could easily see him this year if he impresses the coaches enough during camp.

 4. Alex Howell could be one of the best recruits in this year’s freshman class, but he doesn’t receive much hype because he is a kicker. Now BC already has  established kickers and punters in Nate Freese and Ryan Quigley, but Howell has a special leg. ESPN ranked this South Carolina native as the 5th best kicker in the country. It will be hard for the coaching staff to ignore this type of talent. I think they will find a use for Alex this year, whether it be kickoffs, punts, or long-range field goals.

5.  Number five is Connor Wujciak, a 6’3’’ 230 lb. defensive lineman from New Jersey. He is a strong, tough end that defends very well against the run. He chose BC over several other impressive schools including Pitt, Rutgers, and Notre Dame. The BC defensive line is a bit of an unknown besides a few starters, which is why Connor could get a bit of playing time, although I think he will most likely redshirt.