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Boston College did not receive a commitment yesterday, but they did receive some good news as 4* defensive tackle Christian Wilkins has named BC amongst his Top 8 according to Rivals.
#Rivals100 DT Christian Wilkins names top 8 http://t.co/Cy0GnGNFRV #UVA #UNC #STanford #OSU #PSU #Clemson #BC #ND @rivalsmike
— Adam Friedman (@RivalsFriedman) August 4, 2014
As someone from Connecticut, Wilkins has been a name that many have been following for this 2015 class. He has slow played his recruiting, and honestly there hasn't been a lot out there in terms of where his interests lay. Because there was such little news you had to imagine he was leaning towards a college football factory like Ohio State, Notre Dame or Penn State. But to hear BC's name in the mix was a pleasant surprise.
Wilkins isn't crucial to this year's class but he would be a huge get for Steve Addazio and his staff. According to Rivals, the 4* is the 52nd rated recruit in the entire country, and holds offers from almost every major program in the United States. The fact that BC got this far is pretty impressive, but of course that isn't going to be enough to get him. Don Brown (who is recruiting CT) is going to need to really let this kid know why he should choose Boston College, and that he is a top priority for this class. Have to imagine at this point the coaching staff has made that pretty clear for Wilkins.
But why would he be a huge get for BC? Because the Eagles still have a need for talented defensive tackles, moving forward BC will have Noa Merritt and Truman Guptafel (possibly others if there is a position change or recruits come in). Though the level of competition hasn't been great in Connecticut, Wilkins would almost certainly start and according to SB Nation's Bud Elliott and there is good reason why:
First, Wilkins has close to college-ready size at 6'4, 290. There is value in a prospect being close to his final size, because it offers certainty to the school with which he signs.
Wilkins shows a good motor and closes strong on the ball carrier. He is actually pretty good in space, but I do wonder how many of these space plays he will be able to make at the next level against BCS competition.
The Eagles are 24 recruits right now, so they are going to need to be picky on their final few spots. Obviously one of those has to be reserved for Wilkins. This is going to be one of the interesting recruiting battles moving forward, let's hope the Eagles can hold their own and bring in one of the highest rated recruits in recent memory.