National Signing Day 2016: Analyzing The Boston College Class

The Boston College Recruiting Class of 2016 is in. The numbers are crunched, and the data has been analyzed so let's take a look at how Boston College stacked up in terms of their recruiting (keep in mind there are a few elite recruits still making decisions, but they aren't ending up here, so it shouldn't effect BC's rankings).

The Rankings

Rivals Class Ranking: 79

247 Class Ranking: 76

Scout Class Ranking: 70

Power 5 Schools That Had A Class Ranking Lower Than BC: Rutgers, Kansas,

2015 Rivals Class Ranking: 47
2014 Rivals Class Ranking: 42

Biggest Score (Offense)

Anthony Brown (QB) - He was clearly the most sought after recruit BC had this year on offense, as many other schools, like Syracuse, went after him hard at the end of the year. Not only was Addazio able to keep him aboard, but got him to come in early. He threw for 1660 yards last year with 25 touchdowns and only three interceptions, also gaining much attention at the Elite 11 camp where he almost made the final grouping. Now the biggest question points to his role this season. With BC struggling so mightily at quarterback last year, will they throw him into the mix, or will a combination of Darius Wade and Patrick Towles suffice?

Honorable mentions: Kobay White, Tom Kowalkoski

Biggest Score (Defense)

Bryce Morais (DE) - Look, the easy answer to this question might have been Ethan Tucky, who might end up being the biggest prize in this entire class. But I looked at Morais as the biggest score, and here is why. Throughout this entire process Morais seemed to be a soft commit, someone who could end up at another school if the pitch was right. He was getting a lot of attention from local programs, but he stuck firm, even after Don Brown left. Tucky, on the other hand, seemed like a BC guy throughout the process. Morais might be a steal.

Honorable mentions: Ethan Tucky, Max Richardson

Biggest Surprise

No running backs: During his press conference today, Steve Addazio said that they weren't over-committing themselves to finding a running back in this class, because they didn't want to have too many players in the backfield. I don't agree with him on this. Last year BC was down to Tyler Rouse and a dinged up Myles Willis by the end of the season. They proceeded to lose Marcus Outlow and Jordin Gowins this offseason, giving them just three healthy backs (Hilliman, Rouse and Willis) going into 2016. Now the answer may be slotting Richard Wilson over at the HB slot like they did at the end of the year, or going after a 5th year transfer to add depth. I'm just surprised that Addazio didn't want to repeat a mistake made in 2015, and leave arguably his most valued position in such a precarious state.

Maybe this was all part of a bigger plan though. The biggest name on BC's board going into 2017 has to be local 4* RB AJ Dillon, who could arguably be BC's biggest get in years. If BC wants to sell him on playing time, leaving a year bumper between commits (two if you consider that Gowins is gone) it would certainly show Dillon they are committed to that. The coaching staff had better be going all in on him.

Biggest Disappointment

Not Closing On The Big Tight End: This is not meant as a knock at all at Korab Idrizi or Ray Marten, but BC lost out on two good tight ends as Scooter Harrington and Danny Dalton slipped through their grasps during the recruiting process. Dalton has the potential to be elite, and Harrington was a legacy, but Addazio and Co. failed to close on both. BC clearly needs to have some pass catching tight ends, which they may have got in the guys that committed, but it certainly seems like they missed on some great options here.

Overall Grade: C-

If you are going to look at the rankings, and the grades given to the recruits themselves, you have to be disappointed with how the 2016 class came out. BC failed to secure a single 4* recruit this year, and lost many of their top commits late in the process. Could this be because of the horrific 2015 season? Possibly. Could it be because of the staffing shake up? Definitely had something to do with it. Might it have to do with the lack of facility upgrades compared to other schools? These all have to factor into how this entire class came together. Just like on the field 2016 is going to be the make or break year for head coach Steve Addazio. Can he show that at least ratings wise 2016 was an anomaly? We will have to wait and see.