Boston College Football

Madden Iamaleava is following in his older brother Nico Iamaleava’s footsteps and is reportedly committing to UCLA, per ESPN’s Chris Low.

The freshman quarterback began his college career at Arkansas but is heading west to join his brother after entering the NCAA transfer portal.

Madden was previously committed to UCLA in May 2024 before changing course and signing with Arkansas during the early signing period on Dec. 4, per ESPN's Eli Lederman.

His exit from the Razorbacks comes just one day after his older brother, Nico Iamaleava, announced his commitment to UCLA out of the transfer portal. Nico spent two seasons at Tennessee but reportedly had a dispute over NIL compensation with the program.

Just over a week ago, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel confirmed the Volunteers were moving on from Nico after the quarterback missed a Friday practice and team meetings without notifying the staff.

According to ESPN’s Chris Low, Nico had been seeking at least $4 million in NIL earnings after previously making $2.4 million.

Madden will enter the Bruins program with four years of eligibility remaining.

HEIGHT: 6'4"

WEIGHT: 308

HAND: 9⅝"

ARM: 31¾"

WINGSPAN: 77½"

40-YARD DASH: 5.05

3-CONE: 7.56

SHUTTLE: 4.51

VERTICAL: 30.5"

BROAD: 8'9"

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POSITIVES

— Good athletic ability, body control and movement skills.

— Does a very good job closing space, lining up and intersecting targets on climbs and pulls.

— Solid anchoring ability using a series of small hop-backs with the mobility, tight hands and strain to die slowly against the bull-rush.

— Efficient zone run blocker with a firm understanding of leverage, timing and leverage to stick on blocks.

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NEGATIVES

— Sawed off frame with mediocre sand, girth and mass.

— Below-average power leaves him stacked and stalemated against bigger, hulking defensive tackles when isolated in the run game.

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NOTES

— 4-star recruit from the 2021 class, per 247Sports

— Son of Pete Kendall, former Boston College and NFL guard with 193 pro starts

— 37 career starts at center

— Team captain

— 2024: AP First-team All-ACC selection

— Accepted his invite to the 2025 Shrine Bowl

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OVERALL

Drew Kendall is a three-year starter at center including 13 starts in 2024 as a team captain inside Boston College's run-heavy (64-36 run-pass split) multiple-run scheme. Kendall has mediocre arm length with evenly dispersed weight throughout his frame, good athletic ability and solid play strength.

Kendall is an efficient zone run blocker with good quickness, leverage, and sustain skills to execute combos effectively, climb, pull, and intersect targets on the move. He does a nice job steering defenders away from the ball to secure rush lanes and not fall off of blocks cleanly, very often. Kendall will get stacked and stalemated on back blocks due to middling power and length, but he has the mobility and strength in his lower half to dissipate momentum enough to not get blown up.

In pass protection Kendall has a solid anchor to grind down the bull-rush and die slowly with the hand-fighting skills and grip strength to stay inside and underneath of rushers. His lack of girth, mass and length leaves him vulnerable to getting picked by penetrators and creates soft edges that moves across his face can exploit but his active hands and feet keeps him in the fight and give him a shot to recover.

Overall, Kendall has below-average size and power but is an athletic, sticky run blocker with solid play strength to anchor who can carve out a role as a backup center with the sustain skills to compete for a starting job inside a zone-based run scheme.

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GRADE: 6.5 (Potential Role Player - Round 4)

OVERALL RANK: 170

POSITION RANK: IOL16

PRO COMPARISON: Greg Mancz

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

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Prospect workout numbers, measurables (40-yard dash, hand size, etc.) and 2024 statistics will be added at a later date.

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 248

HAND: 9¼”

ARM: 34"

WINGSPAN: 83¾”

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3-CONE: 6.94

SHUTTLE: 4.19

VERTICAL: 35.5"

BROAD: 9'11"

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POSITIVES

— Great production as a pass-rusher.

— Sets up his pass rush moves well by stemming inside and using a euro-step to win outside or vice versa.

— Has several moves he can win with: cross-chop, dip-rip, arm-over, and ghost rush.

— Very good bend at the top of the rush to corner, it looks easy and natural for him.

— Physical at the point of attack and takes on blocks with his hands to be an effective run defender against tight ends.

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NEGATIVES

— Undersized and lacks the strength to hold up against offensive linemen as a run defender in the NFL.

— Has a habit of working around blocks or leaving his gap early against the run.

— Lack of size and strength also shows up when trying to turn speed to power as a pass-rusher.

— Not very explosive off the line to win with speed around the edge.

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NOTES

— 3-star recruit in the 2021 class, per 247Sports

— No major injuries

— 2024: ACC Defensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-ACC

— 2022: Second-Team All-ACC

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OVERALL

Donovan Ezeiruaku was one of the best pass-rushers in the country this year with 16.5 sacks and several multi-sack performances during the regular season. He was also productive in 2022 (8.5 sacks) but had a down year as a junior, getting to the quarterback just twice.

Ezeiruaku wins by setting up his pass-rush moves, stemming inside or outside and using a euro-step to cover ground laterally and get to the other side. His primary moves are cross-chop and dip-rip and his bend borders the elite category to win around the edge. Also, he has a couple of good counters with an inside arm-over/swim move and ghost rush.

The biggest issues with the Boston College product as a rusher are he lacks burst off the line to win with speed, his quickness is more average than good for someone of his size, and he's undersized and doesn't have the strength to turn speed to power.

The lack of size and strength will also impact Ezeiruaku as a run defender at the next level. He's physical and can hold his own against tight ends, but NFL offensive tackles can push him around and prevent him from setting the edge.

Because of that, he'll be more of a third-down rusher at first and needs to spend more time in the weight room before becoming a complete defender.

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GRADE: 7.4 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter — 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 64

POSITION RANK: EDGE10

PRO COMPARISON: Nick Herbig

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

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Prospect workout numbers, measurables (40-yard dash, hand size, etc.) and 2024 statistics will be added at a later date.

Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos didn't spend too much time celebrating his team's upset victory over No. 10 Florida State on Monday night, as he needed to prepare for classes on Tuesday.

"I go to Boston College, so we got class tomorrow," Castellanos said when asked about his week following the game.

Taylor Tannebaum: After a big win like this … what does this week look like for you?

Thomas Castellanos: "I go to Boston College, so we got class tomorrow." 😂 pic.twitter.com/Qz8rcdsvkK

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) September 3, 2024

The 21-year-old excelled through the air and on the ground during Boston College's 28-13 win over Florida State, handing the Seminoles their second consecutive loss to begin the 2024 season.

Castellanos completed 10 of his 16 pass attempts for 106 yards and two touchdowns. He also added a third score as a runner, picking up 73 yards on 14 attempts. The Eagles dominated the Seminoles' front seven, recording 263 rush yards as a team and controlling the clock throughout the duration of the contest.

Boston College's defense also made a strong impression, as Florida State signal-caller DJ Uiagalelei was sacked three times and threw an interception near the start of the second half.

MAX TUCKER. INTERCEPTION. 🤯💨

📺 @espn x @BCFootball pic.twitter.com/900REPnxyu

— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) September 3, 2024

The Eagles got off to a commendable start under new head coach Bill O'Brien. The former Houston Texans head coach and New England Patriots offensive coordinator was hired by the school on Feb. 9 after he initially joined Ohio State as the Buckeyes' offensive coordinator.

"I'm very proud of these guys," O'Brien said after Monday's win, per Bob Ferrante of the Associated Press. "They were resilient tonight. To come down here against a team that really in their minds had to have this win, that's a heck of a statement for BC. But it's just one win."

Castellanos and the Eagles will attempt to start the season 2-0 as they face off against Duquesne on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 185

HAND: 9¼"

ARM: 31½"

WINGSPAN: 76"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.44

3-CONE: 7.07

SHUTTLE: 4.25

VERTICAL: 42.5"

BROAD: 10'11"

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POSITIVES

— Very good with route recognition. Shows necessary vision in zone to identify routes.

— Good footwork in backpedal, with the ability to stop and start. Shows good burst and acceleration out of breaks.

— Shows positional versatility, playing from outside and nickel cornerback position.

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NEGATIVES

— Can struggle getting out of breaks at times. Wasted step and slower processing.

— Hip tightness shows up at times. Lacks fluidity to flip his hips and run.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 9 G, 25 TOT, 1 FF, 5 INT, 8 PD

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NOTES

— Born Jan. 8, 2000

— 34 career starts

— 3-star recruit in the 2018 class, per 247Sports

— 2023 first-team All-ACC

— 2022 All-ACC honorable mention

— Senior Bowl invite

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OVERALL

Elijah Jones is a lengthy cornerback who has a ton of collegiate experience. He held his own and did a great job of competing at the Senior Bowl, too. Though other cornerbacks performed better, he was able to show his length and straight-line speed that week.

When playing in coverage, Jones has the versatility to play from both the outside and nickel spot. While outside, he does best when he's able to open up and stay on top of routes. He has the speed to carry receivers deep and the ball skills to remain calm and play through the receiver's hands. He also shows the necessary vision and route recognition to quickly process and react to what he sees. When in off coverage, he can struggle at times to get out of breaks, having a wide base and wasted steps before transitioning.

When playing against the run, Jones does a very good job of identifying and quickly coming up to support. He makes quick, decisive reads, but he lacks the strength and physicality when taking on blocks. He gets pushed around at times and relies best on his quickness to beat blocks in space. When tackling, he shows little to no fear and chops ball-carriers down at the legs.

Jones is an experienced player who proved more than capable throughout his collegiate career. He looks to be best when in zone coverage, where he is able to use his vision and anticipation. Ultimately, he'll provide depth on the outside as well as from the nickel.

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GRADE: 6.1 (High-Level Developmental Prospect — 5th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 159

POSITION RANK: CB21

PRO COMPARISON: Bryce Hall

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

Former Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone has joined Boston College as the Eagles' senior analyst for football strategy/research, per ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Marrone will work under new BC head coach Bill O'Brien, who was most recently the New England Patriots offensive coordinator.

Those two worked together on the Georgia Tech staff from 1996-1998 and again in 2021 at Alabama, where O'Brien was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach and Marrone coached the offensive line.

Marrone, 59, led the Bills in 2013 and 2014 after parlaying a successful 2012 campaign as Syracuse's head coach (8-5 record, Pinstripe Bowl win) into an NFL gig.

The Bills went 6-10 in 2013 but improved to 9-7 in 2014. However, Marrone triggered an "out" clause in his contract, which was activated after an ownership change to Terry and Kim Pegula in October 2014.

Marrone landed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as assistant head coach and offensive line coach in 2015. Near the end of the 2016 season, he took over as interim head coach following the firing of Gus Bradley.

Marrone then became the full-time head coach in 2017 and proceeded to lead Jacksonville as close to the Super Bowl as it's ever been. The 2017 Jags, which had a dominant defense nicknamed "Sacksonville," led 20-10 in the AFC Championship Game at the New England Patriots before the Pats came back to win.

It all fell apart in Jacksonville from that moment forward, with the team going 12-36 over his next three seasons, including a 1-15 mark in 2020.

Jacksonville parted ways with Marrone after that season, and he landed with Alabama for a year before becoming the New Orleans Saints offensive line coach in 2022 and 2023. The Saints then parted with Marrone after the season.

Now Marrone is back in college, where he coached from 1992-2001 as an assistant at six different stops before heading to Syracuse as its head coach from 2009-2012.

Bill O'Brien's tenure as offensive coordinator of the Ohio State Buckeyes did not last very long, and for good reason.

O'Brien has finalized an agreement to be the new head coach at Boston College Friday, a deal that was announced by the school.

Bill O’Brien is official at BC pic.twitter.com/k1Dx4mg5t0

— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) February 9, 2024

ESPN's Pete Thamel originally reported the sides were "working toward a deal" earlier Friday.

O'Brien was named the Buckeyes' offensive coordinator under head coach Ryan Day in mid-January, but now he appears set to take over the head coaching vacancy in Chestnut Hill left by Jeff Hafley.

Hafley exited Boston College late last month to become defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers. He became the head coach of the Eagles in 2020 and led the program to a 22-26 record in his four seasons.

Boston College finished the 2023 campaign with a 7-6 record, including a win over SMU in the Fenway Bowl.

O'Brien taking over as head coach of the Eagles is a no-brainer given his local ties. He was born in Boston, grew up in Massachusetts and spent several seasons as an assistant with the New England Patriots.

The 54-year-old's first stint in New England began in 2007 when he served as an offensive assistant. He was the franchise's wide receivers coach in 2008, quarterbacks coach from 2009 to 2010 and offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2011.

O'Brien returned to the Patriots in 2023 as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach following Josh McDaniels' departure, though his offense was one of the worst in the NFL in part due to a struggling Mac Jones.

Landing the Boston College job marks O'Brien's second stint as a collegiate head coach. He previously served as head coach at Penn State from 2012-2013, leading the program to a 15-9 record in that span.

O'Brien likely won't be under nearly as much pressure as head coach of the Eagles, which have struggled to compete with the likes of powerhouses in Florida State and Clemson in the ACC.

At Ohio State, O'Brien would have been under a microscope as pressure on Day and his staff continues to mount despite an 11-2 finish to the 2023 season. The Buckeyes fell to Michigan and missed the Big Ten championship game for a third straight season and subsequently missed out on a berth in the College Football Playoff.

With O'Brien leaving the program after less than one month on the staff, Ohio State has turned its attention to UCLA head coach Chip Kelly, who is expected to be named as O'Brien's replacement, per Bruce Feldman of The Athletic.

HEIGHT: 6'3"

WEIGHT: 314

HAND: 10½"

ARM: 33½"

WINGSPAN: 81⅝"

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40-YARD DASH: 5.13

3-CONE: 7.81

SHUTTLE: 4.53

VERTICAL: 32.5"

BROAD: 9'1"

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POSITIVES

— Delivers jarring, rattling power on contact to crater and displace his target.

— Violent, physical playing style with a bully mentality as a finisher.

— Excels covering up, lifting and uprooting defenders on combo and double-team blocks with solid quickness to line up and delete targets on his climb.

— Asset as a puller and on screens with the movement skills and square power to create alleys off of his back.

— Stiff, strong hands in pass protection to stymie rushers on contact with a firm anchor to absorb power.

— Flashes the recovery quickness to stay attached with the length to press and widen defenders off of his edges.

— Dishes out crushing body blows when uncovered in pass protection to clear the pocket.

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NEGATIVES

— Inconsistent footwork and tardy strike timing against post-snap movement, slants and gap exchanges leaves him behind his target.

— Bites on stutters and hesitations in pass protection, causing him to drift and overset against crafty, widely aligned rushers.

— Needs to play with more patience and tact rather than looking for kill shots.

— Questionable spatial awareness on slides leads to losing levels, spacing and creating gaps.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 12 starts at right guard

— First-team All-ACC (AP)

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NOTES

— Born Oct. 11, 2000

— 3-star recruit from the 2019 class, per 247Sports

— 34 career starts split between left (11) and right (23) guard

— Missed the 2022 season due to a torn ACL suffered during a home workout

— Accepted an invite to the East/West Shrine Bowl

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OVERALL

Christian Mahogany is a three-year starter inside Boston College's 60-40 run-pass split, motion-heavy, play-action based scheme centered around a downhill, multiple run game featuring duo, power and inside zone.

Mahogany is a home-run-hitting presence on the interior with the size, power and bully mentality to unseat and punish defenders on contact. This translates most on down blocks, double-teams, inside zone combo blocks and as a puller.

Mahogany has solid athletic ability to get to landmarks and into fits on time, covering up first-level defenders before creating lift and movement with heavy hands. He has the necessary quickness to track and intersect targets on climbs, pulls and screens with the size and power to erase smaller defenders.

Things get dicey for Mahogany against post-snap movement, slants and gap exchanges due to inconsistent footwork and tardy strike timing, leaving him behind his target and losing cleanly across his face. He needs to add more patience and tact to his game to level out his default aggressive mentality.

In pass protection, Mahogany uses stiff, strong hands to stymie rushers with his initial punch, and he has a naturally strong anchor to grind down the bull rush. When he maintains the inside-out relationship on rushers and/or squares them up, his length, thick build and strength can take over, but he is too easily manipulated out of position against stutters and hesitations against wide rush alignments. He is an asset when uncovered, looking for work with a vengeance to deliver crushing body blows, but he needs to work on his spacing and depth to better maintain levels and prevent penetration from loopers.

Overall, Mahogany is a big, powerful, tone-setting presence at guard who can impose his will in a downhill, vertical based run game centered around RPOs and play action. However, he will need to learn to add patience and polish to his footwork to become more of a steady presence rather than a pure bouncer.

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GRADE: 7.2 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter — 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 64

POSITION RANK: IOL10

PRO COMPARISON: Robert Hunt

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

Boston College defeated No. 24 SMU 23-14 in the Fenway Bowl on Thursday, marking the school's first bowl win since 2016.

The Eagles' last bowl victory was against Maryland in the Quick Lane Bowl. They had failed to secure a win on two occasions since, with the most recent occurrence being a loss to Cincinnati in the Birmingham Bowl at the end of the 2019 season.

Dual-threat quarterback Thomas Castellanos continued his strong play against SMU. He threw for a modest 102 yards in the rain while tossing an interception, although most of his damage to the Mustangs' defense was done on the ground. Castellanos rushed for 155 yards on 21 attempts, finding the end zone twice.

threw him a curveball in the zone. pic.twitter.com/Ty2WJX7CV8

— Boston College Football (@BCFootball) December 28, 2023

Eagles fans were ecstatic about his performance as well as the win, especially since it came against an SMU team that entered the contest riding a nine-game winning streak.

The Boston College Eagles are Wasabi Fenway Bowl champions!@BCFootball | @wasabi_cloud pic.twitter.com/WaEQsPxw3U

— Wasabi Fenway Bowl (@FenwayBowl) December 28, 2023

this is our city. pic.twitter.com/iU3SEpQZBN

— Boston College Football (@BCFootball) December 28, 2023

Congrats guys. A W much deserved.

— 𝙍𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙃3𝙖𝙙™ (@RoosterH3ad) December 28, 2023

BOSTON COLLEGE WINS THE RAINY FENWAY BOWL!! pic.twitter.com/UvpBvWZLUU

— Sickos Committee (@SickosCommittee) December 28, 2023

Boston College wins their first bowl game since 2016🦅 pic.twitter.com/4albLqkCJQ

— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 28, 2023

BC hasn't won a bowl game against a ranked team since 2001 I SEE YOU EAGS

Castellanos rules

— Grant Salzano (@Salzano14) December 28, 2023

Mr. Brightside being sung at Fenway Park on the way to a Boston College win!

Who’s got it better than us??

— BC Interruption (@bcinterruption) December 28, 2023

With that touchdown, Thomas Castellanos now sets the BC record for QB touchdowns in a season with 12, Surpassing Tyler Murphy's 11 in 2014.

— Brett (@brettrid3r) December 28, 2023

Boston College QB Thomas Castellanos in the Fenway Bowl:

🦅 21 Rush Attempts
🦅 155 Rushing Yards
🦅 2 Touchdowns pic.twitter.com/GLqWBRUfEy

— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 28, 2023

The Mustangs were admittedly shorthanded, as standout quarterback Preston Stone missed the game after suffering a season-ending leg injury against Navy in the team's final regular season contest. Backup Kevin Jennings filled in admirably as he threw for 191 yards and a touchdown, although he completed just 50 percent of his passes. SMU has not won a bowl game since 2012.

After finishing the season poorly as the Eagles lost their final three games, Boston College fans couldn't have asked for a much better end to the program's 2023 campaign.