“We talk a lot about that,” O’Brien said. “The City of Boston, Boston College, taking pride in putting this jersey on. What it means to be in this city.”
On Day 1 of training camp Wednesday outside Fish Field House, the Eagles resembled a team ready to put last year behind them and start fresh.
The Eagles, who open the season Sept. 5 at Cincinnati, are sick of talking about their shortcomings.
“Not to bring up last season, but we were 2-10,” said defensive back Carter Davis. “Anybody who’s coming here, you know that as soon as you step foot on Boston College, everybody is going to look down on us because of what we put on tape last year. Even though we were 2-10, we were in a lot of games. That’s the past.”
Here are five story lines from Day 1:
Great expectations for Dickens
After establishing himself as one of the best running backs in the country last year at Liberty, Evan Dickens is eager to prove his skill set translates to the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Dickens (229 carries, 1,339 yards, 16 touchdowns in 2025) knows he is capable of even more.
“I’m looking forward to mimicking or even having a better season this year,” Dickens said. “I’m still hungry, I’m not satisfied, and I’m going to keep climbing.”
Dickens said he came to BC to learn from O’Brien and move closer toward his dream of playing in the National Football League. He called new running backs coach Mike Hart “a real joy” and said he spends a lot of time in meeting rooms picking his brain.
This year, Dickens plans to diversify his arsenal and make strides as a receiver and blocker. Dickens, a 5-foot-10-inch, 195-pound junior, has a chance to bolster an inconsistent run game that placed 15th in the ACC in yards per game last season.
“I know Coach O’Brien likes to run the ball,” Dickens said. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to take pride in the run game. You’ve got to set the tone for the game.”
With promising tight end Kaelan Chudzinski sidelined (Achilles), opportunity is there for Bryce Lewis, Zeke Moore, Brady Clough, and Danny Edgehille.
Moore, who has established himself as a leader and glue guy, will likely see more of a role as a pass catcher. Lewis, who is transitioning from defensive line, has excellent size (6-6, 245 pounds).
“Bryce has done a really good job of picking up the system, knowing how to run routes, understanding the run game and the protections,” O’Brien said. “Very smart guy.”
Defenses are often ahead of offenses early in camp, and Wednesday was no exception.
Transfers Anthony Palano (Washington State linebacker), Bodie Kahoun (Notre Dame linebacker), and Kris Jones (Georgia defensive end) will try to fortify a defense that struggled last season.
With 26 transfers, opportunities are there for newcomers to make a splash immediately. The Eagles allowed the most yards per play (6.5), yards per game (433.3), and touchdowns (48) last season, so there is plenty of room for improvement.
“They’re showing they belong here,” Davis said of the transfers. “They’re coming here to work.”
O’Brien said the plan is to increase full-speed work from 60 minutes to 70 and so on, until about 100, to minimize injuries as much as possible.
While the on-field product was largely lackluster last season, injuries did play a major role. Wide receiver Jaedn Skeete and defensive back Syair Torrence were back in action Wednesday.
“There’s nothing more important than the health of the team,” O’Brien said. “From a timing standpoint, we have to make sure we stay on track with that.”
O’Brien is not a fan of the lack of structure and stability in the current NCAA landscape.
He believes the “trickle out” of rules needs to change. At the same time, if athletes from the 2022 recruiting class become eligible to return to college football, O’Brien would have no choice but to take a closer look.
“Would we be opposed to guys coming back? No, not necessarily,” O’Brien said. “If the guy wanted to come back, to improve the football team, I mean, yeah. But this trickling out of rules is just crazy.”
Trevor Hass can be reached at trevor.hass@globe.com. Follow him on X @TrevorHass.
