The last weekend of 2024 without a college football game is now behind us. So, let’s getting ready for week 1 of the season with a Tight End and Wide Receiver preview.
The Eagles are returning 10 of the 12 wide receivers on the roster from last season. The go-to-guy last year for Castellanos was Lewis Bond. Bond finished the year with a team leading 650 yards as well as a team leading 7 touchdowns. The other top options for Castellanos were Dino Tomlin, son of Steelers’ Head Coach Mike Tomlin, and Joe Griffin. Tomlin finished the year with just over 300 receiving yards, and Griffin hauled in just shy of 350 yards and a touchdown. Griffin left Chestnut Hill for Wisconsin this offseason, so others will need to help fill his roll. Ryan O’Keefe was supposed to be a top weapon for Castellanos as they both transferred in from UCF together. However, O’Keefe only played in 5 games catching 1 touchdown with 235 yards receiving. O’Keefe suffered a scary neck injury against UVA last year which forced him into an early retirement from football. At the tight end position, Jeremiah Franklin showed glimpses of great athleticism, though only catching 1 touchdown with 135 yards receiving last season. The Eagles offense will look for him to take a jump forward with a bigger role in 2024.
Castellanos will have more options this season than just those returning guys. Jayden McGowan, the highly sought after Vanderbilt transfer, chose Boston College over South Carolina. McGowan is a shifty slot receiver that can help provide more depth. Another addition is Texas Tech transfer Jerald Bradley. Although Bradley wasn’t a huge producer for the Red Raiders last season, he was named to the preseason All-Big 12 team and led Tech in every receiving category in 2022. One other addition Eagles’ fans should be excited about is the Tight End from North Carolina, Kamari Morales. Morales had 67 catches for just over 750 yards and 10 touchdowns in his career in Chapel Hill. Having both Morales and Franklin at Tight End will help expand the Eagles’ passing attack. Bill O’Brien and the rest of the BC coaching staff will have plenty of weapons at their disposal for Castellanos to throw to this season, and a lot of chances for new faces to make an immediate impact.