We wrap up our series looking at the strongest and weakest position for each team in the ACC with Boston College.
Strongest position: Linebacker.
The Eagles return two of their starters from a year ago, and they are going to try to build their defense around them. Steele Divitto and Kevin Pierre-Louis are going to be relied upon to be the leaders of this group as it takes on a more aggressive scheme under new coordinator Don Brown. Anybody who watched UConn over the last several years saw how their linebackers thrived in the scheme. Divitto and Pierre-Louis were extremely productive a year ago and have the opportunity to be even better now. Divitto finished second on the team with 92 tackles, while Pierre-Louis finished fifth with 85. Leading tackler Nick Clancy is gone, but the Eagles do return six of their top seven players on the depth chart from a year ago.
Weakest position: Running back.
Coach Steve Addazio has said the depth is alarming here, and for good reason. Andre Williams established himself as the No. 1 back with a terrific spring practice, but there really is nobody reliable behind him at this point. Rolandan Finch is gone, while Tahj Kimble is coming off a knee injury and his status for practice remains up in the air. David Dudeck is the backup going into August, so it seems pretty clear the Eagles are going to have to rely on the two running backs they signed in February to play immediately. Addazio has said repeatedly he wants to be a physical team and to establish the run first. But he does not have the types of backs he did at Temple a year ago. Still, Williams did show potential this spring. Just a little more depth would help this group out tremendously.
For more on this series, click here.
