Training camp is the time when players from all walks of the depth chart either bump up the rankings in the eyes of their coaches or fall down that ladder, which makes for some of the most entertaining competition all season long.
Before Boston College football’s 2026 fall camp officially opens up to the media on Wednesday, here is a list of the six players, three on offense and three on defense, that have the most to prove before the season officially arrives on Sept. 5 against Cincinnati.
Offense
No. 1: RB Bo MacCormack III
While Bill O’Brien managed to recruit one of the nation’s top running back transfers this offseason in former Liberty running back Evan Dickens, who is expected to take the majority of reps in the backfield, the offensive staff is likely hoping that MacCormack can take a massive leap in year two.
Just a true sophomore, the Buckingham Browne & Nichols product is the clear frontrunner to be the second option to Dickens this year — or even split carries at some point — but the Eagles have several options behind MacCormack who could certainly end up filtering into that slot if he doesn’t produce, such as Maryland transfer Nolan Ray and freshman Sedric Addison.
In 2025, MacCormack appeared in nine games, totaling 15 carries for 43 yards and a touchdown. He also registered 124 yards on seven kick returns, including a long of 23 yards.
With more rushing duties on his plate this year, I’d expect to see a decrease in his special-teams contributions, but more on that will be unveiled throughout camp.
No. 2: WR Reed Swanson
The former Colgate Raider was arguably the top wide receiver during the Eagles’ spring practices this offseason — albeit with Jaedn Skeete and Dawson Pough sidelined due to injury — and his 6-foot-6, 210-pound frame gives Mason McKenzie a reliable deep-ball and redzone threat.
But Swanson still has a lot to prove to himself and his coaches over the next couple of weeks, as going from the Patriot League to the ACC is no small jump.
Swanson boasts the potential to crack the starting lineup in a similar role to Reed Harris in 2025, but he will need to earn it, and now is that time.
No. 3: QB Mason McKenzie
This probably goes without saying, but McKenzie by far has the most to prove now that it is fully clear he is going to be the starter.
McKenzie is the reigning Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Player of the Year, which is the same honor that pertained to Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss last season, and he possesses a dynamic skillset as a true dual-threat quarterback, which O’Brien specifically sought out in the transfer portal apparently.
But the main question is whether or not size will be an issue, as McKenzie stands just a tad over six feet. He also threw 11 interceptions last year and has a career completion rate of 58 percent, which is mildly concerning but something that O’Brien and quarterbacks coach Jonathan DiBiaso can help him clean up.
Defense
No. 1: DE Kris Jones
Jones was a blue-chip recruit out of high school, but in two seasons at Georgia prior to transferring this winter, he was nothing more than a reserve player who often was put on the field during lopsided affairs, which UGA saw plenty of.
The Fairfax product now enters his third year in college football with both a chip on his shoulder and a legitimate opportunity to realize his potential.
At 6 feet 2 inches and 245 pounds, Jones’ build is nearly identical to former BC edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku, who is now a starter for the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles lacked a true edge rusher last season after Ezeiruaku was drafted that spring, but Jones seems like he could fit the part.
No. 2: DB Marcus Upton
Upton is currently a depth piece in the safety room, which is already filled with Preseason All-ACC selection KP Price and redshirt junior Carter Davis, who both have some of the most starting experience on BC’s roster this year.
Jared Shuster / BC Athletics
But the staff is extremely high on what Upton could end up being for the Eagles eventually, and he could potentially skip into that rotation as regularly as Davis if he plays his cards right this fall.
In nine games on special teams and as a reserve safety, the former top-20 recruit from New Jersey — and top-50 nationally at his position — manufactured 17 tackles, including one for loss. Against UConn alone last year, he tallied a career-high six tackles.
No. 3: DT Micah Amedee
In a similar vein to MacCormack for a couple of reasons, the Xaverian Brothers product had quite a promising start to his career on the Heights before suffering a season-ending injury, totaling five tackles, one sack, and one quarterback hit through five games, which included a start.
Eddie Shabomardenly / BC Athletics
While Amedee needs to beef up quite a bit, I could see him developing into that plug in the middle of the trenches that teams require to effectively stop the run, which BC struggled with drastically in 2025.
It’s also really nice to see a former local recruit attain success in his home state for his “home” team.
Follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky, and Instagram for the latest Boston College Athletics news.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
