Tag: Jeff Hafley

BC’s Jeff Hafley talks Rutgers football’s defense: ‘their secondary is very talented’

Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley breaks down the Rutgers football defense ahead of Saturday’s season opener.

The strength of this Rutgers football team is likely going to be their defense. Ahead of Saturday’s game at Boston College and a good offense, it will need to be the defense that steps up if Rutgers has any hopes of winning on the road.

This week, Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley was asked about the Rutgers defense and he said he expects the unit to be improved. A season ago, Rutgers was No. 11 in the Big Ten in total defense and scoring defense.

Against a Boston College offense that is solid and boasts two future NFL players in quarterback Phil Jurkovec and wide receiver Zay Flowers, the Scarlet Knights defense will have to be impeccable.

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Hafley, in talking with the Boston College media this week, talked his impressions of the Rutgers defense. It starts with what he says is a solid secondary.

“Their secondary is good. I think they got all four back the two safeties, I think are really talented guys,” Hafley said.

“(Christian Izien) plays with his hair on fire. I think he’s a tough kid, reads the run well. He comes downhill, he puts it off the edge. I think (Avery Young) is the other safety. Very talented, very athletic. I think he played corner at one point. I think both of the corners are really talented. They got good size and length. They both got good technique. To me both, I think they have a chance to be NFL guys. I think their secondary is very talented.

“Up front, they’ll be better. They got some guys coming back. He began to middle and then you know they their linebacker situation. You know their linebacker, situation they don’t have a ton of experience there.”

Hafley was also asked about the Rutgers situation on offense where the quarterback situation has not publicly been made known. Head coach Greg Schiano has not released the team’s starting quarterback yet.

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Jeff Hafley praises Rutgers freshman quarterback Gavin Wimsatt: ‘That guy is a baller…that guy is gonna be a star’

Rutgers football quarterback Gavin Wimsatt makes an impression on Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley.

A starting quarterback has not yet been named by Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano ahead of Saturday’s season opener at Boston College. But that hasn’t stopped Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley from being impressed with the quarterback competition at Rutgers while singling out Gavin Wimsatt for some pretty heady praise.

Wimsatt, a redshirt freshman quarterback, played in four games last season for the Scarlet Knights. He is engaged in a quarterback competition with incumbent starter Noah Vedral and redshirt sophomore Evan Simon.

Acknowledging that he is uncertain what direction Rutgers might go on Saturday in terms of who starts at quarterback, Hafley gave a detailed rundown of the trio of quarterbacks his team could face. Wimsatt in particular got some impressive analysis from Hafley, who is now entering his third season at Boston College.

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The comments from Hafley ring a bit more authentic than simple coach speak days ahead of playing a game.

“The freshman, to me that guy was when you watch him doing in the games he came into last year as a high school senior to the spring game, the development he’s had – that guy is a baller,” Hafley told reporters on Tuesday about Wimsatt.

“He’s big fast, got good feet, he can swing. That guy is gonna be a star.”

Wimsatt, a former four-star recruit, graduated high school early…very early in fact. After playing the first three games of his high school season for Owensboro High School (Owensboro, KY), he enrolled at Rutgers last September.

He played in four games, including the second half of the Gator Bowl against Wake Forest.

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As for Vedral and Simon, Hafley certainly sounded the good talking points about the other two viable options on the Rutgers roster. Hafley called Vedral “a great leader.”

“He can run the offense really well. He can run the ball, He can throw the ball. I respect how tough he is,” Hafley said. “And you can see he took some shots. You know, he gets back up. I think he’s a really good player.”

Given that Schiano has yet to name a starter for Saturday’s opener, Hafley doesn’t know which quarterback will get the nod against Boston College. He says that he has an opinion of what Schiano will do, but it is just that, an opinion.

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As for the third quarterback in the mix, Hafley sounded a positive impression about Simon as well. Last season, Simon came in and looked solid in relief duty on several occasions, showing a strong arm and some solid decision-making ability in difficult circumstances.

“He throws the ball really well, really accurate,” Hafley said about Simon. “He has good presence in the pocket.”

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Boston College’s Jeff Hafley on Rutgers football: ‘I think I’ll see an improved team’

Jeff Hafley expects Rutgers football to be improved in 2022.

Jeff Halfley has spent time on the staff with Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano both in the college ranks and the NFL. It gives the Boston College head coach a unique perspective on his opponent and their rebuilding project ahead of his team hosting Rutgers this Saturday in the season opener for both teams.

For Hafley, now in his third season at Boston College, there is the belief that a 6-6 record a season ago will be a building block for the program as a whole. In the return of Schiano, also in his third year back with Rutgers, there is a similar hope to build on a Gator Bowl appearance a year ago.

Rutgers, in terms of rebuilding projects, was in a much deeper hole than Boston College was three years ago. The Scarlet Knights, simply put, had some of the worst talent of any Power Five program.

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For Hafley, who spent time on staff at Rutgers under Schiano and then followed him to the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it is clear that Rutgers is building and will be improved from their 5-8 record a season ago.

“You know, I think I’ll see an improved team,” Hafley said on BC Sports Today.

“They brought in a lot of transfers, just about the whole offensive line. I think they brought in several wide receivers, so they bolstered up their offensive firepower.

“Not really sure who’s gonna play quarterback. It’s kind of been a three-headed monster looks like in their camp. I think we have a pretty good feel of maybe one or two who we think it will be, but we’ll have to be prepared for that. And then defensively, (the same thing), they have a lot of new players.”

Hafley’s understanding of Schiano (and vice-versa) certainly adds another level of intrigue to this match-up. For one season, in 2011, Hafley was the defensive backs coach at Rutgers and he helped develop players such as Duron Harmon and Logan Ryan.

Also making this an interesting game is the fact that this is a bit of a rivalry dating back to the old Big East days. Not a heated rivalry mind you (and one that is certainly lopsided in the direction of Boston College, but there is some history between the two programs).

It is also a game that has big implications for both schools when it comes to recruiting. Boston College and Rutgers overlap a lot when it comes to geographical recruiting, in particular at the parochials in north Jersey.

Boston College has a solid 2023 recruiting class, ranked No. 43 in the nation by 247Sports.

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As for the actual game planning involved, Hafley understands the DNA of what this Schiano-coached team and rebuild will look like. He sees the program trending in the right direction.

“You know, I know coach Schiano was a defensive guy, a special teams guy. They’re going to play hard,” Hafley said.

“They’re going to be aggressive. They’ll be fundamentally sound they’ll attack the football, they’ll be great special teams. He’s got it (to) where it’s going to climb.”

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‘Just inches away’: Boston College coach not buying Clemson’s offensive woes

When it comes to those on the outside of Clemson’s football program who might think Clemson’s offense won’t be able to figure it out, don’t count Boston College coach Jeff Hafley among them. Hafley and his coaching staff have been poring over tape …

When it comes to those on the outside of Clemson’s football program who might think Clemson’s offense won’t be able to figure it out, don’t count Boston College coach Jeff Hafley among them.

Hafley and his coaching staff have been poring over tape of the Tigers this week in preparation for Boston College’s matchup with No. 19 Clemson on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. And despite Clemson (2-2, 1-1 ACC) being ranked in the triple digits in most national offensive categories statistically, Hafley said the film he’s watched of the Tigers’ first four games shows signs of an offense that’s close to breaking out.

“I know right now their record is not what everyone is used to seeing at Clemson, but just turn on the tape and watch them,” Hafley told reporters Tuesday. “At least from a defensive standpoint watching their offense, they’re just inches away. I mean, five thrown passes that are just misses or they dropped them or the (running) back cut missed a cutback that they’re scoring and they’re scoring and they’re scoring (if that happens).

“I respect the scheme, I respect the players, and this will be a big test in a hostile environment. And I’m pretty sure we’re going to get their best on Saturday night.”

It will be the second trip in as many years to Clemson for Hafley’s team, which put a scare in the Tigers last year. With D.J. Uiagalelei filling in for Trevor Lawrence at quarterback because of COVID-19 protocols, the Eagles led Clemson by 18 points in the first half before the Tigers rallied for a 34-28 win.

For Hafley, it will be the third straight season he’s had a direct hand in trying to stop Clemson’s offense. He spent the 2019 season as Ohio State’s co-defensive coordinator when the Buckeyes lost to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl as part of the College Football Playoff, so he’s all too familiar with what the Tigers are capable of even if some of the personnel has changed.

“They’re getting a lot of undeserved criticism because, guys, it’s inches,” Hafley said. “(Uiagalelei) is a good player. (Justyn) Ross is back. I have experience going up against him. He’s a great widoeut. And then they’ve got (Joseph Ngata), (E.J. Williams) and (Frank Ladson Jr.). I know their running back (Will Shipley) is out, but (Kobe Pace) is a good player.

“They’re one of the most talented teams in America with good coaches. So we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!

Hafley ‘still pissed’ about Clemson loss

Clemson continues to be the one that got away for Jeff Hafley and his Boston College team. Following a close game last season, where the Eagles led for more than half of the contest, but ultimately came up short, Hafley is ready for his team to have …

Clemson continues to be the one that got away for Jeff Hafley and his Boston College team.

Following a close game last season, where the Eagles led for more than half of the contest, but ultimately came up short, Hafley is ready for his team to have another go at the Tigers.

Despite the disappointing loss in 2020, the second-year ACC head coach hopes to change the narrative this time around when they make the trip to Death Valley for the second year in a row this fall.

“We were 35-point underdogs going into that game,” Hafley said. “I think they [Boston College] lost by 50-something points two years back-to-back. I just want my guys to go down and play as hard as they can and compete as hard as they can and not worry about the scoreboard and just be confident.”

“Kids from Georgia turned the game on, kids from the Carolinas turned the game on and it opened up a lot of new doors,” he added. “But we lost, right, we still lost. I’m still pissed about it.”

While the loss to Clemson still hurts, the Eagles’ head coach couldn’t help but but praise the performance freshman quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei put on when he was called upon late in the week to be the starter at quarterback for the Tigers.

“What impressed me so much about D.J. was that he didn’t look like a freshman,” Hafley said. “He made some really big throws, one on third and 17. The timing, the rhythm, the processing, the way he stood in the pocket, he’s faster than I thought he was, not that I thought he was slow, he’s just a big guy.”

Now with one season at Boston College under his belt, Hafley is ready for his second go at Clemson and while playing at Memorial Stadium two years in a row would be frustrating for most, Hafley and his team are more than ready for the challenge.

“It is what it is, right. They put the schedule down and we go play. I haven’t made a big deal [about it]. It’s just, they gave us the schedule, we’re gonna go play it, we’re not going to make excuses, we’re not going to say, ‘Oh, why are we…’ No, like it’s fine,” Hafley said. “Whoever they want us to play, wherever they want us to play them, we are gonna go compete to the best that we can and see what happens.”

The Tigers play host to the Eagles once again on October 2 in Clemson.

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

Ohio State reportedly targeting Kerry Coombs to replace Jeff Hafley

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is reportedly targeting former Ohio State assistant Kerry Coombs to replace Jeff Hafley.

Unless you’ve been away on a lunar mission, by now you know that Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is headed to Boston College to be its next head coach. It’s a big loss for sure. Hafley helped turn around an Ohio State defense in one short year, but with success comes opportunity.

It’s been a year of firsts for head coach Ryan Day, and now the next first will come in the way of searching for a replacement to one of the assistant coaches on his staff.

But, never fear Buckeye fans, because there’s a name from the past that has surfaced that everyone should get excited about. Former defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs appears to be the main target to fill the hole Hafley’s departure leaves, at least according to sources that have spoken to Lettermen Row.

As a reminder, Coombs is a long-time, well-respected Cincinnati area high school coach that was lured to Columbus to work under Urban Meyer at Ohio State. His secondaries included the likes of Marshon Lattimore and Denzel Ward. He was on staff in Columbus from 2012-2017 and has a hands on coaching style with a ton of energy.

And I do mean a ton. His guys often fed off what he brought in practice and on game days. It would definitely be a hire that would not only get the OSU fans excited, but a quality one to replace a quality departure.

The only question is if Coombs would want to come back to the college game after leaving OSU in the first place to be an assistant coach on Mike Vrabel’s staff with the Houston Texans.

We’ll have more on this as the story develops.

Ohio State assistant Jeff Hafley confirmed as next head coach at Boston College

Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has been officially announced as the next head coach at Boston College.

Up until now, it was pure speculation and sourced rumor, but we now have confirmation from Boston College itself. Ohio State co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Jeff Hafley will be the next head coach at Boston College.

Pretty credible sources began to come forward earlier this week that a deal was in the works and that things were a mere formality, but nothing concrete had been released. Then yesterday, we got even more credible reports that a deal was done, but we didn’t hear officially from Ohio State or Boston College.

Until today when Boston College announced the hiring of Hafley on its official Twitter account.

Hafley came to Ohio State when Ryan Day lured him from the San Francisco 49ers. He was brought in to help improve an Ohio State defense and secondary that struggled giving up the big play in 2019.

It has been a resounding success.

Ohio State is 2nd in the country in passing yards allowed, 8th in rushing defense, 3rd in scoring defense, and 2nd in scoring defense heading into the College Football Playoff.

Now, it appears Hafley will be moving on to Boston College after just one very successful season in Columbus. He’ll finish out the year and be along for whatever ride Ohio State goes on in the postseason.

More sources coming forward that Jeff Hafley will be Boston College’s next head coach

Ohio State may be losing one of its best assistant coaches. Sources continue to point towards Jeff Hafley accepting the Boston College job.

We’ve heard the rumor mill, but to this point nothing has been confirmed by either Ohio State or Boston College. But as the days pass, more and more sources and reports are being circulated that current Buckeye defensive coordinator and secondary coach Jeff Hafley is set to become the next head coach at Boston College.

Hafley was recruited to Ohio State to help revamp an Ohio State defense that struggled mightily in 2018. He, along with Michigan’s Greg Mattison and Al Washington have helped retool and revive a defense that has had a more simplified and aggressive scheme. The results have been drastic.

The Buckeye defense improved from one that gave up far too many big plays in 2018, to one that is 3rd in the country in scoring defense, 2nd in yards per game, and 2nd in passing yards per game.

Now, it appears as though Hafley may only be in Columbus for just one year. With success, comes these types of opportunities. Urban Meyer had to deal with it often, and now Ryan Day may have to work on plugging a big hole in the coaching staff if these reports end up being true.

Things began to emerge a few days ago, with one of the most credible sources coming from Bruce Feldman of the Athletic.

Since then, other reports have circulated, and now we have a solid report from the Ohio State end from John Brice of Letterman Row.

We must reiterate that there is still nothing official from either of the schools, but as soon as something materializes we’ll be on top of it. These things can be awfully tough to tiptoe when big things are still on the line with Hafley’s OSU team still working on trying to win a national championship, and with the timing of the early signing period for recruits.

Stay tuned.