BC Unveils New Recruits

National Signing Day has taken on a life of its own in college football culture. Every year, millions of fans watch their teams sign high school seniors to binding letters of intent on the first Wednesday in February.

The Boston College edition of Signing Day played out to significantly less fanfare, as head coach Frank Spaziani introduced his batch of 21 recruits to the media in the second floor of the Yawkey Center yesterday. This was Spaziani's first full recruiting class after taking over the reigns of the program three weeks before Signing Day last year. Spaziani said he received all 21 letters of intent by 10 a.m. yesterday.

The class features 10 players from New England, including five from Massachusetts. Twenty of the players were multi-sport athletes in high school, while 15 played multiple positions in football. Most importantly, Spaziani said, all 21 played for teams with winning records in their senior season.

"We're trying to get to the point where whoever comes in and shows us they can play is a bonus," Spaziani said. "But some of these guys are going to have to play because of the situation."

At the top of the class is Chase Rettig, a 6-3, 201-pound quarterback from Sierra Madre, Calif., who is expected to push incumbent Dave Shinskie for the starting spot.

"Dave did a great job for us," Spaziani said. "You can't underestimate what Dave did. But the job is open. He's only a freshman. We have competition, and we'll see how it goes. Nothing is tattooed on anyone, at any position."

Rettig, who was an All-American at San Clemente High School, also had an offer from Tennessee and interest from Southern Cal and Notre Dame before choosing BC. Although he's a pocket passer with a strong arm, Rettig is mobile enough to make a play with his feet if his receivers are covered.

One of those receivers could be Shakim Phillips, a 6-2, 191-pound, four-star recruit from Peterson, N.J. Phillips was one of the most sought-after recruits in the class and had offers from over 20 schools, including Georgia, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Michigan State. He has elite size, strength, hands, and route running skills. If he can improve upon his 4.55 40-time, he could be the most lethal receiver BC has had in a long time.

The defensive recruits are headlined by a pair of linebackers: Kevin Pierre-Louis and Steele Divitto. Pierre-Louis was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Connecticut. He was ranked as the No. 3 player in Connecticut and the No. 10 outside linebacker in the country by Rivals. Divitto, who was a second-team All-American as a senior, captained Don Bosco Prep to a national championship last season. A 6-2, 214-pound outside linebacker from Ridgefield, Conn., Divitto won three consecutive state championships with Don Bosco.

Rounding out the class were quarterback Josh Bordner, running backs Tahj Kimble and Andre Williams, wide receivers Alexander Amidon and Bobby Swigert, tight end Jarrett Darmstatter, offensive linemen Seth Betancourt, Andy Gallik, Aaron Kramer, Jaryd Rudolph, Robert Vardaro, and Harris Williams, defensive lineman Dominic Appiah, and defensive backs CJ Jones, James McCaffrey, Sean Sylvia, and Dominique Williams.
Rettig, Bordner, and Pierre-Louis enrolled in January, making them eligible for spring practice.

"We wanted to build this thing with bricks and mortar – get it so it's lasting," Spaziani said of the program.