BC's loss could be a big gain for UConn

East Hartford

Paul Pasqualoni took to the podium Wednesday afternoon, cameras rolling, and began speaking about his new 24-player recruiting class. He could have, presumably, spoke in general terms, at least during his opening statement.

He needed 32 words to mention Tim Boyle for the first time.

Tim Boyle is the 6-foot-4-inch, rifle armed quarterback who just led Xavier of Middletown to its third straight state championship. He came within a gnat's eyelash of signing at Boston College. That's until BC's new coach, Steve Addazio, expressed a preference for "dual threat" quarterbacks, essentially telling Boyle to look elsewhere.

How ironic, indeed, that the football program UConn loyalists hate the most just might have been dumb enough to give the Huskies a player they desperately need.

"Obviously, we're excited to have Timmy Boyle come to the University of Connecticut to play here in this stadium as we are the other in-state players," Pasqualoni said. "Timmy is 6-4. His growth potential is excellent. His skill set excellent. His passion for the game, his focus, commitment. You hope your quarterback demonstrates those characteristics."

Boyle is straight from the manual. He looks, sounds, acts and plays like the kid who could become the face of your program. Now I have no idea how long it would take Boyle to digest Pasqualoni's layered, complicated schemes. And he certainly is part of a traffic jam at the position, with incumbent Chandler Whitmer and Casey Cochran, among others.

But this is what the coach said later Wednesday:

"If you're going to be in a pro style system and throw drop back passes," he said, "6-foot guys can do it. Chandler has done a done fine job. Drew Brees does a fine job. The fact is, if you're up here (Pasqualoni craned his neck and held his right arm high) you can see better. Timmy can make all the throws, has an excellent arm, can get it into tight spaces and doesn't panic. To me, regardless (of who else you recruit), you take Timmy Boyle."

This is an instance for the UConn people to get a hearty laugh at BC's expense. Boyle looks like just about every other quarterback (notable exception: Doug Flutie) who has ever won games in Chestnut Hill: Glenn Foley, Matt Hasselback, Tim Hasselbeck, Brian St. Pierre, Matt Ryan. And now they want "dual threats?" Why, because all those noted 4.2/40 guys have come to BC in the past? Because they will now like the view of the Prudential building?

But I digress.

BC allowed a potentially landmark day to happen here Wednesday.

Note the word "potentially." Because while there's good reason to believe Boyle will be a stud, who really knows? "National Signing Day" is the biggest farce perpetrated on the sporting public, a made-for-TV creation with plenty of concocted drama.

To think there are talking heads out there who presume to know the 32nd-rated safety from Birmingham from the 154th-rated tight end from Phoenix.

I'd like to ask all these self-proclaimed recruiting analysts:

By whom are the high school players evaluated?

What are your credentials?

Assuming you know a "right guard" is a position on the offensive line and not a can of deodorant, how many times do you see the players in question?

Do you actually see the players in question?


On film?

Against what level of competition?

What is the methodology?

Is the methodology the same at ESPN as it is at Rivals and Scout?

How could it possibly be scientific, given the river of variables?

Did the player maybe have the flu that day or a fight with his significant other that may have altered his performance?

Was the field wet?

How are we supposed to take any of this seriously when Victor Cruz was a "one star" and Matt Ryan was a "two-star?"

Pasqualoni: "I look at the film. We spend an inordinate amount of time researching film and getting kids in our camp. I know everybody loves to look at the number of stars next to the kids' names. I don't really think you know for a couple of years. I'd like to go back and see how many stars were next to Donovan McNabb's name. There probably weren't any. Two schools recruited him. Not a team in the Big 10 really offered him a scholarship. He's going to go into the Hall of Fame. He was the second pick in the draft. That's pretty good."

Coach P can only hope Boyle offers as many good stories.

And they'll all have BC to thank.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.

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