Boston College’s Dylan Lonergan used benching to reestablish himself as starter
Dylan Lonergan was benched during BC's fifth game of the season. But he's shined in his last two games after earning the starting role back, which he'll take into Syracuse Saturday. Courtesy of Boston College Athletics
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.
Dylan Lonergan transferred to Boston College to earn its starting job. And he did just that, starting BC’s first five games this season.
But the Eagles won just one of his first five starts. So, BC head coach Bill O’Brien benched him on Oct. 11, midway through a 41-10 blowout loss to Clemson. Despite Lonergan averaging over 230 passing yards per game up to that point, the coaches hoped the change would help end Boston College’s then five-game losing streak.
It didn’t. After replacing Lonergan, Grayson James lost BC’s next three games. During his time on the bench, Lonergan talked with his dad, former Penn State quarterback Dan Lonergan, to reevaluate his fundamentals and spark his ascent back to the starting job. Ultimately, Dan knew it was just another hurdle for his son to jump.
“He’s learned to take nothing for granted and continue to grind regardless of the situation,” Dan said. “What doesn’t break you makes you stronger. He’s come out of this much stronger and resilient.”
He leaped over that hurdle and now leads Boston College into its season finale Saturday against Syracuse. Across his last two games back in the starting role, Lonergan totaled 594 passing yards and three touchdowns, bringing him to 2,017 and 12 on the season. The redshirt sophomore Alabama transfer will look to end his season on a strong note against a struggling SU squad.
Right now, Lonergan’s amid the best stretch of his collegiate career. But that success isn’t new to him. He’s regularly stood out above his peers on the gridiron, even dating back to his days at Brookwood High School (Georgia).
Back in 2019, Lonergan wasn’t even old enough to enroll at Brookwood. But as an eighth grader, he still got quality quarterback reps practicing with the varsity team.
And the Broncos weren’t some small-town program, either. They were one of the best programs in the state, consistently sending players to the next level.
But the pressure never broke Lonergan. Philip Jones, Brookwood’s head coach, instantly noticed Lonergan’s consistency, efficiency and attention to detail. Those qualities led Jones to throw the majority of the playbook at Lonergan before he took a snap. Seven games into his freshman season, Lonergan became the starter, and he never looked back, Jones added.
Lonergan finished his career at Brookwood with 7,851 passing yards and 91 total touchdowns. His prodigious production made him a consensus four-star recruit out of high school and earned him offers from powerhouse programs like Alabama, Ohio State and Florida, among others.
Dylan Lonergan escapes the pocket in Boston College’s season opener against Fordham. After playing in just three games at Alabama, Lonergan has worked through some bumps in his first season at BC. Courtesy of Boston College Athletics
With the Crimson Tide, he grabbed head coach Nick Saban and offensive coordinator O’Brien’s attention during the recruiting process. When Lonergan visited Alabama, the program was hosting multiple players simultaneously. Still, he was the one who jumped in Saban’s Mercedes as soon as he got there, spending the whole weekend with the legendary coach.
After he got acquainted with Saban, he committed to the Crimson Tide on July 11, 2022. Initially, he wanted to play both football and baseball. But after the NCAA began investigating then-Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon for gambling violations, he decided to focus on football.
He initially struggled in football, though. Lonergan redshirted his freshman year after playing in just one game. Compounding his lack of playing time, O’Brien took the head coaching job at Boston College in February 2024 and Saban retired that winter, too.
Lonergan still wanted to stay at first. But after competing with Ty Simpson for the backup role — and losing — he spent much of 2024 back on the bench. The following offseason, he had a decision to make: stay at Alabama and wait for Simpson’s graduation to potentially get playing time, or transfer and become a starter.
He chose the latter. His previous ties to O’Brien helped him pick Boston College, Dan said.
“We felt comfortable knowing Bill O’Brien had a strong history of developing quarterbacks,” Dan said. “Since Dylan was one of the lead recruits at Alabama, Boston College just seemed like a natural fit.”
His 2025 campaign has been rocky, but things have been looking up recently. In the Eagles’ Nov. 15 game against then-No. 16 Georgia Tech, his 362 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions nearly produced an upset of the Yellow Jackets, though they ultimately fell short in a 36-34 defeat.
“Dylan had a good game against Georgia Tech,” O’Brien said in a press conference on Nov. 25. “He made a lot of great throws and anticipated well. He scrambled and took off a couple of times, which helped us down the stretch. He’s getting better every day and working very hard.”
Lonergan’s recent success has caught the eye of his former coach, Jones. He said Lonergan led by example at Brookwood. Instead of wasting energy yelling at teammates, he let his play do the talking. Now, Jones has watched his development at BC from afar. The once-reserved freshman has evolved over his three years in college, he added.
“It’s good to see a new side of his personality open up,” Jones said. “You can see it in the discussions he has on the sidelines with the coaches. He is bringing more guys along with him vocally. I think he’s comfortable and enjoying the chance to make a difference for his team.”
That transformation will be on full display Saturday in the JMA Wireless Dome. His comfort in the pocket, combined with his changed leadership style, will need to carry the Eagles to a result in an otherwise underwhelming season.
O’Brien brought Lonergan to BC to lead a rebuild in his second year in Chestnut Hill. His benching early in the season was a sign of distress. Now that he’s been given the keys to the offense again, Lonergan’s ready to prove that he can play his best football when his team needs him most.
