Dylan Lonergan’s time with Boston College football is already headed for the next chapter. On3 reporter Pete Nakos reported Thursday that Boston College quarterback Dylan Lonergan plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, giving the former Alabama Crimson Tide signee another chance to find the right fit after just one season in Chestnut Hill.
It’s a wild turn considering how 2025 started. Lonergan arrived as the big-armed Alabama transfer and quickly won the starting job under head coach Bill O’Brien. ESPN noted that Lonergan finished the year with 2,025 passing yards and 12 touchdowns, solid production on a 2-10 team that struggled to protect him or run the ball consistently.
Early in the season, it looked like Boston College had found something. Lonergan threw for 333 yards on 30-of-44 passing with one touchdown against Stanford, then followed it with 197 yards and a rushing score in a tough late loss to California. Even in a heartbreaking 36-34 loss to Georgia Tech, he went blow for blow, posting 362 yards and two touchdowns on 26-of-40 through the air.
But the shine faded fast. A leaky offensive line, a nonexistent margin for error, and some brutal one-score losses put Lonergan under a microscope. By November, O’Brien briefly turned back to veteran Grayson James, and a month ago, one local report flat-out questioned the coach’s faith in Lonergan after a short leash in the Notre Dame game.
The finale at Syracuse summed up the chaos. Lonergan started but exited early with an injury after completing both of his pass attempts for 8 yards, and James came on to throw for 288 yards in a 34-12 win that finally snapped Boston College’s 10-game losing streak.
Now Lonergan hits the portal as a redshirt sophomore with Power 4 starting experience, plus the pedigree of a former four-star recruit who has already shown he can push the ball downfield. For quarterback-needy programs, that combination will be hard to ignore.
