Two Ohio State assistants listed as potential candidates for Boston College opening

Ohio State’s defense saw a dramatic turnaround in 2019, and the stock for two of the Buckeye assistants is continuing to go up.

In 2018, Ohio State allowed 25.5 points per game. That number was 52nd in the country. This season, the Buckeyes are allowing just 11.8 points per game, a jump up to No. 4 in the nation.

As a result, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is one of the hottest names in the country whenever it comes to head coaching vacancies. In fact, Pete Thamel at Yahoo! Sports listed Hafley and OSU LBs coach Al Washington as potential candidates for the head position at Boston College. The Eagles are reported to be moving on from Steve Addazio after seven seasons.

Here’s what Thamel had to say about Hafley specifically:

He returned from the NFL to pull off one of this season’s best coordinating jobs, as Ohio State’s defense is No. 1 in total defense after being No. 72 last year. He’s a prolific recruiter in New Jersey from his time at Pitt and Rutgers, which would be especially helpful if an outsider ends up at Rutgers.

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg also commented on an Ohio State connection at Boston College. Current Eagles AD Martin Jarmond previously spent time at Ohio State as the Assistant AD from 2009-16:

Expect #BostonCollege AD Martin Jarmond's connection to Ohio State to be a factor in the search. Current and former Buckeyes assistants — Luke Fickell, Jeff Hafley, Al Washington — all could be considered for BC.

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) December 1, 2019

Who will Jarmond land for his first football head coaching hire after joining Boston College in 2017?

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.