Bill O’Brien talks about BC football’s 27-player recruiting class

Bill O’Brien knows dipping into the transfer portal periodically is inevitable, and he’s OK with that, but his vision is to build Boston College football into a perennial power primarily through high school recruiting.

O’Brien said constructing a roster largely via the NFL Draft worked well with the Patriots and Texans, and he views the college process through a similar lens.

“We’re not going to be swapping 30 guys out and bringing 30 guys in,” O’Brien said. “That’s not who we are. We’re going to develop the guys we have in our program, build a culture with those guys.”

O’Brien welcomed a 27-player recruiting class to Chestnut Hill on Wednesday, as each signed his national letter of intent. It’s the program’s largest class since 2014, with players from 14 states and three countries.

With a senior- and graduate student-heavy roster this fall, the Eagles will lean on a blend of returners and freshmen next year. While filling needs is a factor, O’Brien said it was even more about finding recruits with the right makeup and characteristics.

“In the end, what it was important for us to do was to make sure we had guys that were good football players, high-character guys, that we felt fit the bill for Boston College, fit the culture of Boston College,” O’Brien said.

When he arrived in February, O’Brien inherited a roster constructed by previous coach Jeff Hafley’s staff. O’Brien and Co. had to strike the balance between preparing this year’s team and finding the next wave of talent.

He said they try to recruit in some capacity every day. O’Brien credited general manager Spencer Dickow, director of on-campus recruiting Kamryn Rodriguez, and many more for their efforts.

“We did get started a little bit late,” O’Brien said. “Obviously, there is some catch-up that has to be done, relative to developing relationships with these guys. That’s what recruiting is all about, being honest and upfront about what we are at BC.”

By the numbers

· 5 players from Massachusetts: DT Micah Amedee (Halifax, Xaverian), TE Kaelan Chudzinski (Needham, St. Sebastian’s), LB Griffin Collins (Longmeadow, Worcester Academy), RB Mekhi Dodd (West Roxbury, Catholic Memorial), RB Bo MacCormack (Westford, BB&N). O’Brien: “I take a lot of pride, having grown up here, in getting guys from Massachusetts.”

· 4 tight ends: Stevie Àmar Jr., Chudzinski, Derrick Johnson Jr., Bryce Lewis. O’Brien: “Chudzinski, I went and watched him personally.”

· 3 countries: P/K Andy Quinn (Galway, Ireland; NFL Academy); Njita Sinkala (Headingley, Manitoba, Canada; St. Thomas More). O’Brien: “I have an affinity for Ireland. I’m an Irish-Catholic from Boston.”

· 2 sons of current BC coaches: Lewis is the son of defensive coordinator Tim Lewis. Chudzinski is the son of senior offensive analyst Rob Chudzinski. O’Brien: “We recruited them because they were very good players.”

· 1 quarterback: Shaker Reisig, a 6-foot-5-inch, 185-pound prospect who played at Union High in Tulsa, Okla., and recently threw for 500 yards and eight touchdowns in a game. O’Brien: “We can’t wait to coach him. He’s been a joy to recruit.”

O’Brien’s comments

TE Stevie Àmar Jr.: “Stevie can make catches in all areas of the field.”

DT Micah Amedee: “Micah brings another relentless style to the defensive line.”

WR Nedrick Boldin Jr.: “He has excellent speed. He can do everything.”

TE Kaelan Chudzinski: “Very athletic, very tough. He’s a guy that can block.”

CB Charleston Coldon: “I believe Charleston will have an instant impact.”

LB Griffin Collins: “We knew this is one of the best athletes in this class.”

CB Ashton Cunningham: “He plays with great anticipation and instincts.”

S Omarion Davis: “He does it all on the football field.”

RB Mekhi Dodd: “This is a guy that has dominated the state of Massachusetts this past year.”

WR Semaj Fleming: “He’s a guy you’re going to want to get the ball to in space.”

DE Jayden Fry: “Very good size, very good range.”

DB Tyree Green Jr.: “TJ’s a really, really fast, instinctive, quick player.”

TE Derrick Johnson Jr.: “This is a guy that will be a matchup nightmare in the passing game.”

TE Bryce Lewis: “Bryce brings so much talent to this program.”

RB Bo MacCormack: “He’s powerful. He’s explosive. He has great competitiveness.”

DE Israel Oladipupo: “Israel is going to come in here and contribute right away.”

WR Dawson Pough: “His high school coach played him all over the place.”

P/K Andy Quinn: “Andy’s a very talented punter. He has a great leg.”

QB Shaker Reisig: “Shaker is a guy that’s the same guy every day. Very consistent demeanor.”

DT Sterling Sanders: “He plays with a relentless style.”

CB Njita Sinkala: “This is a guy that has patience, he has poise.”

OL Robert Smith IV: “I even think, eventually, he could possibly play center.”

S Rae Sykes Jr.: “He has great size for a safety, really good range.”

LB Zacari Thomas: “We look at him on film and we see a heat-seeking missile.”

DB Marcelous Townsend: “He’s got great ball skills. He had a pick-6 this year.”

S Marcus Upton: “This is one of the most dynamic players in this class.”

OL Denzil Williams Jr.: “DJ is an excellent, tough offensive lineman.”