Ty Lockwood, a former tight end at Alabama, is starting fresh at Boston College after finding himself stuck on the Crimson Tide’s depth chart. The 6-2, 240-pound redshirt sophomore from Tennessee had big hopes of playing for Nick Saban but ended up with just one catch for five yards in his time at Alabama.

With little chance of getting more playtime, Lockwood decided to hit the transfer portal, looking for a new opportunity to grow both on and off the field. He found it at BC, where he already had some connections. BC’s head coach Bill O’Brien and tight ends coach Will Lawing were familiar faces from their time coaching at Alabama. Lockwood felt right at home when he arrived and was quickly ready to jump into practice, even reuniting with his former Bama roommate, quarterback Dylan Lonergan, who also transferred to BC.

Lockwood was drawn to BC for their offense, which uses the tight end a lot in the passing game. The Eagles have a solid tight end tradition, with former players like Hunter Long and Tommy Sweeney making a name for themselves in the NFL. The tight end spot has been thriving again under O’Brien’s offense.

Lockwood is excited about the new challenge and is ready to prove himself, but he’s also aware that he’ll need to improve his blocking skills to fit in with BC’s run-heavy approach. Spring practice is all about getting him up to speed, and he’s already seeing improvements. It’s a fresh start for Lockwood, and he’s ready to make the most of it.