On Saturday, Jan. 4, Boston College football transfer quarterback Dylan Lonergan, a former four-star recruit, reposted on his Instagram story that Ty Lockwood planned on entering the transfer portal. His caption read “THERE IT IS” in all caps.
Three days later, after speculation that the former Crimson Tide tight end would follow in Lonergan’s footsteps to reunite with the previous Alabama backup and play under their former offensive coordinator turned BC head coach, Bill O’Brien, Lockwood officially signed with the program. Pete Nakos of On3.com reported the news Tuesday morning.
In the three weeks since the 2024 season ended with a bowl loss at Yankee Stadium to Nebraska, O’Brien has added two former four-stars from the school he previously coached to complement his 21st-ranked 2026 recruiting class.
Lockwood, a redshirt freshman this past season, caught only one pass for five yards in a game against Mercer University. In 2023, Lockwood played in two games, enabling him to use a redshirt for the 2024 campaign, but he did not record a stat in either game.
The No. 242 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking—which utilizes metrics from all four major recruiting media companies and calculates an overall weighted average—Lockwood brings size to the tight end room. The Thompson’s Station, Tenn., native stands at 6-foot-5, 240 lbs.
ESPN rated the bulky tight end No. 4 at his position in the nation and Tennessee’s No. 2 player coming out of high school.
Lockwood played at Independence High School as a two-way player. An injury limited him to just seven catches for 88 yards as a senior, but he caught 42 passes for 462 yards and two touchdowns during his junior year. He showed off his potential throughout his sophomore campaign, collecting 606 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 43 receptions.
Lockwood’s abIlity as an “in-line blocker,” according to Alabama’s webpage, is excellent, and he is also equipped with the right tools to be a weapon in the passing game.
With former BC tight end Kamari Morales—who caught the most touchdown passes (six) of any BC pass catcher in 2024 and of any BC tight end in a single season—on the move after earning his second master’s degree, Lockwood is in a position to replace that production along with senior Jeremiah Franklin. Franklin secured three touchdowns on the year with over 300 yards receiving.
Taking in two consensus former four-star recruits, especially one at the quarterback position, shows just how far the Eagles have come in the recruiting game since O’Brien took over.
Building the pieces for next season helps when O’Brien has a background at both the professional level and the highest tier of college football. As a former head coach at Penn State and offensive coordinator at Alabama, his former coaching stints are paying off greatly in the recruiting department.
This recruiting cycle is the first real glimpse at O’Brien’s capabilities since he was hired last February when portal pickups were sparse, and he was yet to hire a staff.
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