CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Boston College offensive lineman Christian Mahogany is a projected first-round NFL draft pick, and he fielded his fair share of calls about whether he would consider transferring for the 2023 season.
Mahogany was adamant about one thing: He would return to the Eagles to build on his draft stock after missing all of last year with a torn ACL in his right knee.
"No amount of money could take me away from a place that's believed in me from the start," Mahogany told ESPN on Thursday during ACC Kickoff. "Why would I leave for some money? I'm like a rental at that point. There's no care, there's no love. I wanted to finish here, and that was my end goal."
Mahogany was rated the No. 2 guard for the 2023 NFL draft before being sidelined for the season. He then had to watch as Boston College struggled through myriad injuries and inexperience along the offensive line en route to a 3-9 season. He did consider leaving for the NFL despite missing the season, but he thought it best to return to school. ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid has Mahogany at No. 20 in his summer mock draft.
"I have to go back out there and show that I'm better than what I was," Mahogany said.
But that did not stop the calls about transferring. Mahogany was a three-star prospect in the class of 2019 and has spent the past four seasons at Boston College, crediting coach Jeff Hafley for his faith and belief in what he could become.
"BC took a chance on me, and we're an O-line school at the end of the day, so why would I leave just to be a six-month rental when I could just build something special here?" Mahogany said. "I can't look [my teammates] in the face and say, 'I'm leaving.' That's not who I am. And, realistically, I was a high school recruit, too. They didn't offer me in high school. So why do you want me now?"
Last season, BC receiver Zay Flowers also returned to the Eagles after turning down big-money offers to transfer. Flowers ended up going in the first round in the NFL draft a few months ago. Hafley said he was nervous about what would happen with Mahogany until the day the transfer portal window closed in January.
"People were calling constantly," Hafley said. "Do you know how much money he could have made if he went? Our players so far have stayed, and I think it says a lot about our team and our culture and where we're going, especially after the year we had."
Mahogany said he could not wait for fall practice to begin so he can get back on the field with his teammates but also to show just how much better he is as a player.
"I was telling somebody the other day: You either come back better or you come back worse from an injury," Mahogany said. "There's no the same, in my opinion. It's been 15 long months for me, but I think I'm better. My numbers say I'm better. The weight room says I'm better. Who I am as a person, I'm better.
"I'm a better football player. I'm a better student. I'm a better person. So I'm excited to finally be able to play football again. I just can't wait."