Raji made a successful return to the field in 2008 after sitting out the previous season due to academic issues. He re-joined teammate Ron Brace in the middle of the front wall, as they proved to be one of the most feared defensive tackle tandems in college football.

With those two anchored in the middle of the line, they combined for 11 of the team's 35 sacks (31.43 percent) and 27 of the Eagles' 108 tackles behind the line of scrimmage (25.0 percent). Raji led a unit that led the Atlantic Coast Conference in rush defense (91.21 ypg, seventh in the NCAA) and total defense (268.14 ypg, ranked fifth nationally).

At Westwood Regional High School, Raji earned All-State, All-North Jersey and All-County honors as a senior. The three-time starter was a two-time All-Bergen County Scholastic League choice, as he played on both the offensive and defensive lines.

As a senior, Raji recorded 75 tackles, 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in 2003. He was selected to play in the 2004 Governor's Bowl, which pits the top high-school seniors in New Jersey vs. their New York counterparts. He also played on Westwood's basketball team as a freshman and sophomore.

Raji enrolled at Boston College in 2004, seeing action in 11 games behind Tim Bulman at right defensive tackle. He collected 13 tackles (6 solos) with 1.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage. Having bulked up to 320 pounds in a rigorous offseason program, he captured the right tackle starting position in 2005, posting 27 tackles (15 solos) with 6.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage, including 1.5 sacks his sophomore campaign.

Raji saw constant double-team blocking in 2006, as he started 12 games at right tackle. He garnered All-Atlantic Coast Conference second-team honors, as he delivered 23 tackles (16 solos) with three sacks and 8.5 stops for losses. Two of his three pass breakups came on third-down plays.

Primed for a banner senior season, Raji had to wait another year for that to occur, as he was ruled academically ineligible to play in 2007. He came back with renewed hunger, going on to register a career-high 42 tackles (22 solos), including a team-high eight sacks and 16.0 stops behind the line of scrimmage. He also became the first Eagle defensive tackle since Mike Ruth in 1985 to lead the team in sacks. He added three pressures and deflected five passes at the line of scrimmage.

GENERAL REPORT: GRADE: 5.84

Body Structure: Raji is a wide-body type with outstanding shoulder and chest width. He has big hips, thick thighs, huge calves and tree-like legs. He lacks good arm length and needs to control his weight (as high as 360), as he does have stamina issues when he plays with added bulk. His frame is fleshy in the midsection and he has natural strength, rather than a well-built weight room physique.

Athletic Ability: Raji has a thick frame with decent initial burst for a player his size. He is agile moving down the line and light on his feet, but lacks the suddenness to explode through the gaps. He demonstrates good knee bend, showing the agility, balance and short-area acceleration to get into the backfield. He has the body control and change of direction agility to make plays down the line. He also has good strength, but needs to be more physical in his play. He did play with a high motor in 2008, something he did not do in the past. GRADE: 6.6

Football Sense: This kid is field smart, but does struggle in the classroom, sitting out the 2007 season due to academic issues. He does show good field smarts, but the coaching staff felt he just did not want to apply himself in the classroom and he paid for it by sitting out a season. He has the ability to quickly learn and retain plays. He understands assignments and is quick to pick up schemes. His feel for the ball is above average and he makes an effort on every play to get to the ball. He is rarely caught out of position due to a mental error. GRADE: 6.3

Character: Raji has finally bought into the program. He comes from a supportive family (both parents are pastors), but his academic problems and lack of work ethic in the past will raise a few red flags. He was suspended for part of a game in 2006 (vs. Clemson) for fighting vs. Central Michigan. The previous coaching staff felt that he was the laziest player on the team, but a year away from the game gave him renewed motivation. Still, you have to wonder if it was to impress the NFL teams or that he finally realized he needs to step it up on and off the field. GRADE: 5.3

Competitiveness: He is a solid competitor who plays with improved aggression, but you would like him to be a little more physical in his play. He can dominate the action in the trenches and never takes plays off. He relies a lot on his quickness and hand usage to finesse blockers and makes every effort to get to the ball, but for a player of his size he should be mauling blockers more often. The staff felt that it needed to motivate him constantly in practices, politely calling him a "game" player. GRADE: 6.0

Work Habits: Raji will never be called a hard worker in the weight room or practices. He is not the type that needs to be pushed to get the best effort out of him, as he is not a self-starter. He is a good field presence who lets his actions speak louder than his words, but not the example you want for being a mentor for the team's younger players. GRADE: 5.0

ATHLETIC REPORT: GRADE: 6.62

Explosion/Pursuit: Raji lacks good timed speed and will have stamina issues late in games, but he has a good burst off the snap shooting the gaps and the low center of gravity, along with incredibly thick legs to maintain his ground at the point of attack. He attacks the gaps with good urgency and flashes the ability to gain advantage on an offensive lineman. His burst off the line allows him to penetrate the gaps almost immediately. GRADE: 7.5

Strength at Point: Raji is sometimes too slow to shed and has shorter than ideal arms, but is nearly impossible to move out at the point of attack, thanks to his wide base, very strong anchor and noticeably improved leverage (that was a problem in the past). He has the power to split and disengage, but will revert to trying to out-finesse the blocker late in games (stamina issues), especially in one-on-one situations. His weight room figures do not always translate to the football field, but he is very effective at using his hands to stab and separate. He will get washed out when he gets too high in his pads and needs to play at a lower pad level to be effective when trying to shed and stack. GRADE: 7.0

Use of Hands: In the past, Raji's lack of arm length would see him struggle to disengage. He now shoots his hands more often, keeping them inside the frame to shock and jolt with much better authority than he showed his first three seasons. He now displays the proper positioning to use his hands in attempts to jolt at the line of scrimmage. When he locks on to a blocker, he has the functional strength to control. Still, he lacks the length to have consistent success defeating reach blocks. GRADE: 6.3

Lateral Pursuit/Effort: For a player of his size and fleshy midsection, Raji shows the quickness and hip snap to reach the edge to make tackles on the corner. He moves effortlessly down the line and when he gets free, is quick to zero in on the quarterback. He locates the ball quickly working through trash and has no problems generating the pursuit needed to make plays on runs between the tackles. GRADE: 6.8

Tackling Ability: Raji might not have a good amount of tackles, but one he collides with a ball carrier, the runner is quickly on the ground. He is not really a good wrap-up tackler (short arms), but uses his body well to generate a strong impact behind his hits. When he stays low in his pads, he generates the power to hit and take down with authority. He shows good hand usage to wrap and the hip roll to jolt on contact. GRADE: 6.5

Run Defense: Even though he does not always utilize his strength, Raji gets good position and body lean to stack and control when he stays at a good pad level. When he gets too high, he struggles with the blocker, especially against one lined up over his head. With his frame, he does a nice job of clogging the rush lanes and is too much of a force for lead blockers to move him out. He has the ability to lock on and either drive the blocker back or simply stand the opponent up. He has the ability to make tackles on the move, but is best when staying at the line or charging into the backfield rather than give long chase. GRADE: 6.9

Pass Rush: Until 2008, Raji showed limited ability as a pass rusher. He is still a work in progress, but is a physical bull rusher who can get to the quarterback in the short area. He lacks the foot speed to generate long pursuit, but once he gets free and gets a bead on the quarterback, he will usually make the play in the backfield. For a player of his size, you'd expect him to be more physical and generate more power to get a strong push off the snap. GRADE: 6.3

Closing on the QB: Raji lacks overall body flexibility and suddenness to close on the quarterback in a hurry, having to rely on his bull rush to disrupt the backfield. It is his balance and short-area burst that gets him into the backfield, where he has some ability to flush out the passer. He has enough short burst to close, but gets locked on quite a bit because he does not always bring his power game. When he is given a free lane, he shows explosion through the gaps to gain penetration. GRADE: 5.4

Instincts/Recognition: Raji has the ability to read and react and is quick to pick up blocking schemes. He has a good feel to flow to the ball and his agility down the line lets him string plays wide. He has the field vision and awareness to react quickly to blocking schemes. GRADE: 6.9

Compares To: SHAUN ROGERS, Cleveland -- Rogers is about three inches bigger than Raji, but both have the awesome ability to change the tide of a game on the field and frustrate coaches by their lack of work ethic away from it. Raji had a good senior campaign, but it was not earth-shattering. You have to look at the whole picture here. Is your team going to get a player motivated and hungry to prove his doubters wrong, or a player his former coaching staff had to constantly monitor. That's a lot of money to gamble on someone that can either dominate for you or get a general manager fired.

OVERALL GRADE: 6.50:

--Report by Dave-Te' Thomas

Raji started 37 of 49 games at Boston College, recording 105 tackles (59 solos) with 12.5 sacks for minus 78 yards, 32.5 stops for losses of 136 yards and four quarterback pressures … Deflected nine passes and caused one fumble … In 2008, he became the first Boston College defensive tackle to lead the team in sacks (eight) since Mike Ruth in 1985 … His three sacks vs. North Carolina State in 2008 were the most in a game by an Eagle since Mathias Kiwanuka in 2005 (3.5 vs. North Carolina State).

All-American first-team selection by The NFL Draft Report, earning second-team honors from Rivals.com, third-team accolades from the Associated Press and Scout.com and was an honorable mention by Pro Football Weekly and Sports Illustrated … First-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference pick … The recipient of The Mary M. and William H. Sullivan, Jr. '37 Scholarship started all thirteen games at right defensive tackle, recording a career-high 42 tackles (22 solos) … Led the team with eight sacks for minus 48 yards, 16.0 stops for losses of 79 yards and three quarterback pressures … Finished third on the squad with five pass deflections … Had at least one tackle behind the line of scrimmage in ten contests … Helped the team lead the ACC and rank seventh in the nation by holding the opposition to an average of 91.21 rushing yards per game, as the Eagles also led the conference and placed fifth nationally with an average of 268.14 yards per game in total offense allowed.

Kent State … Raji proved to be an immovable object vs. Kent State's offensive line, as the stout defensive tackle finished with six tackles (2 solos) and one sack in the Eagles' 21-0 shutout win … Early in the first quarter, Raji limited quarterback Julian Edelman to 3 yards on a rushing attempt … In the second quarter, the big defensive tackle brought down Edelman after a 4-yard gain on a 3rd-&-8 play, forcing Kent State to punt … Later in the second quarter, Raji continued his harassment of Edelman, sacking the quarterback for an 11-yard loss … In the second half, Raji registered three tackles, including a third-down tackle of Edelman at Boston College's 23-yard line and a goal-line tackle of tailback Eugene Jarvis … Head-to-Head Competition: OG#69-Michael Fay (6:04-265).

Georgia Tech … Raji and the Boston College defense held Georgia Tech to only 235 yards of total offense, but the Yellow Jackets were able to pull out a 19-16 fourth-quarter comeback victory … Raji finished the game with four tackles (3 solos) and one pass deflection on third down … The defensive tackle had a busy second quarter, during which he tackled tailback Jonathan Dwyer after a 1-yard gain, broke up a third-down pass attempt by quarterback Josh Nesbitt, and, later, corralled Dwyer for a 1-yard loss … In the third quarter, Raji tackled Dwyer twice on the same drive, limiting the running back to 7 yards of total offense … Head-to-Head Competition: OG#71-Cord Howard (6:05-310).

Central Florida … Raji registered two tackles in Boston College's decisive 34-7 win over Central Florida … With 1:12 remaining in the first half, the defensive tackle came up big on the goal line, dropping UCF tailback Ronnie Weaver for no gain … Early in the second half, Raji tackled quarterback Michael Greco after a 2-yard run to BC's 49-yard line … Head-to-Head Competion-OG#65-John Hafferty (6:02-295).

Rhode Island … Much like the Rhode Island offense, Raji was shutout statistically in Boston College's 42-0 rout of the Rams … Head-to-Head Competition: OG#79-Robert Crudup (6:02-305).

North Carolina State … Following his quiet performance vs. Rhode Island, BC defensive tackle B.J. Raji was a pass-rushing dynamo vs. ACC-opponent N.C. State, registering three sacks and one quarterback pressure in the Eagles' 38-31 win … Midway through the first quarter, Raji pressured Wolfpack quarterback Russell Wilson into an incompletion on 2nd-&-10 … Later in the quarter, the BC defensive tackle sacked Wilson on fourth down at the Eagles' 43-yard line … In the third quarter, Raji sacked Wilson for a 3-yard loss, and, in the fourth quarter, sacked Wilson 9 yards behind the line of scrimmage … Head-to-Head Competion-OG#75-John Bedics (6:04-295).

Virginia Tech … Raji tallied five tackles (2 solos) and the Boston College defense limited Virginia Tech's offense to a season-low 240 total yards in the Eagles' 28-23 victory over the No. 17 Hokies … On a 3rd-&-11 play for the BC 41-yard line, Raji tackled VT quarterback Tyrod Taylor after a 6-yard run, forcing a the Hokies to punt … In the second quarter, Raji was credited with tackling tailback Josh Oglesby for a 1-yard loss and stopping running back Darren Evans after a 2-yard gain … In the third quarter, the Eagle defensive tackle limited Evans to a 1-yard run and tackled Oglesby after a 4-yard gain … Head-to-Head Competition: OG#67-Nick Marshman (6:05-339).

North Carolina … Raji finished with one solo tackle, one pass break up, and one quarterback pressure in Boston College's disappointing 45-24 loss to the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill … During a first-quarter drive, Raji stopped North Carolina tailback Shaun Draughn at midfield for a 2-yard gain, followed by a break up of a third-down pass by quarterback Cameron Sexton, forcing the Tar Heels to punt … Near the end of the third quarter, Raji applied pressure to Sexton, forcing him to throw an incompletion to Draughn during a play that saw offensive guard Alan Pelc flagged for holding … Head-to-Head Competition: OG#73-Aaron Stahl (6:03-290).

Clemson … Clemson's offense racked up 339 total yards to help give Dabo Swinney his first victory as interim head coach, as the Tigers defeated Boston College 27-21 in Boston … Eagle defensive tackle B.J. Raji finished the game with four tackles and a pass break up … During the opening minutes of the second quarter, Raji got a hand up as Cullen Harper dropped back to pass, deflecting the Clemson quarterback's pass … Midway through the second quarter, Raji corralled tailback James Davis for no gain at Boston College's 1-yard line, keeping the Tigers off the scoreboard on the play … During a drive that started at the 5:49 mark in the fourth quarter, the BC defensive tackle was credited with three tackles, including stopping tailback C.J. Spiller for no gain at the Eagles' 31-yard line … Head-to-Head Competion-OG#76-Cory Lambert (6:06-310).

Notre Dame … The defensive tackle chipped in with two tackles (1 solo), including one for a 7-yard loss, as the Eagle defense shut out Notre Dame, 17-0, to extend Boston College's winning streak over the Fighting Irish to six games … Early in the second quarter, Raji stopped tailback James Aldridge 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage … In the fourth quarter, running back Armando Allen took a fourth-down handoff at BC's 22-yard line and was immediate stymied by Raji, who dropped the back for no gain, giving the ball to the Eagles on downs … Despite a Notre Dame holding penalty that negated a play later in the fourth quarter, Raji was able to tackle quarterback Jimmy Clausen for no gain … Head-to-Head Competition: OG#55-Eric Olsen (6:04-303).

Florida State … Raji and the Boston College defense limited the Florida State offense to just 73 rushing yards, as the Eagles defeated the Seminoles 27-17 … Raji finished the game with one solo tackle for a 9-yard loss … Midway through the second quarter, the Eagle defensive tackle wrapped up Seminole tailback Antone Smith 9 yards behind the line of scrimmage for his sole tackle of the game … Head-to-Head Competition: OG#62-Rodney Hudson (6:02-282).

Wake Forest … The Boston College defense shut down the Demon Deacons' rushing attack, holding Wake Forest to just 65 yards on the ground, and the right defensive tackle applied early pressure to the quarterback, registering two first-quarter sacks, in the Eagles' 24-21 come-from-behind victory … During Wake Forest's first drive of the game, Raji sacked quarterback Riley Skinner on back-to-back plays, forcing the Demon Deacons to punt the ball away … Head-to-Head Competition: OG#78-Joe Looney (6:03-295).

Maryland … Boston College secured a spot in the ACC Championship game with a 28-21 victory over the Terrapins, getting significant help from its defense, which held Maryland to -6 rushing yards, and from their star defensive tackle, as Raji finished the game with three tackles (1 solo), one quarterback sack, and one deflected pass … Just before halftime, Maryland tailback Da'Rel Scott rushed for 2 yards before running into the human wall that is B.J. Raji … Early in the third quarter, Scott was stopped, once again, by Raji, this time following a 1-yard gain … Later in the third stanza, Raji was credited with deflecting a pass on third down at BC's 33-yard line and sacking Terrapin quarterback Chris Turner for a 3-yard loss inside the red zone … Head-to-Head Competition: OG#76-Jaimie Thomas (6:04-330).

Virginia Tech (ACC Championship) … Boston College's offense outgained Virginia Tech 308 yards to 234, but the only numbers that mattered at the end of the game were the ones on the score-board, which favored the Hokies, 30-12, making them the first two-time winner of the ACC title game … BC defensive tackle B.J. Raji was credited with four tackles (2 solos) and one quarterback pressure in the game … Early in the first quarter, Tyrod Taylor was harassed by Raji, causing the Hokie quarterback to throw off-target for an incompletion. Later in the drive, the defensive tackle dropped tailback Josh Oglesby for a 1-yard loss at the BC 12-yard line … Raji was credited with two tackles in the second quarter, when he stopped tailback Darren Evans for no gain at the BC 25-yard line and took down Tyrod Taylor for a loss of 7 yards on a quarterback draw … Early in the fourth quarter, Raji forced the Hokies to punt when he stopped Darren Evans for a 1-yard gain on a 3rd-&-6 play … Head-to-Head Competition: OG#67-Nick Marshman (6:05-339).

Vanderbilt (Music City Bowl) … Vanderbilt pulled off something it had not done in 53 yards-win a bowl game. With 3:26 remaining in the game, Vandy kicker Bryant Hahnfeldt booted a 45-yard field goal to give the Commodores a 16-14 victory … Despite the loss, Raji put in a solid performance, finishing the game with five tackles (4 solos), one sack, and one deflected pass … Just before halftime, Raji tackled tailback Jared Hawkins on back-to-back plays, one of which resulted in a 1-yard loss … During the first drive of the second half, Raji was credited with both a tackle and a 3-yard sack of quarterback Larry Smith … Later in the third quarter, Raji deflected a third-down pass thrown by Smith that was intended for wide receiver Sean Walker, forcing Vandy to punt the ball away … With 6:38 remaining in the game, the defensive tackle stopped quarterback Chris Nickson 6 yards behind the line of scrimmage … Head-to-Head Competition: OG#72-Kyle Fischer (6:06-300).

Sat out the entire season due to academic reasons … Boston College announced that Raji would redshirt in order to concentrate on his studies. The school declared Raji ineligible to participate earlier this season due to academic reasons. An NCAA committee denied the school's appeal to restore Raji's eligibility. "BJ now has the opportunity to take a negative and turn it into a positive," Coach Jeff Jagodzinski said. "Graduation is the number one goal for BJ and his family, and this will give him the chance to concentrate on his studies. At the same time, he will gain another year of football experience, which will benefit him in the long run."

The All-Atlantic Coast Conference second-team selection started twelve games at right defensive tackle, coming off the bench vs. Clemson … Finished with 23 tackles (16 solos)

That included three sacks for minus 22 yards, 8.5 stops for losses of 35 yards and one QB pressure … Caused a fumble and deflected three passes, including two on third-down plays that forced the opposition to punt.

Made one tackle in the season opener vs. Central Michigan … Recorded three tackles (two solo) including one behind the line of scrimmage vs. Clemson … Raji missed the first half of the Clemson game, a penalty for throwing a punch and being ejected last week vs. Central Michigan. He was also flagged for a personal foul. ACC rules mandate any play ejected for throwing a punch, no matter the circumstances, must sit out at least the first half of the next game … Added two tackles (one solo) vs. Brigham Young and another stop with a pass break-up at North Carolina State … Was in on three tackles (two solo) including an 8-yard sack, three stops for minus 18 yards and one forced fumble vs. Maine … Posted three stops (all solo), including 9-yard sack and one pass deflection vs. Virginia Tech … Recorded three tackles (two solo) and had one pass break-up at Florida State … Added one assisted stop at Wake Forest and was in on two solo tackles vs. Maryland … Registered three solo stops, including a pair for losses of 6 yards and a 5-yard sack in the Meineke Car Care Bowl vs. Navy.

Raji took over right defensive tackle duties, starting all twelve games … Recorded 27 tackles (15 solos) with 6.5 stops for losses of 20 yards, including 1.5 sacks for minus 8 yards … Also deflected one pass.

Posted two tackles (one solo), including one behind the line of scrimmage at Brigham Young … Made two tackles (one solo), including 1.5 stops for losses of 8 yards and 0.5 quarterback sack vs. Florida State … Registered three tackles (one solo) at Clemson … Had one solo tackle and one assist vs. Virginia … Made a season-high six stops (three solos), including one tackle for loss (for four yards), vs. Wake Forest … Collected three unassisted tackles at Virginia Tech … Tallied two solo tackles, including one for a loss of two yards at North Carolina … Totaled four unassisted tackles and one assist vs. North Carolina State, adding two stops for minus 5 yards, including one sack … Had one solo stop at Maryland and made one unassisted tackle vs. Boise State in the MPC Computers Bowl.

Raji appeared in eleven games as a true freshman, working his way into the rotation at right defensive tackle behind Tim Bulmam … Recorded thirteen tackles (6 solos) with 1.5 stops for losses of 2 yards.

Saw his first collegiate action in the home opener vs. Penn State, as he notched one solo tackle vs. the Nittany Lions … In the Connecticut game, he was credited with one tackle for loss and one assisted tackle … Made two solo stops at Wake Forest … Added an unassisted tackle vs. Massachusetts and one solo stop vs. Rutgers … Recorded three tackles (one unassisted) at West Virginia … Delivered three assisted tackles, including an assisted tackle for loss at Temple … Had another tackle behind the line of scrimmage vs. Syracuse.

2007: Suffered a shoulder contusion during the first day of spring drills (4/01) and missed more than half of camp.

2008: Held out of spring drills after undergoing shoulder surgery (4/08).

Combine: 5.12 in the 40-yard dash … 1.69 10-yard dash … 2.93 20-yard dash … 4.69 20-yard shuttle … 7.90 three-cone drill … 32-inch vertical jump … 8'7" broad jump … Bench pressed 225 pounds 33 times … 32-inch arm length … 10 3/8-inch hands.

Attended Westwood Regional (Washington Township, N.J.) High School, playing football for head coach Joe Gambardella … Earned All-State, All-North Jersey and All-County honors as a senior … The three-time starter was a two-time All-Bergen County Scholastic League choice, as he played on both the offensive and defensive lines … As a senior, Raji recorded 75 tackles, 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in 2003 … Selected to play in the 2004 Governor's Bowl, which pits the top high-school seniors in New Jersey vs. their New York counterparts … Also played on Westwood's basketball team as a freshman and sophomore.

Enrolled in the College of Arts & Sciences … Very active in his church, playing drums and tutoring children … Oldest of Mamie and Busari Raji Sr.'s three children … Born Busari Raji on 6/11/86 … Resides in Washington Township, New Jersey.