INDIANAPOLIS -- Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji is rising so quickly, he may soon need a dose of oxygen.

The 22-year-old was already on the radar of many NFL personnel guys at the start of BC’s 2008 season as a possible mid-round pick with potential, but he really busted out with a stellar senior year, becoming one of the most dominant defensive players in the ACC. He picked up an astounding 16 tackles for a loss and eight sacks, and when you add in a standout performance at the Senior Bowl, it’s easy to see why draft analysts like Mike Mayock of the NFL Network are saying he could be taken as high as eighth overall in this year’s draft.

But don’t tell the 6-foot-1, 337-pound Raji that he’s peaking at the right time. He’s doing his best to steer clear of the pundits who have suddenly made him the flavor of the month — he knows it can all disappear with a bad workout or interview this week at the scouting combine.

“I get so many texts when [Todd] McShay and all of those guys get on ESPN. I get so many texts and calls,” Raji said. “I don’t pay too much attention to it. I know those guys are experts or whatever, but they really have no say when it comes to draft day. I kind of watch that over the years, so I’m not trying to get my hopes up too much.

“That happens every year. I can’t really think of a particular example, but you see guys fall, guys who are supposed to be Top 10 picks. They go from that to the end of the first. I’m not going to put down anybody. It’s none of my business, but it happens every year.”

Raji knows from experience things can change in a heartbeat. After being told by an academic adviser he was eligible to play in the days leading up to his junior year, he promptly had the rug yanked out from under him, when then-BC coach Jeff Jagodzinski told him the week before the 2007 season opener he would be ineligible to play a.

The problem wasn’t grades, but a miscalculation in the number of credits he needed to stay active. He and his adviser thought he needed two courses, but it turned out to be three. It was a fatal mistake that left him sidelined the entire season. But Raji was able to bounce back and become one of the most coveted defensive tackles in the draft.

“It was probably the hardest thing I’ve had to do,” Raji said about his season on the sidelines. “It made me more patient, because no matter how bad I wanted to get on the field, there was no way it was going to happen. And it kind of humbled me; the best season BC has had in 15-20 years happened the season I was sitting out.”

The combine can be a bit of a disconcerting experience. There are long days, spent lifting and running for coaches and GMs. Then, there are the interviews with teams. On Friday night, Raji interviewed with the Saints, who had him watch tape from four of his plays from college and asked him to explain in thorough detail what his assignment was, what he was asked to do and what he was looking for in each situation. (By his estimation, he has at least 15 more interviews this weekend.)

But Raji, who wouldn’t comment on BC’s bitter divorce with ex-coach Jagodzinski, has done his due diligence. He’s spoken with a variety of ex-Eagles who have gone through the process. Mathias Kiwanuka, Jeremy Trueblood, Gosder Cherilus and DeJuan Tribble have all offered their two cents about the strange and surreal week. They’ve all helped “guide” him, but Raji said, “it’s one of those things you just have to experience for yourself.”

In the end, he said it’s most important to remember some simple pointers.

“I want to show guys I can move for my size. I want to show that I’ve recovered from shoulder surgery that I had in ’07. And just prove I’m one of the guys,” he said. “I don’t think I’m any better than anybody. I’m here to compete. I love to play football. This is where the scouts want me to be, so I am.”

Christopher Price covers the Patriots for WEEI.com.