#1 Florida State Offense: The 'Noles lost plenty on offense, but they picked up one of the top transfers in quarterback Everett Golson. Golson should be the favorite to win the QB spot. He will have some passing options Travis Rudolph and Ermon Lane who had great freshmen seasons. As of now Dalvin Cook will be the running back at FSU but with lingering off the field issues we will see what happens when the season starts. What happens on the offensive line likely determines if this team is worthy of winning at ACC title. Losing tight end Nick O'leary will not be easy to replace either.
Defense: Florida State has proven that they have the depth to reload at defense. Two starters return on the defensive line with plenty of depth to fill the holes. Nile Lawerence-Stample who missed last season with an injury returns and looks to make big splash in his senior season. Linebacker is stacked with returning tackles leader, Reggie Northrup. In the secondary Florida State has one of the most disruptive corners in the country in Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey had 9.5 tackles for loss and totaled 80 tackles a year ago. Ramsey, is the teams top returner in sacks too. Both Tyler Hunter and Nate Andrews return at the safety spots. They combined for 158 tackles in 2015.
Special Teams: Florida State is in great shape with junior kicker Robert Aguayo back. Aguayo has missed just four field goals the past two season. Carson Beatty returns at punter.
Forecast: If the offense can gel in the first few games they will be ready for road games at Georgia Tech and Clemson. The defense will be one of the best in the league with plenty of talent as usual. The ACC will take a step back this season but the 'Noles seem to have to the best chance to win it.
#2 Clemson Offense: Deshaun Watson provided plenty of excitement last season. This year Tiger fans hope to have him for a full season after 2014 was cut short by several injuries. Watson is also important to the running game at Clemson. They will need sophomore running back Wayne Gallman to have a big year to keep defenses honest. The line plowing the way for Gallman will be crucial to the success of the Tigers. Wide Receiver, as usual, is in good hands with Mike Williams and Artavis Scott back.
Defense: The Tigers only return two starters from last years team who were tops in the nation on defense. The most concerning part of the defense is the defensive line where they lost just about everyone except defensive end Shaq Lawson. Linebacker should be fine but depth is a question mark. Mackensie Alexander played well as a freshman, this season he looks to be one the top corners in the ACC. Safety Jayron Kearse is the teams top returning tackler with 60 stops.
Special Teams: TJ Green is back to return kicks after averaging just over 20 yards a return last season. Kicker Ammon Lakip is back after kicking 21-28 field goals. Punter will have a new face in, Andy Teasdall.
Forecast: With so many departures on defense it is hard to put Clemson ahead of Florida state. The offense will be fun to watch as long as Dashaun Watson stays on the field. This will be a good year to have season tickets in Clemson with Florida State, Georgia Tech and Notre Dame traveling to Memorial Stadium.
#3 Louisville Offense: Offensively the Cardinals have a lot of questions, none bigger then at quarterback. The position battle will likely head into the season, but it looks as if Reggie Bonnafon or Kyle Bolin will be the two front runners. Who these guys will be passing to is a major concern. James Quick will need to become the guy at wide receiver for the Cards'. He caught 36 passes last season, with most everyone departing from the wide receiver core his numbers should be way up this season. At Running back Louisville returns Brandon Radcilff who led the team in carries, yards and touchdowns as a sophomore. The line could pose a problem with only two starters returning and lack of depth.
Defense: Louisville had one of the best defenses in the conference a year ago. They should be in the top tier again with a solid front seven returning. The line features two returnees, Pio Vatuvei and Sheldon Rankins. Rankins had a massive season with 53 tackles, eight sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions. If the Cardinals are able to get Devonte Fields eligible for the season the line will be even better. Linebacker is stacked with Keith Brown, Keith Kelsey and James Burgess. Kelsey led the team in tackles last season while Burgess is the teams returning leader in interceptions. The Secondary will feature two former Georgia Bulldogs. Josh Harvey-Clemons will start at safety and he stands 6'5, 230 pounds. Shaq Wiggins the other Bulldog transfer will start at corner.
Special teams: John Wallace is one of the best kickers the Louisville program have seen. Punter Josh Appleby has been in the program but has yet to have a full seasons work.
Forecast: The Cardinals will be special on defense. The offense will struggle and with a loaded schedule in the first six games that will be trouble. The home Thursday night game vs. Clemson could set the tone for the season. The key issue for Bobby Petrino will be identifying a quarterback for the future.
#4 NC State Offense: The Wolfpack finally have a rushing attack that opponents have to be concerned about. With running backs Shadrach Thornton and Matt Dayes back NC State will not miss a beat. Quarterback, Jacoby Brissett makes the running game even better with his ability to get up field. Brissett was a big reason for the Wolfpacks 2014 season successes. He only threw four interceptions last season, if he can continue on the path of not turning the ball over in 2015 they could be a threat to the top half of the division. Brissett will miss his top target from last year, Bo Hines, as he transferred to Yale. Wide receiver is very thin with Bra'Lon Cherry and Johnathan Alston being the only two players to record over 20 catches at the position last season. Tight end David Grinnage might very well end up being the top target this year. Of his 27 catches last year five of them were for touchdowns. The offensive line brings back four starters that should progress into a better overall line then last season.
Defense: North Carolina State's pass defense ranked 30th in the nation in yards allowed last season. The whole secondary returns for another great season. Safety Josh Jones led the team with four interceptions and Safety Hakim Jones returns as the teams top tackler. Offensive line posses some question but the Wolfpack seem pretty confident in the guys filling in the wholes. All eyes will be on defensive tackle Kentavius Street this season. With a full years work folks around Raleigh are hoping for big numbers from Street. Defensive end Mike rose was always in the backfield with 14.5 tackles for loss. As a freshman linebacker, Jerod Fernandez, was second in tackles with 78.
Special Teams: Major concerns lie on the special teams unit with new, young faces. Freshman Kyle Bambard (K) and A.J. Cole (P) look to secure their positions this fall.
Forecast: It is hard to see the passing offense take off this season with so little proven options returning. The running game will be great again but that will not be enough to get them into the top three of the Atlantic. The defense had an up and down year, but they will have to be better this season and they should be. October home games vs. Louisville and Clemson will be crucial to the Wolfpack's season.
#5 Boston College Offense: The Eagles will again be running the ball at a high rate with Jon Hilliman (860 yards) and Myles Willis (459 yards). Contributing to the rushing attack at wide receiver is Sherman Alston who amassed 352 yards rushing on just 34 attempts. Quarterback Tyler Murphy was a big reason the running attack was effective. Now that Murphy has departed dual-threat QB Darius Wade will be under center. Wade will be fine running the ball, his passing will be crucial in taking this team to another level. Wade will have tight end Dan Crimmins who was second on the team in receptions with 25. Steve Addazio will hope the offensive line, who lost all five starters gels quickly in order for his offensive attack to have a chance.
Defense: The Eagles had one of the best run defenses in the nation last season and look for that to continue in 2015. Don Brown returns five of seven starters on the front seven. Defensive end Kevin Kavalec put together a great sophomore year campaign with 10.5 tackles for loss and 40 tackles. Opposite of Kevin Kavalec, is Malachi Moore, who is back as the teams top sack guy from 2014. Steven Daniels is one of the better linebackers in the league, in 2014 he was second in tackles with 72. The lone starter in the secondary is Justin Simmons who led the team in tackles with 76.
Special Teams: Alex Howell handles both duties for the Eagles. He is a solid punter but struggled last season at kicker hitting on just 50 percent of his kicks.
Forecast: The Eagles will handle their business on defense but the offense will struggle. With the lack of weapons and a whole new line BC will need some time for their attack to become consistent. Luckily they have two FCS teams to start the season to figure a few things out before Florida State comes into town on September 18th.
#6 Syracuse Offense: Quarterback Terrel Hunt is back for another season. Hes played in 18 games in his career,but has been very inaccurate with a completion percentage under 60 percent and 12 interceptions to his 11 touchdowns. Hunt was the teams leading runner a year ago too. Several new players will get a shot at running back, Devante McFarlane will be the number one back for Syracuse. Freshman running back, Dontae Strickland, is highly touted recruit who could end up being the man at Syracuse by the end of the season. The big guys up front are in good shape with several starters back and plenty of experience after an injury riddled 2014 season. Wide receiver has one proven player, Steve Ishmael.
Defense: From top to bottom the defense is very thin. The secondary is a work in progress, this season will be good to find potential future starters. Zaire Franklin is the top talent on defense, this should be his break out season. The defensive line won't pose a threat to many offensive lines. The defense was respectable last season, expect a step back from the Orange in 2015.
Special Teams: Punter Riley Dixon, totaled 75 punts last season with an average of 42.43 yards per punt. Kicker Cole Murphy, hit field goals at a respectable 81.3 percent clip.
Forecast: It is too bad this Orange team is not equipped to compete at a high level since they lured LSU into a home game and out of the south. The defense will take significant steps back this year while the offense could show a little promise. Four to five wins seems like the max for this years team with another missed bowl game.
#7 Wake Forest Offense: Let's be honest here, if the offensive line doesn't improve this team will be back in the cellar. The Demon Deacons have new faces arriving on the line but until we see a few games with them in action it will be hard to see Wake improving significantly this season. John Wofford returns at Quarterback after a blah 2014 season. Hard to fault Wofford too much as he was hit more than any other quarterback in the country. Clawson will look for anything to get going in the backfield. Two incoming freshmen Rocky Reid and Matt Colburn will certainly get looks. The top receiving option for the Deacons is tight end Cam Serigne who caught 54 balls last year.
Defense: The defense really did a great job last season. The line looks to get even better with three starters back. Defensive Tackle Josh Banks was able to get four sacks and record a pick. Wendell Dunn had a monster freshman season with 43 tackles from his defensive end position. The strength of the defense is at linebacker with three starters returning. MLB Marquel Lee led the team in tackles for loss. OLB Brandon Chubb had 109 tackles. The top tackler on the team plays safety, Ryan Janvion, 115 tackles. If the offense can help them out they should be just fine this season.
Special Teams: Wake Forest best player is punter, Alex Kinal. Kinal led the Demon Deacons to 17th in the country in average yards per punt. He was also 4th in punts per game with 6.8. Mike Weaver is back at kicker after attempting 19 kicks and making 15.
Forecast: If Wake Forest doesn't come out of September with at least two wins, throw the season down the drain. The offensive line has to be better for them to even get close to a bowl game this season. The defense is in good shape with plenty of talent returning.
Coastal
#1 North Carolina Offense: The North Carolina Tar Heels will have the best offense in the ACC this season. QB Marquise Williams is a major contender for a Heisman. Williams totaled 24 touchdowns last season with over 780 rushing yards and passed for over 3,000 yards. The line in front of Williams will be great. Four starters return including All-ACC talent Landon Turner at guard. The running game should have plenty of success with T.J. Logan, Elijah Hood and Romar Morris. The wide receiver position is tops in the league. Ryan Switzer led the team in receptions with 61 and yards with 762. Mack Hoillins and Quinshad Davis pose major threats in the redzone with their size, they scored a combined 14 touchdowns in 2014.
Defense: Gene Chizik is in as defensive coordinator and that alone should make the Tar Heels much improved on defense. He brings a 4-3 defense to Chapel Hill. Two starters return on defense and senior DE Jessie Rogers will factor in a starting spot after he led the team in sacks. Naziar Jones and Dajaun Drennon made quite the impact as freshmen on the line with a combined 13 tackles for loss. Middle Linebacker Jeff Schoettmer will lead the team in tackles this season and he has amassed 182 tackles in his career. The secondary brings back a plethora of players, but the 2014 season was a struggle. Brian Walker should hold his ground this season, but the players around him need to step up.
Special Teams: Last season everyone was on to Switzer and his capabilities to run back punts for touchdowns. He will look to bounce back in 2015 after a down year in the return game. Two freshman, Freeman Jones (K) and Corbin Daly (P) look to handle the punting and kicking duties.
Forecast: We have high hopes for the Tar Heels in 2015. They have big time playmakers on offense. Marquise Williams should be in the running for the Heisman. Having Gene Chzik as the defensive coordinator should help last years awful defense. Having Louisville, Clemson and Florida State off the schedule is a major plus.
#2 Pittsburgh Offense: Pitt has two of the best weapons in the country running back James Conner and wide receiver Tyler Boyd. Conner earned All-American honors after a massive season that included over 1,750 yards and 26 rushing touchdowns. Boyd could become the top wide receiver in the country this season with another big year. In his two seasons he has totaled 15 touchdowns, 163 receptions and 2,435 yards receiving. New coordinator Jim Chaney needs quarterback, Chad Voytik to become the guy. Voytik had an average year, but he did take care of the ball. If he improves on his completion percentage and is able to get it above 64 percent this team has a chance at the Coastal. Overall the offensive line should be in good shape with three starters, two of which have ACC accolades potential.
Defense: The defense returns seven starters but take some hefty losses as The Panthers lose three of their top four tacklers. Rori Blair who performed well in his freshman season, he was second in tackles for loss and led the team in sacks with five. Two linebackers that are sure to have big years are Matt Galambos and Bam Bradley. The secondary gave up just under 200 yards a year ago, they return two starters, Lafayette Pitts and Reggie Mitchell. Pat Narduzzi should put his imprint on this defense which should be very beneficial to this team improving defensively.
Special Teams: Having Tyler Boyd return kicks and punts is a big plus. Kicker Chris Blewitt only missed one field goal on the road. Punter Ryan Winslow and the coverage unit will look to work on a mediocre 40.06 yards per punt last season.
Forecast: Pat Narduzzi will bring toughness to the program and hopefully some stability. The youth movement is over in Pittsburgh and now the young talent has experience. The offense will be explosive with Boyd and Conner. Big home games vs. North Carolina, Notre Dame, Louisville and Miami will tell the tale of the season.
#3 Georgia Tech Offense: Paul Johnson did it again last year and took the Jackets to the top of the ACC Coastal. Johnson has his star quarterback, Justin Thomas back. Thomas led Georgia Tech to the number one running offense in the country last year. He ran for over 1,000 yards and tallied 26 total touchdowns. His top passing targets from last season are gone. In order for the Jackets to repeat they will need to find replacements for DeAndre Smelter and Darren Waller. The two combined for 13 of the 19 passing touchdowns last season and over half of the teams receiving yards. The backfield will have three new faces. Georgia Tech will always put up solid numbers in the running game but will they have a big play guy or someone who can pound it in consistently at the goal line. The line returns four of five starters which is always important in the option offense.
Defense: As good as the offense was last season, the defense was pretty bad. They gave up big chunks of yards but were pretty good in the red zone only allowing opponents to score a touchdown at a 52.83 percent clip. The turnover margin was big for Georgia Tech as they led the nation at +11. They will need to continue to create turnovers and hold opponents to field goals for them to have similar success this season. The secondary returns D.J. White and Jamal Golden who both tallied four interceptions last year. P.J. Davis is back at linebacker, he led the team in tackles last season with 119. KeShun Freeman is the teams biggest threat on the line.
Special Teams: Harrison Butker needs to better than 11 for 18. Butker will likely get more opportunities this season and they need him to hit at a better rate than 61.1 percent. Ryan Rodwell returns after getting 32 attempts last season which is the lowest amount of punts in the nation.
Forecast: It is hard to see Georgia Tech repeating again with the schedule they have. They draw both Florida State and Clemson from the Atlantic Division. Justin Thomas returning is huge for the offense but they lost a lot of play makers around him. The defense has potential to be better this season with seven starters returning. If they plan on making it back to the ACC title game they have to maintain a top turnover margin and special teams play will have to be great.
#4 Virginia Tech
Offense: Will quarterback Micheal Brewer take the Hokies back to the top of the ACC? That's the burning question in Blacksburg. Brewer had his moments but he threw too many interceptions and was tied for last in yards per attempt. Two wide receivers that have to be huge for Brewer are Isaiah Ford and Cam Philips. Sophomore tight end Bucky Hodges was one of Brewer's top targets in the red zone. Hodges was the teams touchdown leader with seven scores. The rushing attack has been down for a few years. J.C Coleman was the leading rusher with 533 yards. Trey Edmunds is back after being injured last season. Edmunds was the go to guy in 2013 with 675 yards. Virginia Tech struggles on the line too. Last season they gave up 34 sacks putting them tied for 101st in the nation.
Defense: This side of the ball is why many people have VT winning the division. The secondary features on of the top corners in the nation in Kendall Fuller. Having Fuller eliminates one side of the field. Defensive ends Dadi Nicolas and Ken Ekanem are tough matchups for any offensive line. Nicolas had 18 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks while Ekanem had 15.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks. The very active linebacker Deon Clarke makes plays all over the field, he is the teams leading returnee in tackles with 74. Bud Foster has done it again, another good defense, but can they get help from the offense?
Special Teams: Sophomore kicker Joey Slye had a pretty good freshman season hitting at 71.4 percent. Punter Aj Hughes was one of the worst in the country in terms of average.
Forecast: The Hokies have the top defense in the conference. The offense however remains a huge question mark. A lot of things will have to come together early offensively for the Hokies to compete. September will be very telling for Virginia Tech with a home game vs Ohio State, at Purdue and at East Carolina.
#5 Miami Offense: Brad Kaaya is one of the top young quarterbacks in the country but he does not have the supporting cast to take them to the top. Offensive line takes a major hit losing every starter but one. If the line fails this season will head south real quick. Will anyone of the team replace Duke Johnson? No. They do however have some solid options. Expect a healthy dose of Joseph Yearby and power back, Gus Edwards. Who emerges as the go to guy at wide receiver is to be seen. The logical choice would be Stacy Coley who was a freshman All-American.
Defense: The offense lost big time play makers and so did the defense. Depth is an issue for the Hurricanes. The strength of the defense is the secondary which has two returning starters and some experience. Three key contributes are back at linebacker with Tyriq McCord, Raphael Kirby and Jermaine Grace. The line is going to struggle getting pressure on the quarterback and that is the start to a pretty bad defense in 2015.
Special Teams: Kicker Micheal Badgley made over 77 percent of his field goals last season. Justin Vogel had a good year with 42.83 yards per punt.
Forecast: The offense will likely struggle and the defense won't be as good. The schedule is setup for failure with a tough non conference slate (at FAU, At Cincinnati, Nebraska) and the ACC schedule has Miami playing Clemson and Florida State from the Atlantic. Al Golden could be on his way out of Miami, which seems odd, but very likely.
#6 Duke
Offense: The question is can Duke reload? It is hard to see it happening with uncertainty at quarterback. Thomas Sirk seems to be the favorite for the job. Sirk only has 14 college passing attempts. His top targets for next season will be Max McCaffrey and Johnell Barnes unless another player emerges. The running attack will have a one-two punch of Shaquille Powell and Shaun Wilson. The line will miss from familiar faces but they return three starters that includes the leagues top center Matt Skura.
Defense: The secondary was impressive last season and they return all five starters including star safety Jeremy Cash. Cash led the team in sacks from his safety position. Corner DeVon Edwards was second in sacks with 4.5. Edwards also the returning leader in tackles. Defensive line has questions but the Blue Devils feel pretty confident that the new players will fit in just fine.
Special Teams: Best Special teams in the ACC reside in Durham. Ross Martin only missed two field goals last season. Punter Will Monday had 59 punts last season that traveled an average of 43 yards. DeVon Edwards played a big role in the kick return game averaging over 25 yards a return.
Forecast: Offensively they won't have the fire power to compete in the division. The defense might turn out to be middle of the road in the ACC. The schedule is set up for success but they do not have the talent to do it. The big positive for Duke is the finally got rid of the damn track at Wallace Wade!
#7 UVA
Offense: Matt Johns is the guy at quarterback. In order for Johns and the Cavaliers to improve in the passing game the completion percentage needs to be better than 54.9 percent. Johns doesn't have too many great targets outside of last years top receiver Canaan Severin. Kevin Parks is gone from a team that ranked 97th in rushing yards per game. The next man up is Taquan Mizzell. Mizzell could prove to be a big difference maker if the line can hold up and provide gaps for him.
Defense: Linebacker took a major hit with the departures of both Max Valles and Henry Coley. Filling in for them will be some young players that haven't got much run. Two freshman linebackers Jahvoni Simmons and C.J. Stalker were the prize recruits in the 2015 class. Eli Harold was a monster on the line last season, now Virginia will look for David Dean to fill that void. Andrew Brown is the sleeper in the mix at defensive line. Brown a former five star had an injury riddled freshman campaign. The secondary is one of the better ones in the league with safety Quan Blanding. Blanding led the team in tackles and interceptions in 2014 as a freshman.
Special Teams: Kicker Ian Frye did well with his 27 attempts last season. Virginia has a new punter in Nicholas Conte. Conte has yet to attempt a punt in his career.
Forecast: Mike London's time as the head coach at Virginia is running thin. He has had several great recruiting classes but has yet to find a quarterback. The schedule is brutal with non conference games at UCLA, home vs Notre Dame and Boise State. A bowl game is once again out of the question for Virginia.