ACC Football Preview 2016
Coastal
#1 North Carolina Tar Heels
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Coach: Larry Fedora
Offensive Coordinator: Chris Kapilovic Defensive coordinator: Gene Chizik Stadium: Kenan Memorial Stadium (62,980) 2015 Record: 11-3 (8-0) The Breakdown Offense:Marquise Williams did a lot for the Tar Heel program. Now enter QB Mitch Trubisky. Trubisky is going to put up big numbers. He is a dual threat QB who can make plays with his legs when needed. The good news for Trubisky he has several great options to pass to. Ryan Switzer can break a big play of a simple play. Bug Howard is destined for a breakout year this season. Mack Hollins is a deep threat and averaged 24.83 yards per catch. This is the deepest unit on the team. The running game will be strong again this season. Elijah Hood solidified himself as a top RB in the conference last season. Hood had 17 scores on the ground. T.J. Logan is behind him and is capable of making things happen when called upon. The line is top three in conference and brings back four starters. Defense: Gene Chizik did wonders for this defense last season. If they could just improve on a rush defense that gave up 247 yards per game they will be even better. The front four brings back 3 of 4 starters. DE Mikey Bart led the team in sacks with 6.5. Who fills the open DT spot will be key for this team. What happens at linebacker could make or break this defense. All three spots are open and a majority have little to no experience. Former walkon Cole Holcomb will start at WLB. MLB Andre Smith should become a household name really quick. The secondary is strong. Donnie miles led the team in tackles with 128 from his safety spot. M.J. Stewart and Des Lawrence are back at corner. Stewart led the team in interceptions with 4. Special Teams: We all know what Ryan Switzer can do returning punts and kicks. Joe Mangili is back at punter. Nick Weiler proved he could be trusted as the primary kicker. Overview: The offense won’t miss a beat. The defense held on to Gene Chizik for another year. They have questions at LB entering the season but that should fade. They have a favorable schedule again this season so look for them to make a run to the top. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Mitch Trubisky, SO, QB 9 G, 47 ATT, 40 COMP, 85.1 PCT, 555 Yards, 6 TD, 0 INT, 226.44 Rating Rushing Elijah Hood, SO, RB 14 G, 219 ATT, 1463, 17 TD Receiving Mack Hollins, JR, WR 14 G, 745 Yards, 8 TD Defense: Interceptions: M.J. Stewart, SO, DB 12 G, 4 INT, 0 TD Sacks: Mikey Bart, JR, DL 14 G, 6.5 Sacks Tackles: Donnie Miles, SO, DB 14 G, 76 Solo, 52 Assisted, 128 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 11-3 2014 6-7 2013 7-6 2012 8-4 2011 7-6 North Carolina Schedule
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#2T Virginia Tech Hokies
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Coach: Justin Fuente
Offensive Coordinator: Brad Cornelsen Defensive coordinator: Bud Foster Stadium: Lane Stadium (66,233) 2015 Record: 7-6 (4-4) The Breakdown Offense: Justin Fuente will get this team headed in the right direction. They have the weapons to do it in year one too. Cam Phillips, Isaiah Ford and Bucky Hodges form a top receiving unit in the conference. The running game is in good hands with Travon McMillian back after a great freshman season. The offensive line has the talent to land several players on the first or second team all-ACC list. Thewill be protecting QB Jerod Evans. The dual-threat QB will make give you a new dynamic to the offense. If he can hit his talented receiving core, watchout! Defense: Bud Foster won’t let another down year happen under his watch. The defensive line should get back to business with a deep and talented line. Ken Ekanem should have his best year yet at DE. Woody Baron and Nigel Williams will form a strong middle front. In te middle of the defense all eyes will be on Tremaine Edmunds. He could become one of the most feared linebackers in the ACC. He as he size and speed to make things happen all over the field. Andrew Motuapuaka returns at MLB. The secondary is Virginia Tech’s strongest unit. They return all four starters from last years unit who only gave up 189 yards. Chuck Clark led the team in tackles last season with 107. Special Teams: Overview: Last season I didn’t see how this team would succeed. This year my attitude has changed. Evans will make plays at QB and he has too many weapons to not succeed. The defense should be able to get back on it’s feet after a down 2015. The scheduled sets up well since they don’t have to face FSU or Clemson. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Brenden Motley, JR, QB 10 G, 163 ATT, 92 COMP, 56.4 PCT, 1155 Yards, 11 TD, 7 INT, 129.64 Rating Rushing Tavon McMillian, FR, RB 13 G, 200 ATT, 1042 Yards, 7 TD Receiving Isaiah Ford, SO, WR 13 G, 75 REC, 1164 Yards, 11 TD Defense: Interceptions: Adonis Alexander, FR, LB 12 G, 4 INT, 0 TD Sacks: Ken Ekanem, JR, DL 13 G, 4.5 Sacks Tackles: Chuck Clark, JR, DB 13 G, 65 Solo, 42 Assisted, 107 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 7-6 2014 7-6 2013 8-5 2012 7-6 2011 11-3 Virginia Tech Schedule
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#2T Pittsburgh Panthers
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Coach: Pat Narduzzi
Offensive Coordinator: Matt Canada Defensive coordinator: Josh Conklin Stadium: Heinz Field (68,400) 2015 Record: 8-5 (6-2) The Breakdown Offense: Tyler Boyd is gone after an amazing career at Pitt. Dontez Ford should slide into his role now. A freshman WR to watch it Ruben Flowers. It comes down to who emerges outside of Ford. Passing them the ball will be Nathan Peterman. Peterman had a good season. He completed passes and did a pretty good job taking care of the ball. The running attack features one of the most talented backfields in the country. Qadree Ollison held his own last season with over 1,000 yards rushing and 11 scores. James Conner is back after a difficult off season. If he regains form this rushing attack will be difficult to stop. The offensive line brings back four starters. Adam Bisnowaty and Dorian Johnson being the best of the group. Defense: The defense has two players that stand out DE Ejuan Price and S Jordan Whitehead. Whitehead as just a freshman led the team in tackles. Ejuan Price led the team in sacks and TFL. With these two the defense stands in good shape. Having Price on the line will open things up for the other DE spot. Dewayne Hendrix and Rori Blair will need to take advantage of this. Tyrique Jarrett is back at DT. Three seniors will likely start at the linebacker spots. Matt Galambos and Mike Caprara both started last season. They have talented second string players so don’t be surprised if they start to see more time. The secondary is strong with the presence of Whitehead but who can step up and elevate the secondary. Avonte Maddox had a nice sophomore season and led the team in interceptions plus 12 passes defended. Special Teams: The return game makes noise with Avonte Maddox and Quadree Henderson. Kicker Chris Blewitt will need to better after missing 8 kicks last year. Ryan Winslow had a good year at punter. Overview: The offense will be tough to stop with the running attack and Nathan Peterman under center. The defense returns 8 starters and should take another step forward. Penn State is back on the schedule and everyone is excited about that. Narduzzi is making a splash in the ACC and he should continue doing that this season. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Nate Peterman, JR, QB 13 G, 314 ATT, 193 Comp, 61.3 PCT, 2287 Yards, 20 TD, 8 INT, 138.57 Rushing Qadree Ollison, FR, RB 13 G, 212 ATT, 1121 Yards, 11 TD Receiving Dontez Ford, JR, WR 13 G, 26 REC, 505 Yards, 2 TD Defense Interceptions: Avonte Maddox, SO, DB 13 G, 3 INT, 1 TD Sacks: Matt Galambos, JR, LB 13 G, 5.0 Sacks Tackles: Jordan Whitehead, FR, DB 13 G, 74 Solo, 34 Assisted, Total 108 Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 8-5 2014 6-7 2013 7-6 2012 6-7 2011 6-7 Pittsburgh Schedule
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#4 Miami Hurricanes
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Coach: Mark Richt
Offensive Coordinator: Thomas Brown Defensive coordinator: Manny Diaz Stadium: Sun Life Stadium (65,326) 2015 Record: 8-5 (5-3) The Breakdown Offense: We all love Brad Kaaya, we all know he is going to play at the next level, but our questions surround him. Running back looks to be really good with Joe Yearby and Mark Walton. Yearby broke 1,000 yards and Walton became a major threat in the redzone. After Stacy Coley who will become the second and third option for Kaaya? Well, they brought in three, four star WR recruits to fill that void. Sam Bruce, Ahmmon Richards, and Dionte Mullins will all get a chance to make plays this season. Don’t forget about, Michael Irvin. Irvin is showing in fall camp he can make plays. The line should do a solid job for the run and pass this season. Oh we almost forgot to tell you that, Mark Richt, is calling the plays this season. Defense: Manny Diaz has bounced around a lot since his days at Texas. Something tells me he will stick at Miami. The switch to the 4-3 will work out well for a Miami team that is strong upfront. Chad Thomas and Al-Quadin Muhammad will look to make their presence known early and often. The defensive tackle spot is deep and talented. Jermaine Grace is the team's leading tackler. Beside him though will be two freshman. Shaquille Quarterman is one of the top recruits from the 2016 class. Darrion Owens and Michael Pinckney will battle for time at WLB. The safety spot is deep and will have no issues. The corner spot has question marks. The only player with true experience is Corn Elder. A slew of sophomores will be battling for the second spot. Special Teams: Corn Elder needs to be back as the return man. The Canes have to be happy with Michael Badgley’s production last season. Punter Justin Vogel has a big leg. Overview: Miami could be a year away from being a top 15 team. They will have some serious talent coming through with Richt at the helm. This season you will see a lot of the youth movement. If the young receivers make their presence felt early this team will have a lot of success. The front four look great but after that, questions arise. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Brad Kaaya, SO, QB 12 G, 389 ATT, 238 COMP, 61.2 PCT, 3238 Yards, 16 TD, 5 INT, 142.10 Rushing Joseph Yearby, SO, RB 13 G, 205 ATT, 1002 Yards, 6 TD Receiving Stacy Coley, JR, WR, 11 G, 47 REC, 689 Yards, 4 TD Defense: Interceptions: Artie Burns, JR, DB 13 G, 6 INT, 0 TD Sacks: Al-Quadin Muhammad, SO, DL 12 G, 5.0 Sacks Tackles: Jermaine Grace, JR, LB 13 G, 44 Solo, 35 Assisted, 79 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 8-5 2014 6-7 2013 9-4 2012 7-5 2011 6-6 Miami Schedule
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#5 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
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Coach: Paul Johnson
Offensive Coordinator: Paul Johnson Defensive coordinator: Ted Roof Stadium: Bobby Dodd Stadium (55,000) 2015 Record: 3-9 (1-7) The Breakdown Offense: The Tech running game only ranked 8th in the country last season. That will not produce winning season and it showed. Tech went from 350 first downs in 2014 to just 233 last year. Justin Thomas has seen the ups and downs as a QB for GT. He will need to get back to his 2014 self. He dominated that year on the ground and through the air. He will need his offensive line to step up in a big way for that to happen. The whole left side returns leaving the right open. Chris Griffin should come back strong after missing last season at RG. Marcus MArshall led the team in rushing last season. Fans will want to see more of Clinton Lynch and his ability to make big plays. Marcus Marshall will be featured a BB. One thing that really hurt last season was the down fall at receiver. In 2014 they were stacked at the position. In 2016the should take a step forward. Ricky Jeune was their main threat last season and caught 4 touchdowns. They need another WR to step up beside him. Defense: The defense had a rough start to 2015 but they had a good second half. They held Georgia and Florida State to 16 or less points. The front four will need to get after the QB this season. Three starters are back but they lose NT Adam Gotsis. Ted Roof will look to Francis Kallon to help fill the void. The team welcomes back P.J. Davis who will lead the team in tackles this season. Next to Davis is Brant Mitchell. The sophomore got quality experience last season. Where GT will have major issues is the secondary. The lone returning starter is NB Lawrence Austin. Several sophomores and freshman will be battling it out for open spots elsewhere in the secondary. Special Teams: Special teams play is senior laden with kicker Harrison Butker and Ryan Rodwell at punter. Harrison has a career FG PCT under 70. Overview: It wasn’t pretty last season in Atlanta. They did manage to ruin Florida State's season though. The offense might be stuck if the line doesn’t make progression. The secondary has a lot of questions to be confident in them making stops consistently. Bowl eligible but still not pretty this season. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Justin Thomas, JR, QB 12 G, 180 ATT, 75 Comp, 41.7 PCT, 1345 Yards, 13 TD, 8 INT, 119.37 Rushing Marcus Marshall, FR, RB 11 G, 86 ATT, 654 Yards, 4 TD Receiving Ricky Jeune, SO, WR 12 G, 24 REC, 520 Yards, 4 TD Defense: Interceptions: Brant Mitchell, FR, LB 12 G, 2 INT, 1 TD Sacks: KeShun Freeman, So, DL 12 G, 2.0 Sacks Tackles: P.J. Davis, JR, LB 45 Solo, 32 Assisted, Total 77 Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 3-9 2014 11-3 2013 7-6 2012 7-7 2011 Georgia Tech Schedule
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#6 Virginia Cavaliers
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Coach: Bronco Mendenhall
Offensive Coordinator: Robert Anae Defensive coordinator: Nick Howell Stadium: Scott Stadium (61,500) 2015 Record: 4-8 (3-5) The Breakdown Offense: Nothing new here the offense struggled. Taquan Mizzell led the team in receiving and rushing. He is back for his senior season and will have to be the team's playmaker. Matt John’s nearly had 3,000 yards passing but you won’t succeed at QB with 17 interceptions. That led the country, can’t happen again in order for this team to succeed. Johns is now without his top target and what is left is not great. By the end of the season look for one of the freshman to have emerged. Good news doesn’t lie amongst the O-line either. At this point it is hard to see how this team could make a great improvement with the current players on the roster. The good news is coach Mendenhall will find a good QB soon. Defense: Let's talk some positives for the first time in this preview. Quin Blanding is a bad dude. He has NFL talent. Quin was second in tackles last season with 115. Kelvin Rainey can make the big hit from his strong safety spot. The secondary will be called upon to force more turnovers this season. Micah Kisser has a high football IQ. Kiser had 117 tackles last year.They had two four star linebackers in the 2015 class so be on the lookout for them. The front three should be better this season. Andrew Brown, the former five star DL, needs to breakout this season. If they can get a better push upfront the secondary will be even better. Special Teams: Nicholas Conte is one of the better punters in the league. Joey Slye made 23-27 field goals last year. Sadly we will all miss “Beamer Ball” this season. Overview: The offense looks stuck at this point. The defense should be better this season. The Cavaliers have a nice home slate but will they be able to capitalize on that. Bronco Mendenhall should be able to get things turned around but it won’t be easy. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Matt Johns, JR, QB 12 G, 403 ATT, 247 COMP, 61.3 PCT, 2810 Yards, 20 TD, 17 INT, 127.80 Rushing Taquan Mizzell, JR, RB 12 G, 164 ATT, 664 Yards, 4 TD Receiving Taquan Mizzell, JR, RB 12 G, 75 REC, 721 Yards, 4 TD Defense: Interceptions: Darious Latimore, FR, DB 10 G, 2 INT Sacks: Micah Kiser, SO, LB 12 G, 7.5 Sacks Tackles: Micah Kiser, SO, LB 12 G, 64 Solo, 53 Assisted, 117 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 4-8 2014 5-7 2013 2-10 2012 4-8 2011 8-5 Virginia Schedule
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#7 Duke Blue Devils
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Coach: David Cutcliffe
Offensive Coordinator: Zac Roper Defensive coordinator: Ben Albert and Jim Knowles Stadium: Wallace Wade Stadium (33,941) 2015 Record: 8-5 (4-4) The Breakdown Offense: A big blow to the team happen recently. QB Thomas Sirk is out for the season. Sirk led the team in passing and rushing. Without him the dynamic of the Duke offense changes dramatically. Parker Boehme, Quentin Jones and Daniel Jones all will fight for the starting role. The rushing attack will be down with the loss of Sirk. Jela Duncan and Shaun Wilson will get the bulk of the carries at RB. Anthony Nash and T.J. Rahming are the top receivers coming back. Scott Bracey is one of Duke’s top recruits so keep an eye on him. The line is the strength of the offense. Three starters are back including both tackles. Defense: the defense will likely take a step back this season. The front 6 only have one starter back. The linebackers are all young, with little experience. LB’s Tinashe Bere and Ben Humphreys should see a lot of the field as sophomores. Humpherys is a former four star recruit. The line returns A.J. Wolf at DT. They need one of the underclassmen to really step up and become a threat this season. The secondary returns four of five starters. The lone starter that is gone is former All-American, Jeremy Cash. Corbin McCarthy is a strong candidate to replace Cash. CB Devon Edwards is the top returning tackler. Opposite corner, Breon Borders led the team in interceptions. Special Teams: If you are looking for good news out of the special teams department, look somewhere else. /they have to replace an All-ACC kicker and punter. Austin Parker will land the punting spot. Place kicker could feature several guys until things settle in. Overview: Things are looking better facility wise, on the field might have a down year. It is hard to see things being positive this season with a poor front 6 and Sirk out as QB. Here’s a positive, they don’t face FSU or Clemson. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Thomas Sirk, JR, QB (injured) 12 G, 427 ATT, 251 COMP, 58.8 PCT, 2625 Yards, 16 TD, 8 INT, Rating 119.00 Rushing Thomas Sirk, JR, QB (injured) 12 G, 163 ATT, 803 Yards, 8 TD Receiving T.J. Rahming, FR, WR 12 G, 42 REC, 571 Yards, 2 TD Defense: Interceptions: Breon Borders, JR, DB 13 G, 3 INT, 0 TD Sacks: Marquies Price, FR, DL 11 G, 1.5 Sacks Tackles: DeVon Edwards, JR, DB 13 G, 50 Solo, 51 Assisted, 101 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 8-5 2014 9-4 2013 10-4 2012 6-7 2011 3-9 Duke Schedule
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Atlantic
#1 Clemson Tigers
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Coach: Dabo Swinney
Offensive Coordinator: Jeff Scott and Tony Elliot Defensive coordinator: Brent Venables Stadium: Memorial Stadium 81,500 2015 Record: 14-1 (8-0) The Breakdown Offense: The Tiger have one of the best offenses in the nation. They have fire power at all levels and one of the top offensive lines in the country. LT Mitch Hyatt could become a first team All-American at the end of the season. Two other starters return and two sophomores could land in the two open spots. The running game will be in great shape with Wayne Gallman. Gallman had over 1,500 yards and added 13 TD last season. QB Deshaun Watson had 1,105 yards on the ground and will be looking to put up big numbers again on the ground. Watson is a Heisman contender again this season. Having the capability to make plays on the ground and through the air makes his chances even more likely. He threw for over 4,000 yards and totaled 25 TDs. Watson at times does struggle with throwing interceptions but with 491 attempts he's bound to throw some. Watson’s favorite target, Artavis Scott returns. Scott in two seasons has 169 catches and 1,866 yards. Deon Cain, Hunter Renfrow and Jordan Leggett provide great targets for Watson. Add in the addition of Mike Williams who is returning from an injury and you have yourself a talented group at receiver. Defense: The defense held opponents to 313 yards a game last season. Only four starters are back but the talent on the roster will help them reload. Two starters return on the line but make way for some talented sophomores. DT Christian Wilkins is a 5 star recruit out of Connecticut. The 2016 class brings in a 5 star DT recruit too, Dexter Lawrence. Defensive end Austin Bryant could play a huge role in how effective the line is at getting to the QB. The linebacking corps will be stout with Ben Boulware returning. Ben is the team's top defensive player. He had 10 QB hurries, 3.5 sacks, 8 TFL and 82 tackles in his junior year. Don’t be surprised if you see two true freshman getting a lot of downs at the other two LB spots. Tre Lamar and Shaq Smith both have the talents to make plays right away. The secondary is where the concern lies. Corner Condrea Tankersley is one of the best in the conference. He had 5 interceptions to go with 9 passes broken up. Trayvon Mullen could see time at the other corner spot. Mark Fields will be in the battle with Mullen for that spot. Senior Jadar Johnson and Van Smith will see a lot of time at safety. Special Teams: With Artavis Scott will return both punts and kicks this season. The Tigers have one of the better kickers around in Greg Huegel. Andy Teasdall hopes to have the best season of his career in his final go around with the Tigers. Overview: This year the Tigers well have a target on their back as they come into the season as one of the favorites to win the national title. Watson will lead the firepowered offense that will average close to 40 ppg. The defense looks really good outside of the secondary. The game at Florida State will control the Tiger's destiny. Week one they will get a nice test on the road in Auburn. |
Top Returners
Offense Passing Deshaun Watson, SO, QB 15 G, 491 ATT, 333 COMP, 4104 Yards, 35 TD, 13 INT, 156.25 Rating Rushing Wayne Gallaman, SO, RB 14 G, 283 ATT, 1527 Yards, 13 TD Receiving: Artavis Scott, SO, WR 15 G, 93 REC, 901 Yards, 6 TD Defense: Interceptions Condrea Tankersley, JR, DB 15 G, 5 INT, 1 TD Sacks Ben Boulware, JR, LB 15 G, 3.5 Sacks Tackles Ben Boulware, JR, LB 15 G, 44 Solo, 38 Assisted, 82 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 14-1 2014 10-3 2013 11-2 2012 11-2 2011 10-4 Clemson Schedule
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#2 Louisville Cardinals
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Coach: Bobby Petrino
Offensive Coordinator: Chris Klenakis and Lonnie Galloway Defensive coordinator: Todd Grantham Stadium: Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium (55,000) 2015 Record: 8-5 (5-3) The Breakdown Offense: The Cardinal offense is ready for a breakout season. Lamar Jackson has solidified himself as the guy to run Petrino's offense. Jackson has the capabilities to make game changing plays on the ground but needs to work on his accuracy. If he does that this offense will be one of the more dynamic attacks in the country. Jackson has good options to throw to. Jamari Staples and James Quick both had over 35 catches and 600 yards receiving last year. As a freshman Jaylen Smith proved to be a good target as well. TE Cole Hikutini is a threat in the red zone. A freshman that could see some time is Desmond Fitzpatrick. The running game brings back everyone that made an impact last season. With the threat of Jackson they should be able to improve on last season’s numbers. Brandon Radcliff got the bulk of the carries and had 7 touchdowns. Jeremy Smith and L.J. Scott will need to prove more capable. None of the running backs averaged over 5 yards per carry. That will need to change. The major concern on offense is at offensive line. The young tackles now have a full season under their belt as they enter sophomore season. Things have to be better and with consistency at QB that should help. Defense: This linebacker corps is downright nasty. So nasty that they might be the best in the country. Keith Kelsey, Trevon Young and Devonte Fields all had over 10 TFL. Fields had 22.5 TFL, 11 Sacks and 12 QB hurries. Fields came back to form and is ready to dominate in his final college season. Upfront DeAngelo Brown should prove to be the man and has first team all-acc potential. They key to the line will be who emerges at DE. Drew Bailey, Johnny Richardson, and Chris Williams are upperclassmen fighting for spots. The secondary features Josh Harvey-Clemons at SS who will be playing on Sundays. With Harvey-Clemons return they will have all four starters back in the secondary. CB Shaq Wiggins led the team with 11 passes broken up. Trumaine Washington led the team in interceptions with 4. The secondary as a whole had 15 total interceptions. Special Teams: Mason King will be at punter for the Cards as a freshman. The kicker spot will be determine during fall camp and you could see multiple guys throughout the season. The return game is always exciting with Traveon Samuel bring them back. Overview: If Lamar Jackson elevates his game, watch out for this offense. The defense has several stars but they need some improvement at defensive end. This years schedule has them going to Clemson but have FSU at home. The non-conference schedule is no joke with games at Marshall and Houston. Louisville should see double digit wins this season. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Lamar Jackson, FR, QB 12 G, 247 ATT, 135 Comp, 1840 Yards, 12 TD, 8 INT, 126.78 Rating Rushing Lamar Jackson, FR, QB 12 G, 163 ATT, 960 Yards, 11 TD Receiving Jamari Staples, JR, WR G 10, 37 REC, 638 Yards, 3 TD Defense: Interceptions: Trumaine Washington, SO, DB 13 G, 4 INT, 1 TD Sacks: Devonte Fields, JR, LB 13 G, 11 Sacks Tackles: Keith Kelsey, JR, LB 13 G, 57 Solo, Assisted 50, 107 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 8-5 2014 9-4 2013 12-1 2012 11-2 2011 7-6 Louisville Schedule
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#3 Florida State
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Coach: Jimbo Fisher
Offensive Coordinator: Lawrence Dawsey and Randy Sanders Defensive coordinator: Charles Kelly Stadium: Doak Campbell Stadium (82,300) 2015 Record: 10-3 (6-2) The Breakdown Offense: We all know how great RB Dalvin Cook is. What he brings to the table makes this team contender in the ACC without discussing much more. There’s a lot more to like about Florida State than just Cook. The receivers are impressive with Travis Rudolph leading the way. Rudolph led the team in yards, touchdowns and receptions. Kermit Whitfield and Jesus wilson both had over 50 catches last season. The offensive line is one of the best in conference. Four starters returning plus depth. Roderick Johnson being the best of the group plays at left tackle. The five men upfront will be a big benefit to QB. Sean Maguire will fill the backup role to either Deondre Francois or J.J. Cosentino. Freshman QB Malik Henry was suspended in the fall. Whomever gets the start at QB will need to establish the passing attack and a deep passing game. The threat will open things up for Cook. Defense: The front four can handle any offensive line in college football. Demarcus Walker burst on to the scene last season and posted huge numbers. Josh Sweat should emerge as a major threat after getting plenty experience as a freshman. They have depth at defensive tackle. Derrick Nnadi is a force to be reckon with. The secondary is the best in conference. Marquez White and Derwin James both return. They lose Jalen Ramsey to the NFL but they will fill his void. Three players players will see time at corner outside of White. CB Levonta Taylor comes in as the team's top recruit. Two sophomores Tarvarus McFadden and Marcus Lewis will see time as well at corner. All eyes will be on who emerges at linebacker. The talent is is there but they don’t have the experience. Ro’Derrick Hoskins and Matthew Thomas are favorites for the open spots. Special Teams: One Aguayo leaves and the other one arrives. Ricky Aguayo will take over for his All-American brother at kicker. Logan Tyler comes in as a true freshman punter. The return game should be in good hands with Jesus Wilson and Kermit Whitfield. Overview: The Seminoles look great on offense until you get to QB. If they are going to win the ACC they need to have a big showing early from their QB when they play Louisville in week three. The defense will be great again. Despite the lack of experience at LB, the Noles will be so strong everywhere else it won’t matter. Another double digit win season should be in reach. |
Passing
Sean Maguire, JR, QB 8 G, 189 ATT, Comp, 1520 Yards, 11 TD, 6 INT, 139.67 Rating Rushing Dalvin Cook, JR, RB 229 att, 1691 Yards, 19 TD Receiving Travis Rudolph, SO, WR 13 G, 59 REC, 916 Yards, 7 TD Defense: Interceptions: Josh Sweat, FR, DL G 13, 1 INT Sacks: Demarcus Walker, JR, DL 13 G, 10.5 Sacks, Tackles: Derwin James, FR, DB 13 G, 52 Solo, 39 Assisted, 91 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 10-3 2014 13-1 2013 14-0 2012 12-2 2011 9-4 Florida State Schedule
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#4 NC State
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Coach: Dave Doeren
Offensive Coordinator: Eli Drinkwitz Defensive coordinator: Dave Huxtable Stadium: Carter-Finley Stadium (57,583) 2015 Record: 7-6 (3-5) The Breakdown Offense: Before we get to the negative stuff on the Wolfpack let’s talk positive. They have one of the best tight ends in the ACC in Jaylen Samuels. Samuels led the team in receptions, yards and touchdowns. Another tight end to watch is Thaddeus Moss a four star TE. Matt Dayes when healthy has All-ACC credentials. Wide receiver brings back some talent with Jumichael Ramos. Look for, four star recruit, Kelvin Harmon, to make an impact. Major issues revolve around the line and QB play. They get proven help from center Joseph Scelfo who transferred from South Alabama. LG Tony Adams returns. The other three spots posses big question. The loss of Jacoby Brissett will be felt this season. Jalan McClendon will get the first go at it. But Ryan Finley, transfer from Boise State, has emerged as a threat to start too. Defense: It all starts upfront for the Wolfpack. Despite the loss of Mike Rose they should still be in good shape. Bradley Chubb and Darian Roseboro are back and should be a major threat to opponents this season. B.J. Hill and Kentavius Street will hold things down at DT. Jerod Fernandez and Airius Moore are back in the middle of the defense. Moore led the team in tackles from his WLB spot. The team will need MLB Jerod Fernandez to take a step forward. The secondary posses a lot of experience with plenty of juniors and seniors in the two deep. Nickelback is the strongest spot with Niles Clark and Dravious Wright returning. This defense had a +9 turnover margin and 29th in total yards given up. They will need to be right around these numbers again to give this team a shot at breaking in the top three. Special Teams: The return game is one of the best in the country with Nyheim Hines and Bra’Lon Cherry. Kyle Bombard can’t afford to go 50% on FG kicks this season. A.J. Cole will be at punter. Overview: With the big issue at QB it is hard to see this team cracking the top three in the ACC. They have some good options at the skill spots but the line has issues too. The defense should be fine if the offense doesn’t put them in bad spots. First four games are manageable then it gets real. It will be hard to get back to 7 wins this season. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Jalan McClendon, FR, QB 7 G, 14 ATT, 8 Comp, 57.1 PCT, 69 yards, 0 TD, 0 Int, 98.54 Rating Rushing Matthew Dayes, JR, RB 8 G, 134 ATT, 865 Yards, 12 TD Receiving Jaylen Samuels, SO, TE G 13, 65 REC, 597 Yards, 7 TD Defense: Interceptions: Jerod Fernandez, SO, LB G 13, 2 INT, 0 TD Sacks: Bradley Chubb, SO, DL 13 G, 5.5 Sacks Tackles: Airius Moore, SO, LB 13 G, 32 Solo, 45 Assisted, 77 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 7-6 2014 8-5 2013 3-9 2012 7-6 2011 8-5 NC State Schedule
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#5 Wake Forest
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Coach: Dave Clawson
Offensive Coordinator: Warren Ruggiero Defensive coordinator: Mike Elko Stadium: BB&T Stadium (31,500) 2015 Record: 3-9 (1-7) The Breakdown Offense: After many down years for the offensive line, if it doesn’t work out this year it will be a long rebuilding process. Four guys are back from a line that didn’t do much right. That includes 3 sophomore starters. The line will need to keep QBs John Wolford and Kendall Hinton upright this year. Hinton had 7 scores on the ground last season. Both QBs had more interceptions than they did touchdowns. The running game is young but could provide a bright spot. Tyler Bell and Matt Colburn are the frontrunners for the most carries but don’t count out Rocky Reid. If the QB is capable of getting them the ball the receiving corps can make things happen. Several freshman made an impact last season Cortez Lewis being the best of the bunch. Don’t sleep on TE Cam Serigne either. Defense: The team returns 7 starters and a wealth of upperclassmen. The defense performed well last season despite the lack of offense. Turnover margin (-13) dictates how bad of spots they were put in last season. The secondary poses the most questions, but you have to like what Brad Watson did last season. Dionte Austin got some experience last year but will be asked to do more this season. Special Teams: Mike Weaver has been a mainstay at kicker for the Demon Deacons. They will break in a new punter Dom Maggio, a true freshman. The return game needs a fire lit under it. Clawson needs to try several options to find a spark. Overview: It is pretty simple for the offense, O-line has to be better. Defense should be in good shape with 7 starters back. Sept 10. At Duke will be a good matchup to see if they can compete for fourth in the Atlantic. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing John Wolford, SO, QB 11 G, 234 ATT, 142 Comp, 60.7 PCT, 1791 Yards, 9 TD, 11 INT, 128.26 Rushing Tyler Bell, FR, RB 12 G, 129 ATT, 451 Yards, 1 TD Receiving Cortez Lewis, FR, WR G 12, 47 REC, 611 Yards, 4 TD Defense: Interceptions: Brad Watson, JR, DB 12 G, 2 INT, 0 TD Sacks: Duke Ejiofor, SO, DL 7 G, 4.5 Sacks Tackles: Brad Watson, JR, DB 12 G, 47 Solo, 25 Assisted, 72 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 3-9 2014 3-9 2013 4-8 2012 5-7 2011 6-7 Wake Forest Schedule
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#6 Boston College
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Coach: Steve Addazio
Offensive Coordinator: Scot Loeffler Defensive coordinator: Jim Reid Stadium: Alumni Stadium (44,500) 2015 Record: 3-9 The Breakdown Offense: Two things that could change things around for an offense that average 17.2 ppg last season, new OC Scott Loeffler and QB Patrick Towles. Scott Loeffler has worked with several great QBs over his career. He will work with Patrick Towles who comes in from Kentucky. Towles had some good and bad moments but he didn’t really have a group of WR that helped him. Towles will be working with a mediocre cast of WRs in Chestnut Hill. Someone will have to really step up at WR for this tea to take step forward. In order for the rushing game to get going they will need an improvement in the passing game. Jon Hilliman returns after an injury in 2015. Jeff Smith and Myles Willis will also see time at running back. It could be tough for the offense as a whole to improve if the line doesn’t. With three starters back it seems likely that they would but don’t be too sure. Defense: Don Brown did a great job at BC. Enter Jim Reid who has some experience at DC. He will be working with some great linebackers in Matt Milano and Connor Strachan. Connor led the team in tackles and Milano led the team in sacks and TFL. The line really took off when Harold Landry started to take over at DE. He had 15.5 tackles for loss and has first team all-ACC talent. Truman Gutapfel is back at DT. The secondary might be their weakest unit but it has potential. Isaac Yiadom and Kamrin Moore will play at corner. John Jonson is back at strong safety, he led the team in interceptions last season. Free safety is open with the departure of Justin Simmons. William Harris and Atem Ntantang are his likely replacements. Special Teams: The Eagles aren’t full of great options at kicker. Satchel Ziffer fills the void at punter. If they could catch fire in the return game to set up the offense that would go long way. Overview: The offense has to be better than it was last season, right? Towles is a nice addition but he’s stuck in a similar situation to Kentucky. The defense will do their part per usual. So many close losses last season including a 0-3 and 7-9 loss. They shouldn’t go defeated in conference play this season. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Patrick Towles, JR, QB (UK transfer) 11 G, 326 ATT, 183 COMP, 56.1 Pct, 2148 Yards, 9 TD, 14 INT, 112.01 Rating Rushing Jeff Smith, FR, QB 9 G, 72 ATT, 454 Yards, 6 TD Receiving Thadd Smith, SO, WR 12 G, 17 REC, 233 Yards, 2 TD Defense: Interceptions: John Johnson, JR, DB 12 G, 3 INT, 0 TD Sacks: Matt Milano, JR, LB 12 G, 6.5 Sacks Tackles: Connor Strachan, SO, LB 11 G, 38 Solo, 27 Assisted, Total 75 Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 3-9 2014 7-6 2013 7-6 2012 2-10 2011 4-8 Boston College Schedule
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#7 Syracuse Orange
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Coach: Dino Barbers
Offensive Coordinator: Sean Lewis and Mike Lynch Defensive Coordinator: Brian Ward Stadium: Carrier Dome (49,250) 2015 Record: 4-8 (2-6) The Breakdown Offense: Last season the Orange went through a bunch of QBs. This year barring injuries they should stick with one. Eric Dungey gave the offense the best chance to win last season. Let’s hope the offensive line can show any sign of improvement. Two starters return but it wasn’t pretty last season. If this issue doesn’t get fixed they will end up at the bottom of the league. The running game wasn’t something to brag about last season. Dontae Strickland and Jordan Fredericks should give Orange fans a little more hope this season. Steve Ishmael is one of the better WR you haven’t heard of. With some consistency he should put up solid numbers. Lack of a passing attack destroyed this team last season. Keeping turnovers down will be important for a team that won’t put up big numbers. Defense: The Orange are weak upfront and the secondary. The linebacking group gives fans hope for success though. Zaire Franklin is the team's best player. From his MLB spot he totaled 81 tackles and 3 sacks. In order for this defense to work they need production from the front four. The two deep features a lot of young DE and DT. You will see a lot of faces here until they can settle on the best option. The secondary is in a youth movement too. The 2015 class was loaded with 3 star secondary talent. Cordell Hudson, Rodney William and Kielan Whitner could all make big impacts this season. Special Teams: Cole Murphy is one of the better kickers in the conference. Sterling Hofrichter is start at punter. He was a three star recruit at kicker. Brisly Estime will handle the return duties. Overview: This team feels like at least a year away before they can compete. The recruiting classes haven’t been great and they haven't landed a four star in a while. The front four has too many questions along with the offensive line. Most of the games they could get wins in are on the road. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Eric Dungey, FR, QB 8 G, 176 ATT, 105 Comp, 59.7 PCT, 1298 Yards, 11 TD, 5 INT, 136.56 Rating Rushing Jordan Fredericks, FR, RB 12 G, 107 ATT, 607 Yards, 4 TD Receiving Steve Ishmael, SO, WR 12 G, 39 REC, 570 Yards, 7 TD Defense: Interceptions: Corey Winfield, SO, DB 8 G, 2 INT, 1 TD Sacks: Ron Thompson, JR, DL 12 G, 7.0 Sacks Tackles: Zaire Franklin, SO, LB 12 G, Solo 59, Assisted 22, 81 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 4-8 2014 3-9 2013 7-6 2012 8-5 2011 5-7 Syracuse Schedule
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