With so much change in such little time it is always a good idea in the off-season to take a look at what makes each team good and bad. In this article I look at what each ACC team excels at and what they need to work on.
Atlantic Division
Boston College
Strength: Steven Daniels. The junior linebacker was a spark on the Boston College defense as a sophomore and will once again be the heart of the unit. 88 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, three sacks and one interception is exceptional for a guy surrounded by mediocrity.
Weakness: Offensive questions. Starting quarterback, 2,000-yard running back and all-time leading wide receiver. Chase Rettig, Andre Williams and Alex Amidon will not be back with the Eagles in the upcoming season leaving a lot of big, very big holes to fill.
Clemson
Strength: Coaching. Dabo Swinney’s recruiting prowess means the Tigers have landed a top-20 class in each of the past four years – something which will soften the blow of losing two of the best players in school history: Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins. Furthermore, Chad Morris is an excellent offensive coordinator and routinely produces and explosive offense.
Weakness: Inexperience. New starting quarterback Cole Stoudt has experience in the Clemson system and, while he has seen action in a number of games, he is far from being a veteran of the college game. Losing Watkins and fellow wide receiver Martavis Bryant means sophomore wide-out Mike Williams must fill a huge void while running back Roderick McDowell departs after a 1,000-yard season. Not to mention stud guard/tackle Brandon Thomas moving on to the NFL.
Florida State
Strength: Depth of talent. Kelvin Benjamin becomes a first-round pick and then you have 76-catch, 1,128-yard Rashad Greene to step into his place. Nick O’Leary returns for his senior year at tight end while safety-gone-running back Karlos Williams projects to be one of the biggest breakouts of 2014. Cameron Erving returns to play left tackle while the defensive backfield is loaded with P.J. Williams, Ronald Darby, Jalen Ramsey and Nate Andrews making it look as though nobody had left.
Weakness: New starters. It is hard to find holes in national champions but a number of players have moved on leaving inexperienced, unproven talent to fill the voids. Defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan was a second-round pick for the Baltimore Ravens and that leaves first-year starter Eddie Goldman to man the trenches. The number two wide receiver position is also up for grabs with up to four players in contention to get the nod.
Louisville
Strength: Running back. Former NCAA Championship MVP Michael Dyer and Dominique Brown combined for 1,048 yards and ten touchdowns in 2013 despite Dyer only seeing 44 touches of the football. With Senorise Perry now a Chicago Bear that number is expected to inflate while Brown picks up where he left off as a junior. This should provide a steady platform for new starting quarterback Will Gardner.
Weakness: Linebacker. Leading tackler from a year ago Preston Brown graduated with 98 senior tackles leaving James Burgess as the only ‘backer on the roster with significant experience. As a freshman Keith Kelsey registered 24 stops but he has big boots to fill.
North Carolina State
Strength: Defensive penetration. Despite 2013 being largely miserable for the Wolfpack, something they did do well was attack the backfield. 84 tackles for a loss is not breaking any records but only one senior was in the top-five on the team in that category. In particular, sophomore D-lineman Monty Nelson looks impressive.
Weakness: Receiving corps. Truly awful quarterback play is partly responsible, but the NC State receivers do them no justice. Only two played broke 500 yards last term and both are now graduates. With a number of young pass catchers on the roster 2014 will begin with a lot of uncertainty at the position.
Wake Forest
Strength: Young wide receivers. Michael Campanaro was a tremendous wide-out for Wake Forest and will be sorely missed. However, despite having just 50 catches between them as freshman, Jonathan Williams, Tyree Harris and Jared Crump all showed potential and, if only two of them grows into full-time starters, the unit should be set at the position for the next three years.
Weakness: Quarterback. Tanner Price was a good servant for the Demon Deacons and, although he was not a superstar, he leaves behind a problem for the coaching staff. Tyler Cameron projects to be the starter but his three pass completions come with just as many interceptions.
Coastal
Duke
Strength: Head Coach. David Cutcliffe has worked wonders since he left Tennessee for the Blue Devils. By leading Duke to back-to-back bowl games and their first end of season ranking since the 60’s will ensure his name is down in history. Further evidence of his success was the recent signing of four-star tight end Tyler Petite from under USC’ nose. It is not often that happens.
Weakness: Pressuring the quarterback. The Blue Devils registered 23 sacks in the whole of 2013 and ten of them are now off the team as Kenny Anunike and Justin Foxx graduated. Furthermore, six juniors recorded sacks meaning there is not a lot of talent remaining to develop, at least not immediately.
Georgia Tech
Strength: Darren Waller. Despite playing in a triple-option offense, the 6’5” receiver caught a number of eyes with his big-play ability. The Yellow Jackets have produced a number of impressive receivers in recent memory and Waller could be the next if he shows progress as a junior.
Weakness: Quarterback. Vad Lee jumped ship during the offense and left Georgia Tech without their starting quarterback from a year ago. Justin Thomas saw experience in ten games as a freshman and is suited to the system. Nevertheless, he must prove he is a capable passer if he is to be trusted with a complicated offense.
Miami
Strength: Offensive playmakers. Stacy Cole is an elite young playmaker, Phillip Dorsett is a speedster that stretches the field and, when healthy last season, Duke Johnson averaged over 100 yards per-game at running back. No matter who plays at quarterback they will have an abundance of weapons at their disposal.
Weakness: Quarterback uncertainty. This was supposed to be Ryan Williams’ season as the starting quarterback. Sadly, a leg injury over the spring ended his season prematurely leaving a big question mark hanging over the position. Kevin Olsen is expected to claim the job but his lack of experience could mean a lot of growing pains for the ‘Canes.
North Carolina
Strength: Return game. I could not write this piece without mentioning the ridiculous Ryan Switzer. As a freshman the athlete returned 24 punts for 502 yards and an incredible five touchdowns. College football may have the new Devin Hester.
Weakness: Pass rushing depth. Kareem Martin was largely responsible for Tar Heel pass rush last season as the now professional tallied 11.5 quarterback takedowns. Behind him Norkethius Otis racked up 8.5 in an impressive outing but the list wears thin after that. Linebackers Darius Lipford and Brandon Ellerbe accounted for just four sacks between them while the next defensive lineman on the list is sophomore Mikey Bart who registered a lone takedown in his first year with North Carolina.
Pittsburgh
Strength: James Conner/Tyler Boyd. As freshman, the pair lit up the ACC with incredible play. Conner carried the ball 146 times for 799 yards and eight touchdowns. Receiver Boyd caught 85 passes for 1,174 yards and seven touchdowns. Both have the potential to take the next step and push for All-American status.
Weakness: Defensive backfield. The Panther defensive back group was a mess in 2013 and does not look to get any better. Besides Ray Vinopal and his three interceptions, the team’ other five came from seniors who have no graduated and a junior linebacker.
Virginia
Strength: Kevin Parks. Tailback Parks has been a beacon of light for the Cavaliers for three seasons now and finally topped 1,000 yards as a junior which complemented his 11 touchdowns. With no help for elsewhere on the offense it makes his 2,474 career yards all the more impressive.
Weakness: The rest of the Cavalier offense. David Watford is a train wreck under center. His sophomore season saw almost the double about of interceptions to touchdowns. Virginia’s leading receiver in 2013 was a tight end but he has taken his 43 catches to Florida via transfer.
Virginia Tech
Strength: Defense. Bud Foster and his Hokies defenses are always outstanding. Last season they ranked 11th in the FBS in points against and I expect the unit to push into the top-ten this time around. Kyler Fuller will be missed but his younger brother, Kendall, is the real deal.
Weakness: Quarterback/Running back. Give Virginia Tech one or the other and, with the aforementioned defense, they would make a genuine push for the play-offs. Freshman running back Trey Edmunds showed flashes but he must grow more consistent if they coaching staff are to lean on him.