ACC Breakdown: Five programs on the rise with recruits

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWNS: Big Ten | SEC

Success on the recruiting trail can be affected by big wins, bad losses, drama around the program, coaching staff changes and many other factors. Here are five ACC teams that are improving their mojo on the recruiting trail.

2017 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State

Having the leading Heisman candidate in QB Lamar Jackson and sitting just outside the top five in the nation lands Louisville at the top of this list. Bobby Petrino’s explosive offensive system and need for more playmakers on defense should be very attractive to recruits. The Cardinals haven’t landed more than three four-star commitments in a recruiting class since Petrino took over in January 2014, so there is lots of room for improvement on the recruiting trail.

The Hokies haven’t won double-digit games since the 2011 season but, with four winnable games left on the schedule, Justin Fuente has a chance to win 10 games in his first season in Blacksburg. There are some highly rated targets left on the board for Virginia Tech and if the Hokies continue winning they shouldn’t have a problem landing the majority of them. The last time Virginia Tech finished with a top 20 recruiting class was 2008. It may not make it back to the top 20 this year but could come close and the following years could bring even more success.

It’s hard to say Clemson could improve its recruiting efforts any more than it has over the past few seasons but there is only one team happy about where it is ranked, the No. 1 team. Dabo Swinney was named head coach midway through the 2008 season, making the 2009 season his first full season as head coach and the 2010 recruiting class his first recruiting class as head coach. The eventual national champion has finished higher than Clemson in the recruiting rankings every year since then. The Tigers are clicking on all cylinders and have a chance to change that trend in the recruiting rankings. The 2016 season isn’t finished yet but Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State, Michigan and LSU finished ahead of Clemson in the 2016 recruiting rankings.

Larry Fedora had to deal with sanctions as soon as he arrived at North Carolina but he has helped the program get to another level since then. The Tar Heels made it to the ACC championship game last season and have a shot at making it there again this year. The 2013 class that finished No. 39 in the team rankings was Fedora’s first full recruiting class as head coach. Since then North Carolina has finished 24th twice and 29th once. What looks like it could be continued success on the field should translate to success on the recruiting trail soon enough.

It’s a little strange seeing Miami on this list considering how its season is going right now but over the past four recruiting classes Miami’s average finish in the team rankings is 19th. The Hurricanes currently sit at No. 12 in the team rankings, which is impressive when you consider the drama around the program over the past few seasons and the fact that they haven’t had a 10-win season since 2003. Two words should give Miami fans confidence that the Canes will be more successful on the recruiting trail: Mark Richt. He knows how to build a program and recruit top talent.