Breakdown: QB status for 2017 at each ACC program

Quarterbacks can make or break a football team, so identifying the right one for your program is critical. Take a look at how the ACC has done recruiting quarterbacks so far in the 2017 cycle.

Breakdown: Boston College has a good variety of positions already represented in their 2017 recruiting class, but they are still missing a quarterback. Pickett is their top-rated target at the position and could realistically land the recent Temple decommit. Pickett’s stock has risen steadily since the end of the 2015 season. Pittsburgh and Iowa aren’t just going to let Pickett go. He is going to visit Pittsburgh again and Boston College hopes to get him back on campus soon.

Breakdown: Clemson has the best pair of quarterbacks committed in the 2017 class. Johnson and Brice should lock down Clemson’s future behind center for the next six of seven years. Each will have every opportunity to put up big numbers with the major playmakers Clemson seems to bring in each year.

Breakdown: Sears is the only uncommitted signal-caller that holds an offer from Duke. Texas A&M, Tennessee, UCLA, USC, Cal, Washington, and Utah are firmly in the mix with him as well. Duke coaches went to California during the evaluation period and are hoping to fend off pushes from those other contenders to get his commitment in July.

Breakdown: Hockman will find himself is a nice position when he arrives at Florida State. Deondre Francois and Malik Henry are the next two signal-callers in line in Tallahassee, so Hockman will have plenty of time to master Jimbo Fisher’s system. In the meantime, Hockman is doing his best to recruit for the Seminoles.

Breakdown: Georgia Tech is in a tough spot. After 3-9 season and only winning one ACC game in 2015, the Yellow Jackets need to rebound in 2016. Their recruiting efforts have reflected that 2015 season so far. Kicker/punter Pressley Harvin is the only player committed to Georgia Tech’s 2017 class and, to make matters worse, they don’t even have an offer out to an uncommitted quarterback. We should see some movement on this front in the coming months.

Breakdown: There is certainly a lot of momentum behind Louisville’s program right now and it’s due in large part to the success of quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Cardinals need to fine a successor to Jackson and they are looking direction at Free. Vanderbilt is in the conversation as well, but it seems as though Free is there for the taking.

Breakdown: Mark Richt will have some nice options with Perry and Weldon. Listed as a dual-threat quarterback, Perry has the athleticism to make a lot of plays with his feet and can help buy his receivers more time. Weldon, a pro-style quarterback, has the ability to stand in the pocket, read the defense, and get the ball to the correct receiver. These two quarterbacks will give Richt a lot of flexibility.

Breakdown: The Wolfpack identified their quarterback early in the process and didn’t let up. McKay was all N.C. State from almost the beginning. When Matt Canada left N.C. State to be the offensive coordinator at Pittsburgh, McKay took a look at the Panthers but decided N.C. State was the place he wanted to be.

Breakdown: Clearly Martell’s interests lie elsewhere, but he is the only uncommitted quarterback offer out there for the Tar Heels. North Carolina has three quarterbacks on their roster that are either sophomores or freshmen, so it doesn’t seem they are really emphasizing the position in the 2017 class. There will surely be a more viable quarterback target that reveals himself later in the process.

Breakdown: Pickett picked up an offer from Pittsburgh a few days before decommitting from Temple. The Panthers seem to have the inside track for Pickett and are set to host him this coming weekend. Boston College and Iowa are in the mix and could try to make a push for Pickett if he doesn’t commit this weekend.

Breakdown: Devito has taken huge strides since the end of last season and has developed into one of the best quarterbacks on the east coast. Syracuse landed a steal here and the new staff will probably be biting their fingernails all the way until Devito signs on the dotted line. Look for Devito to continue his development and have a huge 2016 season.

Breakdown: Stone goes to school less than 40 miles from Charlottesville and the Cavs were the obvious choice for him. He came back nicely from a collarbone injury to have a prolific 2015 season. The coaching changes at Virginia threw Stone off for a bit, but he built a strong bond with them and is hoping to bring stability to the quarterback position.

Breakdown: Hooker is a super talented and athletic quarterback that Justin Fuente should be able to mold into one of the best in the ACC. He chose the Hokies over Notre Dame, N.C. State, Pittsburgh, and others, but schools continue to push for the signal-caller from North Carolina. Oregon is trying hard to flip Hooker and are hoping to eventually get him on campus.

Breakdown: Bowers is a mobile quarterback that does a good job distributing the ball to his playmakers. He also has the size and awareness to pick up big chunks of yards on his own. Look for Wake Forest to continue to build up its offense around him.