Nearly every college football coaching staff starts by focusing on recruiting their home state. Many teams in the ACC have locked down some of the top prospects in their state but have also stolen some big-time players from other states. Check out the top out-of-state commitments in the ACC.
Who Clemson beat: Clemson flipped Johnson from Tennessee in mid-December.
Friedman's take: It’s hard to find a school with a better quarterback situation than Clemson. DeShaun Watson is one of this season’s Heisman favorites and is presumably heading to the NFL in next year’s draft. The Tigers and Dabo Swinney have been grooming quarterbacks like Kelly Bryant and Zerrick Cooper for the future but Johnson is likely the next big thing to arrive at Clemson. He won’t have to start as a freshman like some quarterbacks have to do at other programs, so Johnson will have plenty of time to learn the system.
Who Clemson beat: Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Notre Dame were the other finalists for Williams.
Friedman's take: Clemson likes cornerbacks on the taller side with long arms. Williams fits that mold perfectly. He has the versatility to play cornerback or safety because of his size. Look for Clemson to add a few more talented cornerbacks to this class, but Williams will likely be the ringleader and one of the first to see the field.
Who Clemson beat: Richardson was considering Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Michigan and many others but decided Clemson was the place for him.
Friedman's take: There isn’t much Richardson can’t do on the field. He has speed to the outside, power between the tackles and soft enough hands to be a big factor in the passing game. His style fits well with what Clemson does in the running game and he should see meaningful time relatively quickly during his freshman year.
Who Clemson beat: Brice chose Clemson over Michigan State in mid-December
Friedman's take: Hunter Johnson and Brice will solidify the quarterback position at Clemson for years to come. Johnson is the top-rated quarterback in the country but Brice isn’t too far behind. He isn’t as big as Johnson but has just as strong an arm and accurate. I tip my hat to Swinney and his staff for getting two of the highest-rated quarterbacks in the country to commit to the same school. It rarely happens because it is usually too hard for players to leave their egos at the door and for coaches to convince two highly-rated quarterbacks to buy into a plan.
Who North Carolina beat: The Tar Heels are still fighting off Florida, Indiana and Pittsburgh to keep Lemons in the fold.
Friedman's take: Lemons likes that the UNC staff compared him to Elijah Hood and he can do a lot of the same things. He is a little leaner but can still run with power between the tackles. Lemons is a better receiver than Hood was coming out of high school and he will give Larry Fedora more options in the passing game once he gets to Chapel Hill.
Who Miami beat: Dallas committed to Georgia early in the process. He decommitted and followed Mark Richt to Miami. Dallas was also considering Alabama, Georgia Tech, Michigan and Oregon.
Friedman's take: As a player, Dallas has all the tools to be an impact player. Ron Dugans and Richt should turn him into an explosive offensive player. The fact that Richt was able to go back into Georgia and get Dallas is impressive and certainly not the last time we will see this happen.
Who Clemson beat: Despite going to high school in Knoxville, Rodgers picked Clemson over Tennessee, Florida State, Alabama and Wake Forest. He had previously committed to USC.
Friedman's take: Rodgers provides an immediate spark for an offense. He is so quick off the line of scrimmage, can beat nearly any cornerback to the inside, and can score from virtually anywhere on the field. Rodgers will be the heir apparent to Ray-Ray McCloud at Clemson.
Who Florida State beat: Tennessee, North Carolina, Auburn and Alabama were some of the top contenders for Hockman but the multiple visits to Tallahassee were enough to get him to pledge to the Noles.
Friedman's take: A lefty, Hockman will be the next in a long line of talented quarterbacks to be coached by Jimbo Fisher. Hockman will have plenty of time to learn the system and develop behind Deondre Francois and Malik Henry. It’s an added benefit that Hockman is from Georgia, one of the most fertile recruiting grounds in the country and a state that many of Florida State’s top targets call home.
Who North Carolina beat: Smith committed to North Carolina back in November but Tennessee is still pushing hard to get him to flip.
Friedman's take: North Carolina has loaded up with talented wide receivers in this class. Smith was one of the first 2017 prospects to commit to North Carolina and is one of three highly-regarded receivers currently committed to the Tar Heels. Georgia is one of the most talent-rich states in the country and North Carolina signed five players from the Peach State in 2016. It’s important for North Carolina to continue to have success there if they want their program to continue to improve.
Who Clemson beat: An early commit, Bockhorst was also looking at Michigan State, Penn State, North Carolina and others.
Friedman's take: Clemson got off to a great start with three early commitments on the offensive line. Clemson really flexed their muscles pulling Bockhorst out of Ohio. All of Clemson’s commitments on the offensive line are from outside of South Carolina and Bockhorst should be one of the best in this class.
