NSD Conference Breakdown: ACC
Perennial recruiting powerhouses Clemson and Florida State sit atop the ACC recruiting rankings, but there are some surprises within the rest of the conference. Here's a look at how the ACC stacks up heading into National Signing Day.
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ACC
ClemsonClick 1Here to view this Link.Click 1Here to view this Link.
Christian Wilkins
It was a monster 01 recruiting cycle for Clemson. Dabo Swinney currently has the Tigers sitting atop the ACC recruiting rankings and third in the country. Five-stars Christian Wilkins, Ray-Ray McCloud III and Deon Cain lead the class and high four-stars Mitch Hyatt and Chad Smith are already on campus. The Clemson Tigers seem pretty content with the class they have put together.
Florida StateClick 2Here to view this Link.Click 2Here to view this Link.
Behind by just five points, the Seminoles are nipping at Clemson's heels in the national and ACC team rankings. With Derwin James, Jacques Patrick, George Campbell, Josh Sweat and Tarvarus McFadden, Jimbo Fisher and his staff have reeled in more five-star commitments (five) than any other team in the country. It is also interesting that Florida State is taking three players that could play quarterback: Deondre Francois, Kai Locksley and De'Andre Johnson. The Seminoles may not be done in 201, either. There is a chance five-star Terry Beckner Jr., Rivals20 running back Jordan Scarlett and/or defensive end Shelton Johnson could end up in Tallahassee. Also watch to see if Locksley stays with the Noles or flips to Texas.
Virginia TechClick 3Here to view this Link.Click 3Here to view this Link.
After going - last season and losing to some perennial doormats, it is remarkable that the Hokies will likely end with a top 2 recruiting class. Frank Beamer and his staff stole Rivals20 offensive lineman Austin Clark from South Carolina and landed three other members of the Rivals20. Four other four-star prospects committed to Virginia Tech, including one of the top prep prospects in the country. Look for the Hokies to try to grab a commitment from Fred Johnson and Zach Hoyt as we approach Signing Day.
North CarolinaClick 4Here to view this Link.Click 4Here to view this Link.
The Tar Heels didn't have a great season, but this recruiting class could help them improve in some key areas. North Carolina allowed an average of 3 points per game in 20, but Rivals0 defensive end Jalen Dalton should immediately help the pass rush and bring that number down a bit. Lots of offensive line help is on the way also, with at least four players that could contribute in a big way later in their careers. The Tar Heels are still major players for prospects like Chris Williamson, Arrington Farrar, Gary Jennings, Kendrick Norton and a few others.
MiamiClick 5Here to view this Link.Click 5Here to view this Link.
The 2015 recruiting cycle was full of ups and downs for Miami. There are seven
four-star players currently committed to the Hurricanes and none of them are
more important than Rivals0 running back Mark Walton. Cane commits
Lawrence Cager and Tyree St. Louis are both rated as
Rivals250 prospects, but losing Rivals250 running back Jordan Scarlett
hurt. There is a chance Rivals0 Marcus Lewis picks Miami on Tuesday,
but it will be a tough pull. The Hurricanes also have a shot with
Missouri commit Brandon Martin.
LouisvilleClick 6Here to view this Link.Click 6Here to view this Link.
The star of the Cardinals' 2015 recruiting class is quarterback Lamar Jackson and there are plenty of weapons coming with him to Louisville. Four wide receivers, three running backs, three offensive linemen and a tight end should help Jackson guide Bobby Petrino's offense to success down the road. Four defensive backs and four defensive linemen should help shore up the defense. Watch for Louisville to target Vanderbilt commit Darion DeBrossard down the stretch.
N.C. StateClick 7Here to view this Link.
N.C. State did a great job of landing prospects that will help make their offense more explosive. Rivals0 running back Nyheim Hines is one of the most electric players in the country and four-star running backs Johnny Frasier and Reggie Gallaspy will help the offense stay on schedule. Adding Rivals0 defensive tackle Darian Roseboro to an already very talented defensive front will make life very difficult for opponents. With the late flip of Tyrone Riley already under their belt, the Wolfpack is still trying to get a couple others to join their 2015 class.
Georgia TechClick 8Here to view this Link.
Georgia Tech's 2015 recruiting class currently features 26 three-star players. In the future, the Yellow Jackets will rely on players like Will Bryan, Tyler Cooksey, A.J. Gray, Christian Campbell, Christian Philpott and Anree Saint-Amour. For his well-known option offense, Paul Johnson recruited and got commitments from at least six players that can play running back. Flipping Victor Alexander from UCLA over the weekend was big for Georgia Tech, but also keep an eye on Brad Stewart.
Boston CollegeClick 9Here to view this Link.
Boston College has put together a very well-rounded class, but one area of emphasis was on the offensive line. There are five offensive linemen committed to Boston College, led by Anthony Palazzolo. This class is full of potential, and some of these players could turn into stars if they develop correctly. One player in Boston College's class who could out-perform his rankings is linebacker Tanner Karafa. The Eagles added a nice piece to their class on Saturday when they flipped Zach Allen, who was formerly committed to Northwestern.
VirginiaClick 10Here to view this Link.
The Cavaliers did very well recruiting linebackers in the recruiting cycle,
hitting the Virginia Beach hotbed to land Rivals250 prospect
Jahvoni Simmons and branching out to Ohio and grabbing four-star
C.J. Stalker. For the past couple classes Mike London has been looking
for the program's next great quarterback and they may have found him in
Washington D.C. native Nick Johns. John Petrishen committed to
Penn State over the weekend, so the only remaining
possible addition for the Cavaliers could be Wisconsin commit Dominic Sheppard.
Wake ForestClick 11Here to view this Link.
The Demon Deacons scored in a big way with the commitment of four-star quarterback Kyle Kearns. He should be able to get on the field relatively early in Winston-Salem. Running back Rocky Reid will likely play better than his ranking and could have an immediate impact. Another immediate impact type of player could be wide receiver Scotty Washington. Wake Forest is hoping to get a commitment from Rivals250 offensive lineman Quarvez Boulware, but that seems like a long shot. Some other names to remember are Jessie Bates, Andrew Martel, Brian Bembry, Jay Irvine, Kahlil Welsh and Sihiem King.
DukeClick 12Here to view this Link.
Some decommitments hurt Duke's 2015 class, but the Blue Devils still got a big-time player in Rivals250 linebacker Ben Humphreys. Additionally, David Cutcliffe received a commitment from an intriguing quarterback in Quentin Harris from Connecticut. This class has a distinct defensive feel to it with 10 of the 18 commitments playing on that side of the ball. Duke is likely done recruiting 2015 prospects and is already off to a strong start in 2016.
SyracuseClick 13Here to view this Link.
Syracuse's top recruit in the 2015 class is running back Dontae Strickland, but this class is filled mostly with defensive players. Seven defensive linemen, four defensive backs and three linebackers decided Syracuse was the place for them. The newest Syracuse commit, Jake Pickard, flipped from Wisconsin, spurning some interest from Michigan. With that addition, Syracuse looks to be finished with their 2015 recruiting class.
PittsburghClick 14Here to view this Link.
Pittsburgh wasn't a recruiting powerhouse under Paul Chryst, but he did manage to get Rivals100 cornerback Jordan Whitehead to commit to his hometown team. Now under the leadership of Pat Narduzzi, the Panthers have landed seven commitments, bringing their total to 16. Five of those seven commitments are defensive players. Offensively, Pitt fans can look for Rivals250 running back Darrin Hall to be a featured back down the road. As Signing Day nears, Pitt still has a chance at getting commitments from Adrienne Talan, Kenyatta Anderson and possibly Nico Law.
