Signing Day Blitz: Ranking the ACC
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Rivals.com ranks the ACC recruiting classes coming out of National Signing Day.
Headliner: Mackensie Alexander was the man several teams were hoping to grab on Wednesday, and the lockdown corner surprised many by picking the Tigers.
Sleeper: Wayne Gallman was overlooked by many because of teammate Robert Nkemdiche, but he's a tough running back who fights for extra yards.
Overview: There was a time when the Tigers were in position to land Montravius Adams, Nkemdiche and Carl Lawson, but all ended up in the SEC and the Tigers were left to pick up the pieces. Rather than dwelling on what could have been, Tigers fans can celebrate the pickup of Alexander, as well as the signing day commitments of offensive lineman Tyrone Crowder and three-star defensive back Adrian Baker. Wide receiver was a position of priority, and Clemson added two quality prospects in four-star Mike Williams and three-star Kyrin Priester. In adding Alexander and four-star athlete Jayron Kearse, the Tigers staff is building a nice pipeline to Southwest Florida, the same area that produced Sammy Watkins in the class of 2011.
Headliner: Kendall Fuller, the ninth overall player in the Rivals100, followed his brothers to Blacksburg.
Sleeper: Braxton Pfaff has a chance to be a standout player on the offensive line for the Hokies.
Overview: The Hokies brought in a solid class in 2013 featuring the second rated cornerback in the country, Kendall Fuller, and a host of other quality defensive backs in Holland Fisher, Charles Clark, Brandon Facyson and Anthony Shegog. The class is loaded with in-state talent. Coach Frank Beamer found his future quarterback in Bucky Hodges and solidified his offensive line by bringing in Braxton Pfaff, Jonathan McLaughlin, Kyle Chung and Parker Osterloh. Don't forget about stud defensive lineman Wyatt Teller. He could pay immediate dividends for the Hokies. Virginia Tech also brought in a host of athletes who can play offense or defense.
Headliner: Taquan Mizzell, known as 'Smoke', will be used in a variety of ways in the Cavaliers' offense.
Sleeper: If healthy, Andre Levrone can be a difference maker on the outside.
Overview: The 2013 class features plenty of quality recruits from Virginia. Taquan Mizzell, Tim Harris, Corwin Cutler and many others opted to go to school close to home. Some late additions really helped a struggling offensive line. On signing day, offensive lineman Eric Tetlow flipped from Wake Forest and George Adeosun, an offensive lineman from Alpharetta (Ga.), committed to Virginia. The Cavaliers also brought in a solid group of linebackers in Zach Bradshaw, Micah Kiser, LaChaston Smith and Connor Wingo-Reeves. The group of defensive back commits, which includes Kirk Garner, Tim Harris and Malcolm Cook, could be special in a few years.
Headliner: The Terps will have a very talented wide receiver corps when Deon Long is paired with Stefon Diggs.
Sleeper: Once Jermaine Carter develops his frame, he could be a consistent contributor for the Terps.
Overview: Although the Terps did get offensive lineman Derwin Gray, Coach Randy Edsall may not have added as many quality offensive linemen as he would have liked. The Terps added four-stars Andrew Isaacs, Will Likely and Yannick Ngakoue. One of the things that stand out most about this class is the depth at linebacker. In addition to Ngakoue, The Terps picked up commitments from Jalen Brooks, Derrick Hayward, and two high school teammates of Ngakoue and Gray, Cavon Walker and Jermaine Carter. Maryland was also able to get a commitment from a hometown favorite, dual-threat quarterback Shane Cockerille from Baltimore (Md.) Gilman.
Headliner: T.J. Logan is a game breaker at running back who put up huge numbers in high school and will be expected to do the same for the Tar Heels.
Sleeper: Mikey Bart is a defensive end who spent most of his high school career playing at tight end. His versatility will serve him well as part of the Tar Heels defense.
Overview: The Tar Heels limped to the finish, missing out on Carl Lawson and in-state talent Marquez North in the final two weeks. The class settled with 17 commits, and Logan and four-star defensive tackle Greg Webb are the notables. One player the Tar Heels fans have high hopes for is record-breaking quarterback Mitch Trubisky, a dual threat who put up huge numbers in high school. Trubisky fits the mold of past quarterbacks who have had success in coach Larry Fedora's offense and should have an opportunity to get on the field sooner than later. Defensive back Brian Walker, a three-star, was one of the best defensive players in the state last fall and has the ability to develop into a lockdown-type player.
Headliner: Kevin Olsen gives the Hurricanes a franchise quarterback, something the program has been seeking since Ken Dorsey was leading the team to BCS national championship games.
Sleeper: Augustus Edwards is a big power back who should complement all-everything running back Duke Johnson.
Overview: Miami didn't land a single defensive tackle, which was a big position of need, so that hurts for a unit looking to shore up the defensive line. It landed a pair of Rivals250 prospects in local standouts Jermaine Grace and Stacy Coley. Both have a chance to make an impact when they arrive in Coral Gables next fall. The 'Canes also tapped into the JUCO ranks for tight end Beau Sandland and pass rusher Devante Bond. It's hard to judge the 2013 class because Miami was planning to take a small group. Head coach Al Golden and his staff did the best job they could with the NCAA investigation looming over the program. However, missing out on Matt Thomas and Keith Bryant to conference rival Florida State is disappointing, to say the least.
Headliner: Matt Dayes is a compact running back who has the speed to get to the outside and the size to run between the tackles.
Sleeper: Bryant Shirreffs is a quarterback who saw a lot of interest late in the cycle and jumped at the chance to join the Wolfpack.
Overview: This one isn't easy to sugarcoat; the new Wolfpack staff had a hard time closing on big-time targets, and the school finished without a single player rated higher than a three-star. The strengths in this class are in its consistency and the belief by the staff that it has found players to fit the new offensive system. Dayes and Shirreffs lead that group, and three-star offensive lineman Tylar Reagan has a chance to be a bookend offensive tackle during his career in the Triangle. A pair of wide receivers were the biggest steals of the class, with Marquez Valdes committing on signing day and three-star Jumichael Ramos flipping from Georgia Tech a few days before signing day.
Headliner: Dezmond Wortham is a physical running back from the state of Texas who will help get tough yards in the revamped ACC.
Sleeper: John Armstrong is a three-star running back from the same high school that produced Tennessee Titans star Chris Johnson.
Overview: The Demon Deacons took 23 players in a class filled with mostly mid-three-star players. The coaching staff is hoping it found at least a few diamonds in the rough, with one candidate being two-star Georgia athlete Deonte Davis. Davis could be used as a wide receiver or a defensive back, a position of priority in this year's class. Wake took four defensive backs, and all are listed at 5-foot-11 or taller, a necessity to deal with big, physical receivers in the ACC. Despite a pretty good year for talent in North Carolina, the Demon Deacons pulled in just four in-state players, a number that needs to improve in the future.
Headliner: Johnell Barnes was a highly sought-after slot wide receiver from Florida who committed last summer and stuck with the Blue Devils through signing day.
Sleeper: Deondre Singleton was a late addition to the class and could play at safety or corner in the defensive backfield.
Overview: On the heels of the program's first bowl game of the 21st century, the Blue Devils put together a solid class. Duke made an effort to recruit nationally, and it added players from seven states, including California, Texas and Nevada. There's no questioning the academics the Blue Devils can offer and solid play on the field are beginning to make the school a more attractive option for football players. Players expected to contribute early include three-star linebacker Dominic Zanca and three-star defensive back Evrett Edwards.
Headliner: Shamire DeVine has the potential to be an elite tackle if he can buckle down and work hard on the guidance of the Yellow Jackets coaching staff.
Sleeper: Chris Griffin has a chance to join DeVine as a dominant lineman if he can add weight to his 6-foot-6 frame.
Overview: It was a rough close to the cycle for the Yellow Jackets as they lost three three-star players over the final two weeks. High hopes of adding Carl Lawson, Cornelius Elder and Trey Johnson fell through, although Elder didn't make a commitment on signing day and could still be in play. Of the players who did sign, DeVine and three-star running back Travis Custis highlight the class. Custis is a back who had offers from Clemson, Michigan State and Miami and has the chance to be the next big running back to come out of Paul Johnson's system. With just 14 commits, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Jackets add a few late signees or load up in next year's class.
Headliner: Tevin Montgomery is one of the most physically gifted Boston College commits.
Sleeper: Charlie Callinan can play a number of positions on offense and, if used in the right way, can create mismatches.
Overview: Though there isn't much star power in Boston College's 2013 recruiting class, there are some definite bright spots. Although Tim Boyle flipped to Connecticut, the Golden Eagles are still bringing in good depth at quarterback with James Walsh and Mackay Lowrie. Overall, this group of recruits is very balanced, with three defensive backs, four defensive linemen, two linebackers, two quarterbacks, one running back and two wide receivers. There isn't much more you can ask Coach Addazio to do when he comes in with only two months left in the recruiting cycle. Look for Coach Addazio to weed out players that don't fit his scheme so he knows what kind of players he wants to recruit for next year.
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