Posted by Brandon Rink on August 13, 2010 under ACC Football | Comments are off for this article
Literally everybody has used a version of this photo for Duke's Varner - he's pretty good too.
Breaking the ACC unit by unit as we approach football season, today, we’re looking at the receivers/tight ends…
1) Miami
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 9.5 Depth: Solid Top WR (2009 Stats): Leonard Hankerson (801 yards and 6 TDs) Top TE (2009 Stats): Richard Gordon (no stats) Stat: 31st in pass efficiency in 2009. A Word (or two): Jacory Harris has an abundance of targets in 2010 – most of them he’s worked with for 3 years now.
2) Virginia Tech
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 9.4 Depth: Solid Top WR (2009 Stats): Jarrett Boykin (835 yards and 5 TDs) Top TE (2009 Stats): Andre Smith (27 yards and 1 TD) Stat: 10th in pass efficiency in 2009. A Word (or two): Hokies’ WRs are underrated playing beside their excellent RBs, but these guys catch it and score TDs.
3) NC State
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 9.0 Depth: Solid. Top WR (2009 Stats): Owen Spencer (765 yards and 6 TDs) Top TE (2009 Stats): George Bryan (422 yards and 6 TDs) Stat: Senior Jarvis Williams was the only WR with double digit TDs in the ACC (11). A Word (or two): With a guy like Wilson at QB, he can make ya look good, and NC State’s receiving crew caught a lot of TDs in 2009.
4) Duke
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 9.0 Depth: O.K. Top WR (2009 Stat): Donovan Varner (1,047 yards and 8 TDs) Top TE (2009 Stats): Brett Huffman (167 yards and 3 TDs) Stat: 9th in passing offense in 2009. A Word (or two): The Blue Devils O was off the charts in 2009, but with a new QB, I wonder if Varner and co. reach the same numbers.
5) North Carolina
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 8.6 Depth: Solid. Top WR (2009 Stats): Greg Little (724 yards and 5 TDs) Top TE (2009 Stats): Zach Pianalto (334 yards and 1 TD) Stat: 102 in passing offense in 2009. A Word (or two): UNC’s Little is one of the best and Pianalto is a top target at TE.
6) Wake Forest
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 8.5 Depth: O.K. Top WR (2009 Stats): Marshall Williams (867 yards and 6 TDs) Top TE (2009 Stats): Andrew Parker (90 yards and 2 TDs) Stat: 15 in passing efficiency in 2009. A Word (or two): The Deacs WR corp is the arguably the best unit on Wake with their top guys back.
7) Florida State
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 8.6 Depth: O.K. Top WR (2009 Stats): Bert Reed (710 yards) Top TE (2009 Stats): Beau Reliford (101 yards and 2 TDs) Stat: 25th passing offense in 2009. A Word (or two): The loss of Fortson hurts because he was the guy who has seen the endzone – no doubt the Noles have talent and they should fine this season for Ponder.
8) Maryland
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 8.5 Depth: O.K. Top WR (2009 Stats): Torrey Smith (824 yards and 5 TDs) Top TE (2009 Stats): Devonte Campbell (14 yards) Stat: 68th in passing offense in 2009. A Word (or two): Torrey Smith is all-everything on O for Maryland – he has a senior across the field in Adrian Cannon – a little but not much experience behind them.
9) Boston College
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 8.1 Depth: Spotty. Top WR (2009 Stats): Colin Larmond Jr. (596 yards and 5 TDs) Top TE (2009 Stats): Chris Pantale (223 yards and 1 TD) Stat: 98 in passing offense in 2009. A Word (or two): BC’s WR corp is flying under the radar, but Larmond Jr. had a solid 2009 campaign and they return a couple more solid players.
10) Clemson
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 8.1 Depth: O.K. Top WR (2009 Stats): Xavier Dye (236 yards and 3 TDs) Top TE (2009 Stats): Dwayne Allen (108 yards and 3 TDs) Stat: 88th in passing offense in 2009. A Word (or two): The Tigers have talent and size all over – just not results.
11) Virginia Cavaliers
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 8.0 Depth: O.K. Top WR (2009 Stats): Kris Burd (413 and 1 TD) Top TE (2009 Stats): Joe Torchia (150 and 2 TDs) Stat: 105th in passing offense in 2009. A Word (or two): Virginia has a solid makeup at WR/TE, but need a QB that can showcase them a little better.
12) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 7.8 Depth: Spotty. Top WR (2009 Stats): Stephen Hill (137 and 1 TD) Stat: 12th in passing efficiency. A Word (or two): Georgia Tech’s WRs suffer from inexperience as Thomas caught everything last year, but they have size and talent to make an impact in 2010.
How would you rank them? Any players you expect to breakout in 2010 I didn’t mention?
Posted by Brandon Rink on August 11, 2010 under ACC Football | Comments are off for this article
Castonzo's Eagles are once again one of top offensive lines in the ACC.
Breaking the ACC unit by unit as we approach football season, today, we examine the o-line…
(Stats, or lack their of, are from the school SIDs as o-line stats are hard to come by)
1) Florida State
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 9.5 Depth: Solid. Top T (2009 Stats): Andrew Datko (6′6 330, 24 knockdown blocks, 2 sacks allowed) Top G (2009 Stats): Rodney Hudson (6′2 282, 38 knockdown blocks, graded at 87 overall) Top C (2009 Stats):Ryan McMahon (6′5 284, 20 knockdown blocks, 2.5 sacks allowed) Stat: 20 sacks allowed – 39th overall in 2009.
2) Boston College
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 9.3 Depth: Solid. Top T (2009 Stats): Anthony Castonzo (6′7 295, started every game since 2007) Top G (2009 Stats): Thomas Clairborne (6′3 325) Top C (2009 Stats): Nathan Richman (6′6 292) Stat: 39th in sacks allowed in 2009.
3) Clemson
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 8.7 Depth: Solid. Top T (2009 Stats): Chris Hairston (6′7 325) Top G (2009 Stats): Antoine McClain (6′6 320) Top C (2009 Stats): Dalton Freeman (6′5 280) Stat: 31st in sacks allowed in 2009.
4) Virginia Tech
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 8.5 Depth: O.K. Top T (2009 Stats): Blake DeChristopher (6′5 320, 42 knockdown blocks) Top G (2009 Stats): Jaymes Brooks (6′2 296, 32 knockdown blocks) Top C (2009 Stats): Beau Warren (6′3 286) Stat: Gave up 31 sacks in 2009.
5) North Carolina
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 8.5 Depth: Solid. Top T (2009 Stats): Mike Ingersoll (6′5 305, 37 knockdowns) Top G (2009 Stats): Alan Pelc (6′6 305, 38 knockdowns) Top C (2009 Stats): Jonathan Cooper (6′3 295, 40 knockdowns) Stat: 26 sacks allowed in 2009.
6) Georgia Tech
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 8.4 Depth: Spotty. Top T (2009 Stats): Austin Barrick (6′3 286) Top G (2009 Stats): Omoregie Uzzi (6′3 300) Top C (2009 Stats): Sean Bedford (6′1 281) Stat: Averaging 295 yards a game, GT’s o-line blocked the 2nd best rushing O in the nation.
7) Miami
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 8.3 Depth: Spotty. Top T (2009 Stats): Orlando Franklin (6′7 312, 51 pancake blocks, graded at 95 percent) Top G (2009 Stats): Joel Figueroa (6′6 323, 33 pancake blocks) Top C (2009 Stats): Tyler Horn (6′4 295) Stat: 100th in sacks allowed in 2009.
8) Duke
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 8.2 Depth: Solid. Top T (2009 Stats): Kyle Hill (6′6 290, 1,693 career snaps) Top G (2009 Stats): Brandon Harper (6′2 315) Top C (2009 Stats): Bryan Morgan (6′3 260, 2,017 career snaps) Stat: Duke rushing game averaged 63.5 a game – worst in the NCAA.
9) Maryland
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 8.0 Depth: Solid. Top T (2009 Stats): Justin Gilbert (6′6 300) Top G (2009 Stats): Andrew Gonnella (6′5 305) Top C (2009 Stats): Paul Pinegar (6′4 290) Stat: 110th in sacks allowed in 2009.
10) Virginia
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 8.0 Depth: Solid. Top T (2009 Stats): Landon Bradley (6′7 280) Top G (2009 Stats): B.J. Cabbell (6′6 305) Top C (2009 Stats): Anthony Mihota (6′4 280) Stat: 115th in sacks allowed – 41 sacks total in 2009.
11) NC State
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 7.8 Depth: Spotty Top T (2009 Stats): Jake Vermiglio (6′5 325, 2 sacks allowed) Top G (2009 Stats): Andrew Wallace (6′3 314) Top C (2009 Stats): Cameron Wentz (6′3 290) Stat: 98th in sacks allowed in 2009.
12) Wake Forest
Talent/Performance Grade (out of 10): 7.8 Depth: Spotty Top T (2009 Stats): Doug Weaver (6′8 305) Top G (2009 Stats): Joe Looney (6′3 315, 64 knockdown blocks) Top C (2009 Stats): Russell Nenon (6′4 295, 71.5 knockdown blocks) Stat: 83rd in sacks allowed in 2009.
How would you rank them? Any players you expect to breakout in 2010 I didn’t mention?
Posted by Brandon Rink on August 10, 2010 under ACC Football | Comments are off for this article
Ranking the ACC coaches is quite a task – got some help from Twitter today…
In year three, Johnson in the conversation for the ACC's best coach.
Opened up the rankings to Twitter today and here’s how it turned out…
1) Frank Beamer – 1.36
2) Paul Johnson – 1.9
3) Jim Grobe – 4.22
4) Butch Davis – 4.36
5) Frank Spaziani – 6.1
6) Dabo Swinney – 6.5
7) Randy Shannon – 6.8
8) David Cutcliffe – 7.09
9) Jimbo Fisher 7.2
10) Tom O’Brien – 10
11) Mike London – 10.22
12) Ralph Friedgen – 10.7
1) Frank Beamer-Virginia Tech Hokies Overall Record: 229-115-4. Record at VT: 187-92-2. ACC: 38-10.
The ACC record can’t be topped over the long run – he has the most ACC titles of any current ACC coach.
2) Paul Johnson-Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Overall Record: 127-46. Record at GT: 20-7. ACC: 13-4.
The strong first two seasons are a temptation to vault Johnson to the top. There’s not a coach I would rather have calling the plays in the ACC.
3) Jim Grobe-Wake Forest Demon Deacons Overall Record: 92-84-1. Record at Wake: 59-51. ACC: 31-41.
Obviously, the record doesn’t show all of Grobe’s work, but he found a way to ride a redshirt freshman QB to an ACC title in 2006 and has made the Wake program respectable.
4) David Cutcliffe-Duke Blue Devils Overall Record: 53-44. Record at Duke: 9-15. ACC: 4-12.
Another record doesn’t show it guy, but he has made strides at a heavy-basketball school and the Blue Devils are no longer that easy check mark for a W in the ACC.
5) Butch Davis-North Carolina Tar Heels Overall Record: 71-38. Record at UNC: 20-18. ACC: 11-13.
At Miami, Davis amassed that great record, but at UNC, he’s been middle of the road. This is a big year for Davis for whether he climbs or falls among the ranks of ACC coaches.
6) Dabo Swinney-Clemson Tigers Overall Record: 13-8. Record at Clemson: 13-8. ACC: 9-4.
Just in one full year at Clemson, Swinney took the Tigers to their first Atlantic Division crown, and were one defensive stop from taking the title. But we really get to see how good he is in 2010 with his top offensive stars gone.
7) Tom O’Brien-North Carolina State Wolfpack Overall Record: 91-66. Record at NC State: 16-21. ACC: 19-21.
O’Brien has done about one thing really well – beat his rival – after that, he has had issues with injuries and not showing for games like Duke and others.
8) Jimbo Fisher-Florida State Seminoles Overall Record: 0-0. Record at FSU: 0-0. ACC: 0-0.
The overall record is a bit skewed since he was the de facto coach last year, and I’m a big fan of his offensive coaching and defensive hires in the offseason.
9) Randy Shannon-Miami Hurricanes Overall Record: 21-17. Record at Miami: 21-17. ACC: 11-13.
The ‘Canes have improved each year under Shannon, and the rubber meets the road in 2010 for where Shannon’s place in the coaching community really is.
10) Frank Spaziani-Boston College Eagles Overall Record: 9-5. Record at BC: 9-5. ACC: 5-3.
Spaziani took a team with a freshman QB to an 8 win campaign in 2009, and with another strong defense coming back, the Eagles could be poised for an ACC run.
11) Ralph Friedgen-Maryland Terrapins Overall Record: 66-46. Record at Maryland: 64-46. ACC: 38-34.
A 2-10 season will knock a coach down, and things are on a downhill slope for Friedgen from seasons at Maryland where he won 8, 9, 10, 11 games with the Terps.
12) Mike London-Virginia Cavaliers Overall Record: 24-5. Record at Virginia: 0-0. ACC: 0-0.
London is the big unknown in the ACC – he talks the talk, but I want to see him coach the ‘Hoos before I move him up the rankings.
We heard Twitter’s ranking – how do you rank them?
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