The college football season nears closer as the month of July comes to a close and the ACC Atlantic division is a group filled with powerhouse rosters to go alongside some programs that are on the rise and looking to compete with Clemson at the top.
Louisville, led by third-year head coach Scott Satterfield, went 8-5 during his first season but faced some challenges in 2020 and stumbled to a 4-7 finish. Quarterback Malik Cunningham was integral to their success in 2019, totaling 28 touchdowns to go along with just five interceptions over 12 games. In 2020, Cunningham threw almost double the passes he did in 2019, mainly because of the struggles throughout the season when they were constantly trying to work back into games with big deficits. Along with the increase in passes came 12 interceptions, more than double his total from the previous season.
In 2021, Satterfield expects a bounceback from his quarterback, even without star offensive tackle Mekhi Becton, who was selected with the No. 11 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Jets.
“To me, he’s one of the better quarterbacks in the country. Now, he’s got to play like that each and every week, he’s got to be consistent,” Satterfield said. “When he’s got a clean pocket, he is lights out accurate… he’s got to let the game come to him, he’s done an outstanding job this offseason.”
After a season where the Cardinals’ defense gave up 30 points in six games, that side of the ball will need to improve so Cunningham and the running game can control the ball and limit turnovers that plagued them in 2020. If they’re able to clean up the turnovers, they can be a competitor in the Atlantic and likely earn a bowl game.
For Clemson, many expect a drop-down without the No. 1 pick in Trevor Lawrence at quarterback but fans got to see a piece of what quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei can do while Lawrence was in COVID-19 protocol at the end of the regular season. In two games, including a 2OT loss at Notre Dame, Uiagalelei had 781 passing yards with six total touchdowns while completing 69% of his passes. The loss of star running back Travis Etienne looms large but the Tigers won’t be short on playmakers.
With super senior linebacker James Skalski returning for another year, the defense should continue to be the best in the ACC, bringing in the best recruiting class in the conference to reload. Skalski has high expectations for this season and sees the ACC championship as regular, leading all the newcomers as the defensive captain.
“It’s always exciting to see the new faces that come in, even this year where we’ve got a bunch of 18-year-old’s running around,” Skalski said. “It’s been great seeing the new waves every year, guys coming in knowing in a couple years, you’re going to be watching them. It’s awesome to see.”
The Tigers are the favorite in the ACC Atlantic as per usual and the roster will be stacked with stars, including the return of highlight-reel wide receiver Justyn Ross.
Florida State is a program that has been on a downward spiral since former head coach Jimbo Fisher left the program. With Mike Norvell entering his second season as head coach, his vision should be moving closer to fruition with the team showing some sparks in 2020. While facing COVID issues throughout the season, the Seminoles were able to shock the Tar Heels, dominating in the first half and showing the talent that fills most of the roster.
Going just 3-6 for the season, Florida State welcomes transfer defensive end Jermaine Johnson II to a defense that loses Joshua Kaindoh to the NFL. Cornerback Akeem Dent should have a strong season and most of the Seminoles’ questions surround their consistency and quarterback play.
Embed from Getty ImagesWelcoming UCF transfer McKenzie Milton could be the spark for an offense that is filled with speedy high-ranked recruits. 2020 starting quarterback Jordan Travis is a dual-threat playmaker that Florida State will continue to use and will give them options on offense. Even after a 3-6 season, there’s optimism around the program as they look to have their first winning season in the post-Fisher era.
Syracuse is an anomaly in the ACC Atlantic. In 2020, they had standouts on defense like defensive backs Ifeatu Melifonwu and Garrett Williams to go along with linebacker Mikel Jones. Melifonwu is now in the NFL and Syracuse has to try and replace that type of playmaker.
The offense is much more concerning for the Orange, with the quarterback position being an assortment of veterans, freshmen, and transfers. Syracuse welcomed Mississippi State transfer quarterback Garrett Shrader, whose talent could propel him to a starting role but the questions are still unanswered. Head coach Dino Babers will have challenges this year after a 1-10 season but veteran talent should allow them to improve.
Boston College has been a team that has caused the top of the ACC some issues in recent years, and this could be one of their best chances to pull off a huge upset. The Eagles had three offensive linemen named to Phil Steele’s All-ACC team, protecting the duo of quarterback Phil Jurkovec and wide receiver Zay Flowers.
With a high-flying offense, the Eagles defense had some issues in 2020, giving up over 170 rushing yards per game. If the defense can slow down the opposing run game, the offense can get on the field more often and Boston College can play to their strengths. The 6-5 result from 2020 wasn’t the Eagles best product but 2021 gives them a window to be the second best team in the division.
NC State took advantage of last season, putting together an 8-4 season behind the breakout of running back Zonovan Wright, who is a Doak Walker candidate for 2021. In 2020, Wright totaled 924 scrimmage yards to go alongside 11 total touchdowns. Center Grant Gibson spoke highly of their production and how they can take it to the next level.
“We saw flashes of how good we can be as a group, but this year we have to be even better. We understand that we have to protect the QB better… we want to improve our game as a whole from pass game to run blocking,” Gibson said.
In the passing game, quarterback Devin Leary has taken over as the starter and has a huge weapon outside in Emeka Emezie, who is a matchup nightmare for anyone in the ACC. The Wolfpack have 10 Athlon Preseason All-ACC players and have the roster to compete with Clemson if they don’t play at their best.
On the defensive end, the pair of linebackers Payton Wilson and Isaiah Moore lead a unit that had some struggles in 2020, giving up over 400 yards per game, but were able to create turnovers and have enough talent to improve.
“We had a lot more (takeaways) last year we’ve had in previous, but we also left a lot on the field, a lot of dropped picks,“ Wilson said “I dropped a few that I still hold very personal and that’s something that really drove me this offseason.”
With Leary as the starting quarterback, NC State should take their 8-4 season from 2020 and improve on it, potentially competing with the top of the ACC.
Wake Forest is one of the biggest wildcards in the ACC, especially in the Atlantic division. Quarterback Sam Hartman has showed flashes of being one of the best quarterbacks in the conference, but he didn’t really get the chance to shine with the Demon Deacons having three games canceled due to COVID.
Losing two games by single digits to North Carolina and NC State hurt Wake Forest with a limited schedule, but with weapons like running back Christian Beal-Smith returning, the Demon Deacons have a veteran quarterback and an experienced defense under head coach Dave Clawson, who has been with the team since 2014.
Embed from Getty Images“What would be a great next step for us is getting to a New Year’s Six bowl, finishing the season ranked in the top 20 or the top 15, and eventually becoming a team that you’re challenging Clemson,” Clawson said. “At one point, if we can stay consistently good, maybe you get in a situation where you catch Clemson in a game that you’re (playing) good and you make it happen.”
For 2021, Clemson is still Clemson. Teams will have to make a huge upset to dethrone the defending ACC champs, especially to beat them in the Atlantic division. With many programs on the rise, the Tigers gap continues to grow slimmer but Uiagalelei should make sure they keep the throne this year.
