ACC Football: Patrick Hite Breaks Down Front-Runners and Sleepers

Robert Marve is my pick to start at Miami, but keeping the job all season isn't a given.  I don't consider Virginia Tech's situation a quarterback battle because I think Frank Beamer fully expects to play both guys throughout the season.

Last year's top teams, Virginia Tech and Boston College, are graduating a lot of seniors and seem to be inexperienced at a lot of positions.  Is there concern in the conference that this could be a down year? 

This has been a hot topic on our podcast for the last few years.  Recently, every year seems like a down one for the ACC.  When the ACC expanded, conference officials dreamed about the day they landed two teams in the BCS.  Not only is the ACC not close to realizing that dream, but the nightmare is that the one team that does get in every year can't win.  The last time the ACC won a BCS game was in 1999.

It hasn't helped that the two teams with a history of being national powers—Florida State and Miami—have been down for the past few years.  Virginia Tech has been on the verge of being a national power, but the Hokies can't seem to beat top-10 teams or win BCS games.  

This year there is hope that Clemson can make some noise on a national level.  The Tigers open with Alabama, and a Clemson win would be a huge step toward respect for the ACC.  Other key non-conference games that the ACC could win include Maryland hosting California, UNC at Rutgers, and Virginia Tech at Nebraska.

If the ACC can win those games and finally get another BCS victory, it may go from being a down year to the year that things start heading in the right direction for the conference.

Who are some of the conference elite players that you believe will end the season with very high draft grades? 

If you're looking at the NFL Draft, most 2009 mock drafts I see have Georgia Tech's Michael Johnson in the top 10, some in the top five.  He could use some work on stopping the run, but Tech has used him almost exclusively in passing situations.  His ability to get to the quarterback has caused NFL scouts to fall in love with Johnson.  He will have a different defensive coordinator this season at Tech, so we'll see if that helps or hurts his production. 

James Davis could be a solid NFL prospect, but I like C.J. Spiller better.  He is more explosive than Davis and more of a threat in the passing game.  Spiller is only a junior, so he may want to stick around one more year at Clemson to get the job all to himself after Davis is gone.  Then again, if the NFL thinks he's a first-round pick in 2009, the Tigers may be without Thunder and Lightning next season.

Clemson receiver Aaron Kelly almost jumped into the draft last year, but decided to return.  He could be a first-round pick in 2009, but Maryland's Darrius Heyward-Bey could be the better pro prospect.  He is fast and has great hands.  It's shocking to me Maryland hasn't made him more of a central figure in its offense. 

I also like Virginia left tackle Eugene Moore, who didn't give up a sack last season.  With a great year in 2008, Moore could become a top-10 pick in the 2009 NFL draft.  

Finally, Victor "Macho" Harris could be a top-20 pick in the draft.  He pulled his name out of the 2008 draft at the last minute to see if an extra year at Virginia Tech improves his draft stock.  I could see him at either corner or safety in the NFL.

Can you rank all the teams in the ACC according to how you think they will finish from first to last? 

Coastal

1. Virginia Tech

2. Virginia

3. North Carolina

4. Georgia Tech

5. Duke

6. Miami 

Atlantic

1. Wake Forest

2. Clemson

3. Maryland

4. Florida State

5. North Carolina State

6. Boston College

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