ACC Football: Top 25 Rising Stars in the Conference

The ACC is one of the most talented conferences in college football, and some will have you think that is not the case.  If you watch the upcoming NFL Draft, you will see the ACC represented heavily throughout, and even with the exodus of talent, those players left the coffers full at their former schools.

Every school in the ACC is represented because there is that much talent throughout the conference.  There will be a host future NFL players from this group, and it just shows how exciting it will be to watch ACC football in 2011.

The players are listed in no particular order, and there are several players who could probably easily make this list that are missing from it.

Check out More Sports Articles From the Sports Session:

The Sports Session

Sports Session Facebook Page

 Follow Us On Twitter

Chris Thompson RB, Florida State

Height:  5'8"

Weight:  186 lbs.

Class:  Sophomore

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards - 846

Rushing Attempts - 133

TD’s - Six

Chris Thompson will be one of the most explosive players in the ACC in 2011. He was fifth in the conference in rushing yards and averaged a league best 6.36 yards per carry (minimum 100 carries) on the season.  Thompson averaged over 10 yards per carry in three games last season and posted two 100 yard rushing games.  If he can stay healthy, Thompson will surely be a 1,000 yard back in 2011.

Quinton Coples DT, North Carolina

Height:  6'6"

Weight:  245 lbs.

Class:  Junior

2010 Stats

Tackles – 59

Sacks – 10

Quinton Coples stepped in because of all the suspensions last year and became one of the breakout stars of the conference.  Coples, at 245 pounds, ended up leading North Carolina with 15.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks.  Coples should be a part of one of the better defensive lines in college football with all of the talent the Tar Heels have up front.

Andre Ellington, RB, Clemson

Height:  5'10"

Weight:  180 lbs.

Class:  Sophomore

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards - 686

Rushing Attempts - 118

TD’s – 10

Andre Ellington was having a great season before a toe injury abruptly ended his season.  If you look at all of the stats he put up for only playing in eight games, you can see just how talented of a player he is.  Ellington averaged 7.2 yards per carry in 2009 with limited work and averaged 5.8 yards per carry this year, which is the type of production you want out of your running back.

If you throw in his 109 yard receiving and 12 receptions, you can see why there is a cause for excitement when he comes back healthy next year for the Tigers.

Montel Harris RB, Boston College

Height:  5'10"

Weight:  200 lbs.

Class:  Junior

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards – 1,243

Rushing Attempts - 269

TD’s – Eight

The Boston College offensive line, a unit that will have three new starters in 2011, is going to be key for Montell Harris to have a good season.  Harris, the ACC’s leading returning rusher, finished last season with over 1,200 yards on the ground and eight rushing touchdowns.  Starting 11 games before injuring his knee against Virginia, he was an All-ACC first team honoree.  Harris leads the ACC and ranks 16th in the country by averaging 103.6 yards per game while racking up eight 100-yard games and had six in a row before his injury.

Ray Ray Armstrong, S, Miami

Height:  6'4"

Weight:  215 lbs.

Class:  Junior

2010 Stats

Tackles - 79

Interceptions - Thrree

Armstrong contributed 4.5 tackles for loss and scored one of the team's two defensive touchdowns with a 22-yard interception return against Florida A&M. 

Armstrong was one of the prize recruits of the Randy Shannon era, a five-star recruit blessed with that rare combination of size and speed.  Armstrong was ranked the No. 2 prospect in the state of Florida in 2009 and has played a lot during his Miami career.  He is now poised for his junior year to make the type of impact many have expected of him when he signed with the Hurricanes.

Danny OBrien, QB, Maryland

Height:  6'3"

Weight:  215 lbs.

Class:  Freshman

2010 Stats

Rating – 134.53

Yards – 2,438

TD’s – 22

He was named the ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC top offensive new comer awards for his work during the 2010 season.  O’Brien was the first Maryland freshman to receive the rookie of the year award, which ended a drought of over 35 years, as the Terrapins were the only ACC charter school not to win one.

Josh Harris, RB, Wake Forest

Height:  5'10"

Weight:  190 lbs.

Class:  Freshman

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards - 720

Rushing Attempts - 125

TD’s – Seven

Josh Harris played his first season for the Demon Deacons and did not disappoint, as Harris finished eighth in the conference in rushing yards.  Harris was also tied for sixth in rushing touchdowns and seventh in yards per attempt at 5.76.  If this is what he posted in his first season as a starter, then 2011 is going to be a breakout year for him.

Jarrett Boykin, WR, Virginia Tech

Height:  6'2"

Weight:  215 lbs.

Class:  Junior

2010 Stats

Receptions - 53

Yards – 847

TD’s – Six

Jarrett Boykin finished sixth in the ACC in receiving yards, and he finished ninth in receptions.  Boykin was one of the main reasons Tyrod Taylor emerged as an even better passer last season, and he was the primary playmaker in the Hokies passing game.  Look for Boykin to have a big year next season by falling into the 60 or 70 reception range.

Earl Wolff, DB, North Carolina State

Height:  6'0"

Weight:  201 lbs.

Class:  Sophomore

2010 Stats

Tackles - 91

Ranks third on the team in tackles with 91, he had 14 in the win at North Carolina, including 11 solo stops and a seven-yard sack.  Wolff started every game of the season at boundary safety, pulled down his first career interception in the win at Central Florida and forced three fumbles in 2010, one of the top marks in the ACC.  He was named the team's Most Valuable Defensive Back.

Perry Jones, RB, Virginia

Height:  5'8"

Weight:  185 lbs.

Class:  Sophomore

2010 Stats

Rush Yards - 646

Rush Attempts - 137

TD’s – one

Perry Jones split time with Virginia running back Keith Payne, who will be graduating in the spring.  Even with backing up Payne, the 5’8” Jones still managed to finish 12^th in the ACC for rushing yards.  The speed and shiftiness of Jones provides a different dimension to the Cavaliers offense over the 250 lbs.

Orwin Smith, RB, Georgia Tech

Height:  6'0"

Weight:  202 lbs.

Class:  Sophomore

2010 Stats

Rush Yards - 516

Rush Attempts - 53

TD’s – Four

In 2010, Orwin Smith averaged a whopping 9.7 yards per carry with a long of 73 yards.  Many will say that is a product of the Georgia Tech option offense, but 9.7 yards per carry in any offense is impressive.  That was the best yards per carry average in the ACC, and despite limited action, Smith was 19^th in the ACC in rushing.

Sean Renfree, WR, Duke

Height:  6'5"

Weight:  220 lbs.

Class:  Sophomore

2010 Stats

Rating – 120.73

Yards – 3,131

TD’s – 14

Renfree was third in the ACC in passing yards, only trailing T.J. Yates and Russell Wilson, and boasted the highest completion percentage in the ACC.  Renfree just needs to improve upon his interception numbers from last year, when he posted a league leading 17, but that is mostly due to Duke playing from behind in most games.

Brandon Jenkins, DE, Florida State

Height:  6-3

Weight:  258 lbs.

Class:  Junior

2010 Stats

Tackles - 55

Sacks – 13.5

Brandon Jenkins finished the 2010 season with 21.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks while amassing over 50 tackles from his defensive end position.  These numbers were solid for a relative unknown coming into the season, and the Florida State defense is only going to get better next year with Jenkins as a key piece.

Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

Height:  5'11"

Weight:  210 lbs.

Class:  Freshman

2010 Stats

Rushing Yards - 646

Rushing Attempts - 108

TD’s – Six

Lamar Miller is a track standout for the Miami Hurricanes and was one of the most dangerous weapons for the Hurricanes last season.  He shared time in the backfield behind starter Damien Berry and Mike James. Miller still manged to end up 12^th in the ACC in rushing yards.  Miller had a respectable 5.98 yards per carry and also returned a kickoff return for a touchdown against Ohio State.  The only thing that can hold Miller back next season is the emergence of Storm Johnson in the Hurricanes backfield.

Luke Kuechly LB, Boston College

Height:  6'3"

Weight:  235 lbs.

Class:  Junior

2010 Stats

Tackles - 183

Sacks - Two

Interceptions - Three

Four-time ACC Player of the Week and the ACC leader in tackles.  What is amazing about it is the next closest tackler in the ACC finished 54 tackles behind Kuechly, and while some may not be impressed with his stats sticking your nose in there, 183 times isn’t something everyone can do.  He pulled down three interceptions on the season, and to put that in perspective, that tied him for 14^th in the conference for INT”s ahead of lots of defensive backs.

Deandre Hopkins, WR, Clemson

Height:  6'2"               

Weight:  194 lbs.

Class:  Freshman

2010 Stats

Receptions - 51

Yards – 626

TD’s – Four

A two sport star for the Clemson Tigers, playing both football and basketball in 2010 and having a breakout year for a freshman on the football field.  Hopkins finished 13^th in the conference in receiving yards and led the Tigers in that category as well.  That is impressive for a freshman to come out and be one of the best players on the team in their first season.

Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State

Height:  6'1"

Weight:  209 lbs.

Class:  Freshman

2010 Stats

Tackles - 54

Interceptions - Four

Sacks – Two

Xavier Rhodes was named the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year and was tied for fifth in the conference in interceptions.   Rhodes, coupled with Greg Reid, defended more passes than any other corner back duo in the country with a total of 33, and both of them are back with the Noles next year, which means ACC quarterbacks better watch out.

Nigel Bradham, DT, Florida State

Height:  6'2"

Weight:  241 lbs.

Class:  Junior

2010 Stats

Tackles - 92

Sacks - Five

Nigel Bradham only ranked 15th in the conference in sacks and seventh in the ACC in tackles.  His contribution to the team is in his ferocity and playmaking ability; he has become the emotional leader on the stout Florida State defense. 

Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson

Height:  6'2"

Weight:  310 lbs.

Class:  Junior

2010 Stats

Tackles - 41

Sacks - One

Thompson has the size and ability to ease the losses the Tigers had on defense, and he posted 7.5 tackles for loss last season.  Thompson saw limited action last season and still managed to put up serviceable numbers and show that he will be a force to reckon with in 2011.

Vaughn Telemaque, S, Miami

Height:  6'2"

Weight:  200 lbs.

Class:  Junior

2010 Stats

Tackles - 59

Interceptions - Three

Forced Fumbles - Three

Telemaque was also awarded the Nick Chickillo Most Improved Player Award by the team.  Telemaque has an aggressive nose for the ball and is also great in run support, something you can't say about a lot of DB's.  He has been one of the most consistent players for the Hurricanes since he started playing at Miami. Telemaque has started to emerge as the emotional leader on defense.  He is almost a sure thing to become an even bigger star in 2011.

E.J. Manuel, QB, Florida State

Height:  6'4"

Weight:  226 lbs.

Class:  Sophomore

2010 Stats

Rating – 153.25

Yards – 861

TD’s – Four

Manuel started twice in the 2010 season for Christian Ponder, who battled a nagging elbow injury. In his first start against Clemson, he picked up 71 yards on 15 carries. He also led the Seminoles to a victory in the 2010 Chick-fil-A Bowl against South Carolina when Christian Ponder was injured in the second quarter.

Donte Paige-Moss, DE, North Carolina

Height:  6'4"

Weight:  260 lbs.

Class:  Sophomore

2010 Stats

Tackles - 49

Sacks - Seven

With all of the departures on the North Carolina defensive line, Donte Paige-Moss showed the skills needed to be a dominant player at times last year.  The size and quickness of Moss, coupled with the amount of playing time coming his way in 2010, should see a breakout season for him.

Conner Vernon, WR, Duke

Height:  6'2"

Weight:  195 lbs.

Class:  Sophomore

2010 Stats

Receptions - 73

Yards – 973

TD’s – Four

A member of the freshman All-American team and also selected to the Freshman All-ACC squad in 2009, Vernon had a solid season for the Blue Devils in 2010.  With starting quarterback Sean Renfree returning, that should be all Vernon needs to improve on his already impressive numbers from last season.

Jayron Hosley, DB, Virginia Tech

Height:  5'10"

Weight:  172 lbs.

Class:  Sophomore

2010 Stats

Interceptions – Nine

Pass Break Ups – Eight

Passes Defended - 17

Virginia Tech CB Jayron Hosley led the country with nine interceptions and led the ACC with 17 passes defended last season.  Hosley was named a first team Walter Camp All-American and also an All ACC first team selection.  He is looking to build on his impressive numbers from last season and will surely wreak havoc on ACC offenses next year.

Dwight Jones, WR, North Carolina

Height:  6'5"

Weight:  220 lbs.

Class:  Junior

2010 Stats

Receptions – 62

Yards – 946

TD’s – Four

After a little bit of trouble getting Jones' academic situation sorted out, the Tar Heels signed him in 2010.  Jones should be one of the top producers at Wide receiver in the ACC because of his height and size.  If UNC can find some consistency at the quarterback position, Jones is poised for a break out year.