ACC Football: Projecting Every Starting Quarterback for 2015 Season

The ACC featured one of the top quarterbacks in the country over the last two seasons in Jameis Winston, but 2015 is a season where the conference has quite a few question marks.

Obviously, there are a few situations where quarterbacks are locked into their starting jobs, such as Deshaun Watson at Clemson and Justin Thomas at Georgia Tech. That's not the case for every ACC school, though, as there will be some heated competitions for starting jobs across the conference.

To go along with the quarterback competitions, we're also likely to see some new faces under center for teams. A prime example of that will be the Duke Blue Devils, who turn from Anthony Boone to Thomas Sirk.

Overall, the ACC will feature not only strong quarterback play this coming year, but also young players who are looking to take that next big step in their careers. Let's check out the predictions for every starting quarterback in the ACC for the 2015 season.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons: John Wolford

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John Wolford was thrown into the fire as a freshman in 2014. Now comes his encore performance for a Wake Forest team who remains one of the youngest in the nation. In 2014, Wake Forest allowed the most sacks in the nation with 48, an average of four per game, a stat that must improve for Wolford to have success.

When looking at Wolford's numbers in 2014, he wasn't bad for a freshman with a struggling offensive line and no run game. The Demon Deacons averaged 39.9 rushing yards per game, which was the second worst in the nation.

Wolford threw for 2,037 yards with 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. While it wasn't a beautiful stat line, the young quarterback threw just one interception over his final four games and capped off 2014 with his best performance. That game came against a strong Duke team, where Wolford went 24-of-36 passing with 251 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

If Wolford can build on that momentum heading into 2015, he could help the Demon Deacons start to turn the corner.

While it's expected that the sophomore will be the starter next season, the job won't be handed to him. Let's not overlook the fact that Wake is bringing in two talented prep quarterbacks in Kendall Hinton and Kyle Kearns to compete for the job.

Andrea Adelson from ESPN reported that head coach Dave Clawson made sure it was known there would be a competition for the job.

"

We said the same thing to them we said to John the year before, ‘If you come here, we’ll let you compete for it,’” Clawson said. “That’s not a knock on John. I thought John played well at times last year and very courageously and we’re very excited about him. But it’s football. Every position’s competitive. If he’s going to be our starter, he’s got to get better and he’ll get pushed.

"

In the end, the competition may help Wolford improve even more this offseason.

Syracuse Orange: Terrel Hunt

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The Syracuse offense didn't do much to get fans excited last season. Among the many injuries that the offense suffered, quarterback Terrel Hunt was one of the toughest losses. Hunt suffered a broken leg after five uninspiring games.

During the five games he played in, Hunt threw for 983 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions, while completing 57.2 percent of his passes.

Hunt's struggles last season are a cause for concern, which is why he's going to face competition before the season. The two quarterbacks looking to take his job will be A.J. Long and Austin Wilson, who both saw action in 2014.

While one may make the argument that the Orange should turn to Long, a sophomore, after playing in six games, he didn't do much to earn the job with his play. Long completed just 53.9 percent of his passes, while throwing for 935 yards, four touchdowns and eight interceptions.

This competition should come down to Hunt against Long, but I believe Hunt is purely the better passer and starting option for the Orange. The man who was named one of the 25 most intriguing ACC players by ESPN for 2015 will earn the job and never look back.

Boston College Eagles: Darius Wade

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While fans of the Boston College Eagles would likely do anything to get one more season with quarterback Tyler Murphy, it's time to look to the future. The Eagles and head coach Steve Addazio are turning the page, and the next chapter at quarterback will be Darius Wade.

Wade did a whole lot of watching and learning behind Murphy in 2014, while only throwing eight passes throughout the season. For the dual-threat quarterback, learning from Murphy may be the best thing he could have done.

Now a sophomore, Wade is going to face competition from Troy Flutie for the starting job. While Flutie is going to make a push for the gig, Wade is simply the better passer and a better fit for Addazio's offense.

We saw last year what a rushing quarterback can do in this system, as Murphy rushed for 1,184 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Wade won't be on the level of Murphy next season, but he has the potential to lead this Boston College team to a bowl game and toward a very bright future.

NC State Wolfpack: Jacoby Brissett

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It's safe to assume that fans of the NC State Wolfpack are happy to get Jacoby Brissett back for one more season. Brissett is locked in as the starter for the Wolfpack, and for good reason. After transferring to Dave Doeren's program from Florida, his first season as a starter was a successful one.

Brissett threw for 2,606 yards, rushed for 529 yards, had 26 total touchdowns and threw only five interceptions in 2014. His most impressive stretch came over the final three games of the season, all of which were wins.

While he wasn't asked to throw much in wins over Wake Forest and North Carolina, he had a 4-to-0 touchdown to interception ratio. Brissett also tacked on 217 yards and a touchdown on the ground in those two games.

Then came the highly anticipated bowl matchup against Central Florida. Brissett looked good leading the Pack once again, throwing for 262 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions while adding 31 rushing yards.

Brissett's dual-threat ability helped lead the Wolfpack to an 8-5 record in 2014, but expectations are even higher next year.

Louisville Cardinals: Tyler Ferguson

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If you want to talk about a serious quarterback competition, look no further than the Louisville Cardinals. Bobby Petrino and company will have their hands full when it comes to choosing a quarterback for 2015. The projected winner? Surprisingly, it may be time to get on board with Tyler Ferguson, the Penn State transfer.

Will Gardner would likely be the popular choice, but he's out for the spring and has no timetable for a return after suffering another major knee injury. This means that both Reggie Bonnafon and Kyle Bolin, who saw quite a bit of action in 2014, will be pushing for the starting job.

Both rising sophomores played well at times last season, but neither is a sure thing to win the open competition.

While Bonnafon played sporadically throughout the season, Bolin saw the bulk of his playing time come in the final two games of the season. Bolin was a part of a wild 44-40 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats, a game in which he threw for 381 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

He got the nod to start the bowl game after that but struggled in the 37-14 loss. The freshman wound up going 20-of-40, with 300 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

As for Bonnafon, he completed just 50.8 percent of his passes last season for 864 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions. He also tacked on 164 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

The true freshman saw much more in-game action than Bolin did, as he played in 10 games, offering a dual-threat option for the Cardinals at times.

While any of these three could grab the job next season, Ferguson looks to be the best pure passer of the group. Before transferring in 2013, he played in four games for the Nittany Lions but only saw extended action in one. That game was a blowout loss to Ohio State, but he stepped in nicely, going 7-of-11 with 125 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.

Ferguson may be a bit of an unknown at this point, but he'll make a strong case to be Louisville's starter on day one.

Florida State Seminoles: Deondre Francois

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When the Florida State Seminoles landed one of the top quarterbacks in the 2015 class from Florida, the hype immediately started. It's not surprising, as Deondre Francois was tabbed as "the next Jameis Winston" just after committing to the Seminoles.

Now, it's tough to imagine anyone having the type of freshman season that Winston had. The potential top pick in the 2015 NFL draft started his college football career off by going 25-of-27 with 356 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-13 victory over the Pittsburgh Panthers.

So, should we expect Francois to get to Tallahassee and take over in the same fashion? Not likely.

What we can expect is for him to push quarterbacks Sean Maguire and J.J. Cosentino.

It may be pretty bold to assume that Francois will come in and just grab the starting job, but while Maguire is the favorite to get the gig, I don't believe he'll outlast the freshman. Francois is an incredible talent who threw for 18 touchdowns and rushed for two more during his senior season at IMG Academy.

While it wouldn't surprise me to see Maguire as the "comfortable" choice to start the 2015 season, Francois will be able to earn the job. Not long after he gets the chance to work with Jimbo Fisher and Randy Sanders, the talented young quarterback will show that he's ready to take over the offense.

Maguire and Cosentino may be the two favorites, but don't sleep on the incoming freshman.

Clemson Tigers: Deshaun Watson

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There's no quarterback controversy in Clemson. While Deshaun Watson is getting past a torn ACL, his decision to get a head start on recovery seems to be paying off well. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney put it best when talking about Watson.

"He is not your normal player," Swinney said during a National Signing Day interview on ESPNU. "He is a month or two ahead of where anyone else would be."

It seems as though Watson will be ready for fall camp, which will open on August 4.

At the start of the 2014 season, it was Cole Stoudt's job to lead the Tigers, but the hype behind Watson was obvious. The freshman phenom saw action in each of Clemson's first two games, completing 10-of-13 passes for 213 yards and four touchdowns. 

Then came the Florida State game, which led to Swinney handing the reins over to Watson. While the Tigers lost that game 23-17 in overtime, Watson completed 67.9 percent of his passes while rushing for 30 yards and a touchdown. The move had been made, and Watson was prepared to start for the remainder of 2014.

Just two games after that point, one of which was a six-touchdown performance against North Carolina, Watson suffered his first of two injuries. A broken hand left him sidelined for three games, and in his first game back against Georgia Tech he suffered the torn ACL.

If you weren't a fan of Watson before, feel free to jump on board after remembering that he played against South Carolina with that torn ACL, and he was stellar. He threw for 269 yards with four total touchdowns while completing 73.7 percent of his passes.

Watson's 1,466 yards, 14 touchdowns, 67.9 completion percentage and two interceptions in 2014 are just the beginning of a bright career. Expect the lead Tiger to take this team far in 2015.

Virginia Cavaliers: Greyson Lambert

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While Greyson Lambert is expected to be the starter, Matt Johns is going to get his shot to earn the job as well. When all is said and done, Lambert will prevail and head into the 2015 season as the man under center for the Cavaliers.

Johns should absolutely get some consideration, largely because Lambert struggled quite a bit at times in 2014. He finished the year with 1,632 yards, 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 59 percent of his passes.

Essentially, Lambert was mediocre more often than not last season. He did show upside, though, including his strong game against Florida State, where he threw for 220 yards and three touchdowns.

While some may argue that Johns should get the nod as the starter, he actually struggled just as much, if not more than Lambert. While throwing for 1,109 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions, he completed just 54.9 percent of his passes. Johns was able to complete at least 60 percent of his passes just twice in nine games last season.

Lambert should improve in 2015, and he'll have a strong defense to help him out.

Pittsburgh Panthers: Chad Voytik

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Let's start by clarifying that while Chad Voytik was the man for the Panthers in 2014, he's not a lock to be their starter in 2015.

Not only does Voytik have to learn a new offense this offseason, but he'll also have some new competition from Tennessee transfer Nathan Peterman. While Peterman hasn't had much in-game opportunity to put on his resume, he's going to give Voytik a major test.

Looking back at 2014, Voytik was more than a solid quarterback. Not only did he throw for 2,233 yards with 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions, but he rushed for 466 yards and three touchdowns as well.

The most impressive part of the sophomore quarterback's first season as a starter was how he progressed as the year went on. Voytik threw six interceptions in his first seven games, but he threw just one over the final six games of 2014.

His 7-to-1 touchdown to interception ratio down the home stretch of 2014 was impressive, but his accuracy was as well. Voytik completed 66.7 percent of his passes or more in each of the five final regular-season games.

Expect Voytik to be pushed for the job but to hold on to it and hopefully use it as motivation heading into the 2015 season.

North Carolina Tar Heels: Marquise Williams

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Marquise Williams had a breakout sophomore season in 2013, putting up 1,698 passing yards, 536 rushing yards, 21 total touchdowns and only six interceptions. Call that a coming out party for the talented quarterback, because his 2014 season was even more impressive.

Williams finished last season with 3,068 passing yards, 788 rushing yards, 34 total touchdowns and only nine interceptions.

It's safe to say that Williams has made a name for himself.

With his two favorite receivers from 2014 in Ryan Switzer and Mack Hollins back in 2015, those numbers above may end up improving even more.

What made the 2014 season so impressive for Williams is that he put together some of his best games against the toughest opponents. He threw for 345 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in a 50-35 loss to Clemson in Death Valley, for starters.

Just three games after that, he led the Heels to a 48-43 upset victory over the eventual champions of the Coastal Division, Georgia Tech. In that game he went 38-of-47 passing with 390 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown, essentially putting the team on his back to get the huge win.

The Tar Heels are expecting big things in 2015, but Williams will need some help from the defense in order to make noise on a national level. He's one of the most interesting quarterbacks to watch from the ACC this coming season.

Duke Blue Devils: Thomas Sirk

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As Anthony Boone has officially wrapped up a strong collegiate career, the reins of the offense will be handed to junior Thomas Sirk. The new quarterback of the Blue Devils is a bit of a wild card heading into 2015, but one thing we do know is that he'll be a dual-threat option, just as Boone was.

Sirk saw action in every game except one in 2014 and completed 10-of-14 passes for 67 yards with three touchdowns. His real impact came on the ground, though, as he rushed for 238 yards and eight touchdowns over that same span.

If Sirk is able to continue that success on the ground, while also proving that he can be a consistent passer, the Blue Devils may be in for an interesting 2015 season. They'll need to replace Boone, wide receiver Jamison Crowder and offensive lineman Laken Tomlinson, but fortunately, they have a strong running game to lean on when needed.

With Dave Cutcliffe's squad returning both of their leading rushers from 2014 in Shaquille Powell and Shaun Wilson, Sirk will get plenty of support offensively. Duke will also get running back Jela Duncan back from suspension.

Can the new starting quarterback for the Blue Devils keep this team relevant on a national scale in 2015? Over the past two seasons, Duke totaled 19 wins and may once again have the talent to push the 10-win mark.

Miami Hurricanes: Brad Kaaya

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Brad Kaaya burst onto the scene for the Hurricanes as a freshman in 2014 and left fans of The U excited about the future. He threw for 3,198 yards, 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his first season as a collegiate quarterback.

While the lead man in Miami was a big part of its offense last season, he may be asked to do even more in 2015.

The Hurricanes lost their top two pass-catchers from last season in Phillip Dorsett and Clive Walford, while also losing running back Duke Johnson and offensive lineman Ereck Flowers. The Hurricanes will rely heavily on players such as Joe Yearby and Stacy Coley to fill the voids, but it won't be an easy task.

Kaaya was asked to do quite a bit as a freshman, but the workload may increase even more in his sophomore season. Kaaya will be an All-ACC player sooner or later, but could it happen in 2015 as he looks to get the Hurricanes back into contention for an ACC title?

Al Golden's seat is getting hotter, and it's likely that another 6-7 season would be the end of his term as Miami's head coach.

In order for Golden to keep his job and the Hurricanes to be successful, a lot of it may come down to Kaaya's ability to lead the team next season. The nation is watching and ready, because we may be looking at a star in the making in Coral Gables.

Virginia Tech Hokies: Michael Brewer

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The Virginia Tech offense needs to find a way to help out its defense in 2015, and that task will be handed to Michael Brewer once again. While the Hokies defense was impressive last season, allowing just 20.2 points per game, their offense was very mediocre. Brewer was at the head of the mediocrity and is in a spot where he must improve in his senior season.

With two young and talented options returning next season for the Hokies in Isaiah Ford and Bucky Hodges, there's no reason for Brewer not to improve. In 2014, the Virginia Tech quarterback threw for 2,692 yards and had 20 total touchdowns.

The issue? He threw 15 interceptions, completed 59.4 percent of his passes and was sacked 32 times.

The turnovers are the most important fix for Brewer, as Virginia Tech saw five of its six losses come by a touchdown or less. In games that close, you simply need to protect the football, and if Brewer can do that there's a chance we could see the Hokies emerge as a sleeper to win the Coastal Division.

It's worth noting that 2014 was the first major in-game action that the Texas Tech transfer saw in his collegiate career. Brewer will be better next season, but will he improve enough to help the Hokies get over the hump?

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Justin Thomas

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After taking the ACC by storm in 2014, the next mission for Justin Thomas is to help the Yellow Jackets win the ACC Championship. Georgia Tech is not only surrounded by hype, but it is also the favorite to win the Coastal Division again in 2015.

The nation is expecting big things from Thomas, an electrifying junior quarterback who is largely to thank for all of the hype.

While much of the excitement in the ACC seems to be focused on the Clemson Tigers and Florida State Seminoles, don't forget about the Yellow Jackets. We saw exactly how good this team can be during the 2014 season, as they not only defeated Clemson but knocked off Georgia as well.

Then came the knockout punch, as the Yellow Jackets stunned a former No. 1 team in Mississippi State 49-34 during the Capital One Orange Bowl.

Thomas was the man with the plan last season. He put together an impressive sophomore campaign, throwing for 1,719 yards, rushing for 1,086 yards, scoring 26 total touchdowns and tossing only six interceptions.

There's not even a question about who starts from day one for Georgia Tech, and the Yellow Jackets are a team to watch in 2015.