QB: The good news is only 3 teams on our schedule return a QB with an starting experience: FSU, UNC and Duke. Connet, the running QB from Duke transferred to Fresnoe St which helps because he killed us last year. Georgia Techs QB transferred too. Pitt has a qb with some upside in Voytek, but I would rank our QB situation around 3-4 in the ACC due to our weapons. It's a good year to not have experience because no one else does either
RB vs LB: I don't think any unit can handle out backs in the open field save FSU. This is a great matchup for us with Duke and Yearby. Once Duke gets to the second level he's good at breaking loose. FSU has only one returning starter but they have studs ready to step in. UL will be athletic but lost their top tackler this year.
WR vs DBs: I love our db group. Good mix of speed and size. Coley and Dorsett can take the cover off in a hurry. You have Scott who can go get it plus slot guys like Lewis and Berrios. Waters is a good playmaker at the X as well. The news kids will have a hard time getting on the field, but Brady, Langham and Njoku could be a problem. FSU will match up with us and Virginia Tech will be tough on the outsides. Other than that, I think we win. Clive, IMO, is the second best TE in our conference and can be a good target for whoever the qb is. Beau and Standish give us a legit 3 TE set that will be hard to match up with
OL vs DL: our left size is solid. I like Flowers against anyone, including Edwards. feliciano and McDermott will be solid up the middle, though Shane was beat at the point some last year, especially against quicker DTs. I like Isidora. He has good feet. I'm excited to see how he develops and if he can stay healthy. Right tackle is interesting. We have Gadbois penciled in, so hopefully he can handle speed rushers. FSU and VT will get after us as will Nebraska with their guy. UL might cause problems too. I like our unit 8/12 this year: Louisville, Nebraska, FSU and VT are our biggest challenges.
Defense
DL: I have to see it to believe it. I can't pick our line against anyone today except FAMU and maybe Arkansas St. We need guys to step up: Pierre, Kamalu, Hamilton, Wyche, etc. I think we are more talented on paper than most of our opponents, but we don't play on paper. Our DL gives me anxiety.
LB: I like, not love, our backers. Obviously Denzle is a freak, but bigger and quicker OLs will wash him out in the middle if our DL sucks. We have been bad in coverage, but I think our unit is more athletic this year. I like us 9/12 games. We will be pressed against FSU, UNC and Nebraska with their running back talent. FSU also has the best te in our conference and they really blow up the middle of the field. I like Figs if he can stay healthy and if Kirby can step up it gives us a solid group. We need to cover better from this position though. We have been slower sideline to sideline and we get caught in the wash quite often.
DBs: this is probably our best defensive unit. We have 5 corners that can play: Howard, Gunter, Artie, Crawford and Elder. That's a good mix of speed, physicality and technique. Other than FSU, we are better than every WR group on our schedule. In the back, Jenkins, a healthy Deon, an emerging Carter and two young guys in Hester and Gayot will be a night and day difference from last year in terms of athleticism. Crawford will be awesome in run support. In closing, this groups success will depend on the DLs ability to create pressure. If we can, I think we have the 2nd best unit on our schedule and we can match up with anyone. If not, it won't matter because no one covers for 7 seconds. Peete from UL will test us. He's good. FSU returns Greene and O'Leary, but we know what they have waiting. Crowder at Duke will be tough and so will Boyd from Pitt. Hopefully we can hold the fort down in the secondary to take some pressure off our backers.
ST: we might have the best return unit in the conference. Switzer at UNC might be the best return
Man and Whitfield can change a game quicky as we all saw but we have the best unit with Coley, Duke, Dorsett, Elder and Artie. I would like to see Gray here too if he gets in. We cover kicks pretty well too, but without O'Donnell this year we might see some regression here. I like our special teams a lot this year.
That's all I got. Good discussion post
