The ACC 2025 Preseason Hype Prepare

The ACC hasn’t had a ton of hype behind it since Trevor Lawrence headed to the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL. Even with a Heisman Trophy candidate in Cam Ward, the league confronted being third fiddle to the SEC and Massive Ten whereas battling with the Massive 12 for center brother standing.

It’s my mission to get the ACC hype machine going, even when on a small stage. It’s wonderful the league produced the first total NFL draft choose in QB Cam Ward and but would possibly fold in a handful of seasons. That’s honest in a way after the Pac-12 had certainly one of it’s finest seasons after which folded instantly after.

Whether or not it’s head coaches, power coaches, quarterbacks or culture- the ACC deserves a bit hype alongside the Energy 2 and Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders.

The High Man

Till somebody dethrones him, the Clemson Tigers Dabo Swinney is the ACC’s prime man at head coach. The Birmingham, AL native has two Nationwide Championship rings, 9 ACC Championship rings, and has no intention of slowing down at 55 years of age.

Swinney has gained nearly each head teaching award possible and now with Tom Allen as his DC I can’t see Clemson slowing down this season. Swinney’s Tigers could possibly be due their tenth ACC Championship and one other journey to the CFB Playoff.

Greatest Aptitude (aka greatest weirdo)

Syracuse’s Fran Brown must be the largest weirdo within the ACC. For a way bleh Mario Cristobal’s meathead schtick is, Brown is coming in because the convention’s WWE consultant. Skipping showers after losses, making an attempt to throw collectively an impromptu spring recreation with Deion Sanders, his interview model. Brown takes the cake on being a weirdo in school soccer.

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He’s a Recruiting Service Promo Code

The Miami Hurricanes Mario Cristobal is a recruiting service machine. Relating to recruiting rankings, the ‘Canes have been on the prime of each highschool and switch portal recruiting within the ACC.

Whether or not it’s been Cam Ward and Carson Beck, Damien Martinez, a wholly new defensive backfield or a beginning center- Cristobal has been on a “End Him” path by the portal.

You then add in highschool recruiting and five-star linemen on either side of the ball equivalent to Francis Mauigoa and Justin Scott. Followers knew that when Cristobal was employed his recruiting service rankings could be top-10 worthy in most seasons.

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Costco Hen Salad

After the rooster salad sandwich at Queeny’s in Durham, NC, Costco has the most effective CS cash can purchase. Rhett Lashlee is what I known as a rooster salad coach. He’s been turning rooster poop into rooster salad in Dallas. Underneath the Arkansas native, the SMU Mustangs are 29-12 total and 21-3 in convention together with an 8-0 run within the common season in 12 months certainly one of ACC play.

On offense it’s been a stable mixture of underrated highschool recruits (Roderick Daniels Jr.) and P4 transfers (Brashard Smith, Keyshawn Smith, and Matthew Hibner). On protection it’s been switch heavy as properly along with his three main TFL and sack guys coming from his previous job at Miami (Jared Harrison-Hunte, Elijah Roberts, and Jahfari Harvey).

On the backend of the protection three of his prime 5 DB’s in 2024 have been transfers as properly from Stanford, Texas A&M and Colorado State. SMU guys in Isaiah Nwokobia and Ahmaad Moses have been simply three-star recruits per 247.

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The “Let ‘Em Play Ball” Man

Miami OC Shannon Dawson simply let Cam Ward play ball and it labored out splendidly for the top-rated offense per SP+. Miami additionally led FBS in factors per recreation, and Dawson might need simply coached Ward into a primary total choose within the 2025 NFL Draft.

The ‘Canes scored 43.9 PPG in ‘24, with Ward scoring 44 occasions (4 speeding, one receiving). Ward solely threw seven interceptions whereas averaging 9.5 yards per move try whereas finishing 67.2% of his passes.

Dawson didn’t shrink back from throwing the rock even after Ward made early errors in video games towards Cal and Virginia Tech. His “let ‘em play ball” strategy stored Ward assured and allowed the offense again into video games.

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Summer season Schemin’ All-Stars

Heading into the 2024 season I needed to see all that I might from Jeff Brohm and the Louisville offense. In ‘24, they took one other switch and dare I say has been QB, and turned him right into a serviceable passer. Two years in the past it was three-time switch Jack Plummer. Final season it was additionally a three-time switch in Tyler Shough. Each might wind up on NFL rosters in 2025.

Heading into ‘25 I’m curious to see what Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets OC Buster Faulkner was doing with QB Haynes King and RB Jamal Haynes. Faulkner handed on some greater provides to stick with Brent Key in Atlanta. I’d wish to see Haynes keep wholesome all through the season and King’s capacity to move the ball enhance in ‘25. I do know his shoulder was injured in the midst of the season however he wants to enhance as a passer for GT to proceed to be a risk within the ACC.

My defensive schemer would’ve additionally come from GT, besides Tyler Santucci is now a Baltimore Raven. As an alternative it’ll be UNC’s Steve Belichick. The Washington Huskies allowed 23.8 PPG (54th in FBS) underneath S. Belchick in ‘24, nevertheless it was adjusted to thirty sixth in SP+ for total defensive effectivity.

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Moist Paper Bag

And now I’ll get to why Belichick is my DC to observe. The 2024 UNC Tar Heels protection bought the moist paper bag award for final season. Invoice Belichick has introduced in a ton of transfers and he and his son should get a ton of labor finished (SCALLUP!!) with the intention to repair the tradition on protection created by Mack Brown, Geoff Collins, Gene Chizik and Jay Bateman.

UNC has had one of many softest defensive mindsets since Brown returned to Chapel Hill and also you gained’t often beat Miami, Georgia Tech, SMU and Clemson if you happen to can’t observe and end. One of many greatest query marks in school soccer is B. Belichick’s transfer to the faculty ranks and the UNC protection.

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My curiosity is piqued

There are many issues concerning the ACC which have my curiosity piqued. Can Manny Diaz carry over his success from 12 months one at Duke? Can Invoice Belichick actually coach school gamers and particularly at a basketball faculty like UNC? Will Carson Beck’s elbow be 100% for Notre Dame in August?

My curiosity is most piqued by Belichick at UNC. That is one hell of a enterprise and social experiment. I’m all right here for Invoice’s relationship drama, his professional mentality on the school degree and the truth that UNC has Max Johnson at QB- a far cry from Tom Brady.

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Mr. Consistency unsure

The NC State Wolfpack have been one of the vital constant packages within the ACC by the previous decade. That’s as a result of they’ve held onto head coach Dave Doeren because the 2013 season. Doeren has strung collectively seven 8-9 win seasons and 87 wins in Raleigh. However with coordinator turnover at DC now in addition to as soon as towards at OC, Doeren’s run as Mr. Consistency could possibly be coming to an finish.

Kevin Concepion has taken his abilities to Faculty Station, TX and the Wolfpack could have a couple of dozen transfers listed within the two deep. New DC D.J. Eliot will proceed to run a 3-3-5 protection, the identical look Tony Gibson deployed at NCSU earlier than leaving for Marshall.

Kurt Roper replaces Robert Anae as OC and Roper has acquainted ties to each Doeren and Eliot. Roper has connections to David Cutcliffe and can run a reasonably commonplace NCAA Offense quite than Anae’s movement and shift slash QB run recreation spectacle.

Doeren will want one other 9 win season to offset the hype surrounding Diaz at Duke and Belichick at NC State. Will the Wolfpacks most profitable head coach be on the chopping block if NCSU struggles.

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Swol and Speedy

My ACC power coaches to observe are coming from SMU, Louisville, and NC State. These are guys taking three-star gamers and turning them into NFL draft picks and All-ACC sorts.

Shawn Griswold, SMU. Taking P4 castaways and turning three-star gamers into an ACC runner-up and CFB playoff staff isn’t any small feat. Griswold certain seems the half and previous to SMU he was producing powerful and athletic gamers for the eccentric Bronco Mendenhall at UVA.

Domenic Reno, Louisville. Reno got here to Louisville from Purdue the place he had labored with Brohm. Reno helped flip Ashton Gillotte right into a defensive lineman from a thin tight finish, whereas preserving oft-injured QB’s in Plummer and Shough wholesome.

Dantonio Burnette, NC State. Burnette has managed to place two dozen gamers within the NFL whereas with the Doeren regime. That features three first spherical picks and million greenback man Alim McNeill, the Detroit Lions DT.

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Tradition Disaster

I virtually forgot Mike Norvell was nonetheless the top soccer coach at FSU. The Florida State Seminoles have pulled a Larry Coker and fired Norvell’s OC and DC after a 2-10 season in Tallahassee. Alex Atkins and Adam Fuller are out, Gus Malzahn and Tony White are in.

The kings of portal over prep recruiting, FSU is now counting on former Boston Faculty sit-out QB Thomas Castellanos as Norvell’s savior. FSU will play over a dozen transfers of their two deep in ‘25. Even FSU followers are predicting six wins heading into the summer season doldrums.

FSU has a tricky schedule with 4 preseason ranked opponents, however they’re dealing with Alabama and Miami at residence even when they journey to the Florida Gators. FSU additionally will host Virginia Tech and Pitt. That’s a positive residence slate even when they face some more durable opponents.

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Greentree Corridor of Fame

With the hype machine absolutely round Miami TE Elija Lofton (Whoops. I’m at fault, too) from spring follow periods which have been blown up by the message board warriors, Lofton’s jersey is within the follow celebrity Corridor of Fame.

Who else has been within the Greentree HOF lately? Depart your two cents within the feedback!

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The hype practice has no brakes. Let’s maintain it rollin’ into the 2025 season, y’all.