Conference Review: ACC

Rob Willette Posted On September 30, 2014

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With college football in full swing, we’ll be bringing you a review of the “Big Five” conferences each and every week. These recaps will feature sections for “Premier Conference Performer,” “Rising Players,” “Falling Players,” and a special Freshman spotlight. These weekly reviews will keep you up-to-date on all the happenings in devy leagues and allow you to keep tabs on future dynasty league assets. By the time the NFL Draft rolls around, you won’t see too many strangers.

Premier Conference Performers

DeShaun Watson, QB Clemson
27 for 36 for 435 yards with six touchdowns and one interception

The Clemson faithful needed something to believe in following a collapse against Florida State in which “Clemsoning” started trending. With Cole Stoudt engineering a bland offensive attack, Dabo Swinney had to make the switch to true freshman DeShaun Watson before the Tigers lost too much ground in the ACC. The tempo of the game is elevated when Watson takes the field; there’s an entirely different feel to the Clemson offense and there are so many more options as a play caller. A dual-threat quarterback that remains unfettered in the pocket, Watson is quickly emerging as one of the nation’s top devy prospects at quarterback.
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Jacoby Brissett, QB North Carolina State
32 for 48 for 359 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions

Free from the offensive black hole that Gainesville, Florida has become, Jacoby Brissett has rebooted his career in Raleigh and nearly spearheaded a monumental upset of top ranked Florida State on Saturday. He looks every bit the part of a premier pocket passer and has been lights out for a Wolfpack team ready to make some noise in the ACC. While eligible in 2015, it would likely behoove Brissett to gain another year of experience in 2015 and utilize all of his eligibility. He’s in the mix to be one of the top quarterbacks off the board when he does declare.

Rising

Elijah Hood, RB North Carolina
13 carries for 71 yards and one touchdown

The Tar Heels are inundated with talented runners. They have speed backs such as T.J. Logan and Khris Francis, as well as a gritty, experienced runner in Romar Morris. None of them, however, possess the unique size/speed combination that Elijah Hood does. The true freshman continues to earn more work as the team’s most talented back and is just one of many true freshman backs flashing around the nation.

Duke Johnson, RB Miami
25 carries for 155 yards and one touchdown

Duke Johnson has never strayed far from the spotlight. He was a staple of Al Golden’s 2012 recruiting class and has been one of college football’s most electric runners since stepping on the field. However, following a serious ankle injury, there were questions as to whether or not he’d be ready to reestablish his dominance early in 2014. The return from injury has been seamless, with Johnson showing no ill-effects from injury and looking a bit more physically imposing in the process. A dynamic open-field threat that can catch the ball and contribute in the return, game, Johnson is tailor-made for the new NFL game and is an elite devy prospect.

Falling

Karlos Williams, RB Florida State
21 carries for 126 yards and three touchdowns; three receptions for 29 yards

It seems odd to list Karlos Williams here coming off his best game of the season. Expected to eviscerate the ACC after posting comical numbers in mop-up duty last year, Williams has been productive yet has looked a bit stiff and almost appears content running as fast as he can into the backs of his linemen. Still new to the position, there’s hope the instincts are still developing, though the true breakout campaign has been slow to get off its feet. Instead of emerging as a true top-tier back in 2015, he’s fallen into a large second-tier of runners.

Players To Keep An Eye On

Artavis Scott, WR Clemson
Eight catches for 63 yards and one touchdown

Part of the youth movement at Clemson, Artavis Scott has done his best Sammy Watkins impression as a tough, physical, competitive receiver that beats you all over the field. He’s another glimpse at the bright future that exists in Clemson, and he’ll team with sophomore Mike Williams as well as fellow freshman Demarre Kitt in giving the Tigers one of the nation’s best receiver groups in 2015.

Jesus Wilson, WR Florida State
Six catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns

Lost amidst the Jameis Winston drama and the Seminoles’ struggles (relative to expectations) has been the breakout season of Jesus Wilson. With each game, we’ve seen a new Wilson highlight and he’s become the much needed compliment to do everything receiver Rashad Greene. Despite a diminutive build, he’s fearless in traffic and knows how to use his body to win individual battles. With elite quickness and big receiver cojones, he has T.Y. Hilton upside.

Bo Hines, WR North Carolina State
Eight receptions for 103 yards and one touchdown

The Wolfpack have all of a sudden become must-see television thanks to an explosive passing offense. One of the aforementioned Brissett’s favorite targets early in the year has been true freshman Bo Hines, an early enrollee that has smoothly transitioned to the college game. With sticky mitts and a college-ready build, Hines is quietly one of college football’s best true freshman receivers.
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