ACC Devy Year in Review

Kenny Pickett

Rob Willette Posted On December 18, 2021

We are mere weeks away from flipping the calendar to 2022. With the end of each year comes an opportunity to look back and see what went right, what went wrong, and what was just truly unexpected. Much like Spotify Wrapped, I’ll look back on 2021 to see what transpired and which devy assets had their managers singing along to their favorite tunes.

The ACC did not have a banner year. League favorite and really the only program with its stuff together – Clemson – struggled to establish itself as the elite team it has been in recent years. Of course, it does not mean there was nothing to grab onto here from a devy perspective. The league still has plenty of talent.

WHAT WENT RIGHT

Pitt’s Breakout Season

The Panthers had appeared stagnant under Pat Narduzzi. Pitt had peaked at eight wins under the man sometimes not so affectionately known as “The Nard Dog”, winning between five and eight games and losing between five and seven games in all of his first six seasons. They were perfectly competent, yet never interesting.

Things changed in 2021. Kenny Pickett – in seemingly his 11th season on campus – eviscerated the ACC. He threw for 4,319 yards with a 42-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The touchdowns were more than he had tossed in his previous four seasons combined, leading Pickett to be a Heisman finalist and a quarterback many believe to be a lock to be selected in April’s first round.

Pickett’s ascent was due to a major assist from Jordan Addison. After a strong true freshman season, Addison exploded in year two with a 93-1,479-17 line. Addison is electric in space and his willingness to play at the catch point belies a slender, 175-pound frame. He’s emerged as a premier prospect for the 2023 Draft, pairing with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Kayshon Boutte to continue the flood of talented receivers into the NFL.

Sean Tucker

Not much has gone right for Dino Babers at Syracuse since the Orange’s outstanding 2018 campaign, but they have found an offensive centerpiece in running back Sean Tucker. The sophomore (well, technically freshman in Covid-Era parlance) was the Atlas of the Orange offense, placing the team on his back as it struggled to move the football through the air. He touched the football 266 times, finishing as the team’s second-leading receiver with 255 yards on a mere 20 receptions.

Tucker also endeared himself to many with his succinct, blunt post-game Tweets. Tucker outlined his performance with each message shot out into the ether, with his unintentionally deadpan delivery providing many with amusement. It has no bearing on his game – one which could lead to day two draft capital in 2023 – but it will be interesting to see if he carries this tradition with him as his career continues.

Josh Downs’ Star Turn

The Tar Heels failed to live up to a preseason top ten ranking. They slipped to 6-6 in the aftermath of a 2020 Orange Bowl bid, finishing as one of the nation’s most disappointing teams. The biggest story for devy owners, however, was the start to finish dominance of Josh Downs. Downs played third-fiddle behind Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome in year one, but leaped to the top of the depth chart in 2021, posting a 98-1,273-8 line.

He and Sam Howell were two of the bigger bright spots for Mack Brown’s bunch. Downs’ selection of North Carolina was a wise one, as he fits perfectly with what Offensive Coordinator Phil Longo wants to do. The 5’10, 180-pound Georgia product could immolate NFL defenses out of the slot yet has the toolkit to be a perimeter player as well. Wherever he ends up, Downs has become a high-end collegiate receiver and devy asset.

WHAT WENT WRONG

DJ Uiagalelei’s Ascent To Stardom

Uiagalelei was a five-star recruit out of California. After experiencing immense success with both Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence, the Clemson offense was supposed to nearly seamlessly transition to Uiagalelei as the Tigers continued to compete for national championships. Instead, the entire offense stalled, struggling to move the ball against even the most overmatched defenses.

It was a puzzling development for Dabo Swinney’s club, which has been accustomed to playoff berths and not trips to the Cheez-It Bowl. Clemson finished 95th in the nation in total offense, and for Uiagalelei’s part he managed a meager six yards per attempt with an even 9-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The whole thing was simply ugly, made more unexpected by the fact Uiagalelei flourished in two starts against Boston College and Notre Dame in place of Trevor Lawrence in 2020.

There is still hope for the California native. He is a massive quarterback with immense arm strength and plus mobility. He will get an opportunity to rebound with a new offensive coordinator in 2022 (Tony Elliott is the head coach at Virginia). A slow start could lead to calls for Swinney to insert 2022 five-star recruit Cade Klubnik. It is obviously a pivotal year for Uiagalelei, who has gone from projected top-five pick in 2023 to reclamation project.

Georgia Tech’s Rebuilt Offense

Geoff Collins had a massive job ahead of him when he took over in Atlanta. While Paul Johnson had plenty of success at Georgia Tech, he ran the flexbone offense which required on a unique set of personnel. Collins aimed to modernize the offense and attempt to elevate Georgia Tech to new heights in a talent-rich state.

Collins brought in Jahmyr Gibbs, who immediately became one of the nation’s best and most versatile runners. Unfortunately, after two seasons, Gibbs is in the portal. Another big recruiting win for Collins was former Florida State commit Jeff Sims. While Sims has had moments, he has been a bit too inconsistent as a passer to really take hold of the starting job and elevate this offense.

Georgia Tech is 9-25 overall and 7-18 in the ACC under Collins’ watch. The Yellow Jackets finished 92nd in total offense and now lose their best offensive player. We may not get the offensive breakout stars we had hoped to see with the renovated offense.

WHAT WAS UNEXPECTED

Virginia’s Offensive Explosion

On the flip side of Georgia Tech is Virginia, who had an offensive resurgence under now departed head coach Bronco Mendenhall. Quarterback Brennan Armstrong had previously proved a capable collegiate quarterback, yet nobody saw this coming. The Cavaliers finished third in the nation in total offense with Armstrong proving to be one of the nation’s more proficient passers.

It was largely a committee approach within the offense, with plenty of skill position players contributing yet none truly standing out. It will be fascinating to see this offense evolves under Tony Elliott.

LOOKING AHEAD

Clemson’s stranglehold on the ACC may be over, even with expected heavyweights Florida State and Miami still struggling to put forth any consistently good play. Clemson lost both its coordinators, saw its highly-touted quarterback go through season-long struggles, and has been resistant to the now important transfer portal. The conference has not been this wide open in quite some time.

North Carolina has a good talent base yet will likely lose veteran quarterback Sam Howell to the NFL Draft. Pitt will lose Kenny Pickett and has to prove 2021 was not an outlier season under Pat Narduzzi. Wake Forest was in the ACC title game and always has a fun offense, though consistency has never been a program hallmark. The league badly needs several programs to step up, as Clemson has carried its reputation for far too long.