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State of the Program: Recharged Georgia Tech focused on engineering pressure
https://theathletic.com/379972/2018/06/1...-schedule/

A forgotten footnote of UCF’s self-proclaimed national championship season of 2017 is that the Knights’ mid-September date vs. Georgia Tech was canceled because of Hurricane Irma. UCF avoided the Yellow Jackets’ problematic option offense and produced a gilded 13-0 season. Tech, which lost two of its first five games — to Tennessee and Miami — by a total of two points, finished 5-6 and spent the holidays at home.

“When you lose games like that, it’s frustrating,” said Brant Mitchell, Tech’s inside linebacker and team co-captain along with quarterback TaQuon Marshall. “It changes your entire season.”

The Yellow Jackets lost their opener in double overtime to Tennessee when a two-point conversion attempt failed. In mid-October, they lost by one at Miami, a team that would play in the Orange Bowl, after a remarkable fourth-down catch by the Hurricanes in the final minute. In the 90 minutes that comprised Tech’s first six fourth quarters of 2017, the Rambling Wreck led for 88 minutes and 27 seconds — and went 4-2 in those games.

“I tell our younger players that you have to try and make your best play every snap,” Mitchell said, “because it is one or two plays that make all the difference.”

The Yellow Jackets were stung in 2017, but they are resilient. And renewed. In April, head coach Paul Johnson, who is entering his 11th season at the school, signed a two-year contract extension that will keep him on The Flats through 2022. That would make Johnson the longest-tenured coach (15 seasons) at Tech since Bobby Dodd (1945-1966), after whom the school’s stadium is named.

Speaking of infrastructure, Georgia Tech began a $4.5 million renovation of its locker room (via the largesse of an anonymous donor) in January that will be completed by August. The revamped digs will include charging stations for mobile phones or laptops at each individual locker, because it is 2018, after all. The devices will be recharged this season. Will the Yellow Jackets?

Biggest on-field question
Pressure, as every last Georgia Tech engineering major can tell you, is directly proportional to temperature. For the Yellow Jackets, who in each of the past three seasons have finished last in the Atlantic Coast Conference in tackles for loss and no better than next-to-last in sacks, pressure has been the missing variable. It is way past time to turn up the heat.

Deleted from the equation was defensive coordinator Ted Roof, a former All-America linebacker who once made 25 tackles in one game (his son, T.D. Roof, a freshman linebacker who had two sacks in 2017, has transferred to Indiana). Added to the equation? Nate Woody, who in five seasons as defensive coordinator at Appalachian State transformed the Mountaineers’ defense from a moribund FCS unit to a top-30 FBS defense for the past four years.

“When Coach Johnson introduced Coach Woody, he told us some stats on his defense at App State, and it was outrageous,” Mitchell said. “His defenses get a lot of penetration up front.”

When Johnson hired Woody, he also acquiesced to the coordinator’s plan to switch from a 4-3 defensive alignment to a 3-4. That maneuver was massively popular among Tech defenders, who are being urged to think less and play faster. “(Coach Woody) told me, ‘I’d like you to rush for me,’ ” outside linebacker Victor Alexander told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “ ‘I’d like for you to come off the edge and don’t think about anything else. Just go. Go make plays.’ ”

Alexander’s reaction to Woody’s request? “I just smiled at him,” the 5-foot-10, 235-pound linebacker said. “I didn’t say anything. I almost cried.”

A residual effect of being a program that averages only about 10 passes per game is that Georgia Tech’s defense is not well-schooled in pass rushing or defending. “We have to create our own look with our scout team,” Mitchell said. “We go all spring going live against the triple-option.”

It’s a fair criticism, then, that Georgia Tech’s defense devotes entirely too much time preparing against an offense that it never sees on Saturdays. Woody’s mandate has been to change the philosophy of the defense by changing the base formation (4-3 to 3-4) and the philosophy. “He’s kept it simple,” said Mitchell, a finance major from Knoxville, Tenn. “Guys are flying around, and it fits our personnel better.”

Woody has kept it simple, but Mitchell is still acclimating. During one spring practice, he called the wrong formation and the defensive line stunted in the wrong direction off the snap. On the next play, Mitchell scooped up a fumble and returned it for a touchdown. Returning to the sideline, he apologized to his new defensive coordinator for messing up the call on the previous play. “That’s OK,” Woody replied. “If you can keep making plays like that, we’ll be all right.”

Offensively, quarterback TaQuon Marshall will need to make more plays through the air. A high school dual-threat quarterback who attended summer camps playing slot receiver or defensive back, Marshall started out at Tech as an A-back. Last year was his first season since high school as a quarterback and his first year taking snaps directly under center. “It was just a different position,” said Marshall, who nevertheless rushed for an ACC-record (for a quarterback) 249 yards and five touchdowns in his first collegiate start, the 42-41 double-overtime loss to Tennessee.

Though Johnson would like to see Marshall’s completion rate rise closer to 50 percent, as opposed to 37.1 percent in 2017, he is not overly perplexed. “I’ve been running this offense since 1985,” Johnson said. “The biggest misnomer I hear is, ‘We want to be balanced.’ I don’t care about that. The premise of this offense is that it spreads people out and gives you a lot of one-on-one situations.”

Johnson’s offense is predicated on exerting pressure. Now he hopes that his defense can follow suit.

Depth chart analysis
Quarterbacks: Incumbent TaQuon Marshall might not be able to throw a ball the metaphorical distance between himself and his backup. The 5-10 senior attempted all but three of Tech’s passes last season while setting a school single-season record for rushing yards (1,146) by a quarterback. Redshirt sophomore Lucas Johnson, a 6-3 San Diego-area product, waits in the wings.

Running backs: The Yellow Jackets’ top five leading rushers from 2017 after Marshall all return, and at any one time three of them will join him in the backfield. KirVonte Benson, Tech’s other 1,000-yard rusher from a year ago, will line up behind Marshall at B-back. Qua Searcy and Clinton Lynch are the likely starters at A-back, each positioned just outside the tackles.

Expect to see Nathan Cottrell get plenty of time at A-back (all three A-backs had between 28 and 36 carries a year ago), and Jerry Howard, who averaged 7.6 yards per carry last autumn, will spell Benson.

Wide receivers: Granted, being the leading receiver at Georgia Tech is not unlike being the world’s loudest mime, but the loss of Ricky Jeune (25 receptions in 2017) to graduation weighs on Johnson. “We lost our most valuable and experienced receiver,” Johnson said of Jeune, who had seven more receptions than the rest of the team combined.

Sophomore Jalen Camp stands 6-2 and presents a good target at one split end, and 6-5 redshirt sophomore Stephen Dolphus is an even more inviting target. Dolphus did not have a catch last season. Expect Camp and 6-1 senior Brad Stewart to start. You don’t play wideout at Tech unless you are a deft downfield blocker.

Offensive line: A rival coach once described junior left guard Parker Braun, a former freshman All-American, as “a rolling ball of butcher knives.” Braun will anchor an experienced line that also features senior left tackle Will Bryan, who has started since his freshman year.

Two position battles still being tightly contested heading into fall camp are center and right tackle. Junior Kenny Cooper is the returning starter in the middle, but classmate Jahaziel Lee finished spring camp slightly ahead in the coaches’ eyes. At right tackle, Jake Stickler, who had 10 starts there in 2017, was forced to retire because of an undisclosed medical issue. Battling neck-and-neck for his spot are Andrew Marshall, who returns after missing 2017 with a foot injury, and former walk-on Bailey Ivemeyer, one of a handful of second-generation Yellow Jackets football players.

Brad Morgan, who missed the final seven games of 2017 with a back injury, is the penciled-in starter at right guard.

The wild card here is Mississippi transfer Jack DeFoor, a 6-5, 305-pound Georgia native who was granted an immediate eligibility waiver by the NCAA. DeFoor played in four games as a freshman at Ole Miss last season and participated in spring ball.

Defensive line: Anree Saint-Amour is the team’s returning leader in sacks and tackles for loss and will anchor one defensive end position. Fellow senior Desmond Branch, a junior college transfer and the only New Mexico native in the modern era to play at Tech, will start opposite Branch. The nose tackle in Tech’s new 3-4 alignment is 6-1, 298-pound Kyle Cerge-Henderson, who appeared in 10 games last season.

The unit lacks depth overall. Presumed backups Brandon Adams, Tyler Merriweather and Antwan Owens combined for 15 tackles and one sack a year ago.

Linebackers: It’s easy to see why the new defensive coordinator switched to a 3-4: Linebacker is where the Yellow Jackets have a surplus of talent and, because of recruiting realities, are likely to maintain it there as opposed to the line for years to come. Victor Alexander, the squad’s leading returning tackler, will start at Jack linebacker, which will make him an edge rusher on passing downs. Jalen Johnson moves from his previous position at defensive back to play the other outside linebacker spot, the Stinger, where he will primarily act as a nickel back on passes.

Team captain Brant Mitchell, formerly the Mike linebacker, will continue to call the defensive fronts from one interior linebacker position. Playing next to him? It’s still unresolved, as senior David Curry spent the spring pushing Bruce Jordan-Swilling, who had a sensational season as a true freshman in 2017. Both are the sons of former NFL linebackers (Buddy Curry and Pat Swilling).

Defensive backs: “Our secondary is the biggest question mark,” Johnson said. “We have to replace all four starters.”

There are zero interceptions returning among this unit as well as zero starters, so consider all four positions fluid. The most difficult loss is A.J. Gray, a two-year starter at free safety who had to retire because of a heart condition. Christian Campbell, a redshirt junior, is slotted to replace Gray, and Tariq Carpenter, a true sophomore, will be given the first shot at strong safety. Both players have adequate size at 6-2. The Yellow Jackets also added graduate transfer Malik Rivera, who started 17 games at Wofford.

Cornerback remains a competition, with four players — Jaytlin Askew, Ajani Kerr, Lamont Simmons and Tre Swilling, Jordan-Swilling’s brother — vying for those spots. Expect all to see the field early in the season.

Special teams: Johnson says that punter Pressley Harvin III, who was named a true freshman All-American last season by ESPN, has “next-level” talent. The Jackets are in good position on fourth downs with Harvin, who averaged 44.1 yards per punt a year ago.

In Johnson’s offense, fourth down is often a rushing down — the Yellow Jackets only attempted 10 field goals last season. At place-kicker, Brenton King who made five of his six tries in 2017 and was perfect from inside 40 yards, has the upper foot against Shawn Davis heading into August practice. Both players kicked off in 2017 and had near-identical averages (59.2 and 59.8, respectively).

How the Jackets have recruited from 2015-2018
According to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, here is how Georgia Tech’s recruiting classes have fared nationally and within the ACC over the last four years:

Between 2014 and 2017, Georgia Tech signed one four-star recruit, according to 247Sports. That lone gem was linebacker Bruce Jordan-Swilling, the adopted son of Yellow Jackets legend Pat Swilling. Johnson and his staff must do better than simply luring legacies — they also landed Pat’s biological son, Tre, in the same 2017 class as Bruce — to The Flats.

The Yellow Jackets are both blessed and cursed. Geographically, they are located in the heart of one of the nation’s most fertile recruiting grounds and are at the epicenter of college football in many ways — the annual SEC championship game, the College Football Hall of Fame, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which hosted January’s national championship contest.

On the other hand, elite programs such as Alabama, Clemson and Georgia are located within a three-hour drive and are foraging for the region’s top-tier talent. The Yellow Jackets might not be able to beat them for the region’s premier talent, but they need to keep a few closer to home as opposed to losing them to schools ranked roughly between 20th and 50th.

Impact of coaching changes
In each of the past three seasons, Georgia Tech has finished last in the ACC in tackles for loss and last or next-to-last in sacks. Enter defensive coordinator Nate Woody, who held the same job at Appalachian State for the past five seasons and had the Mountaineers at or near the top in those categories in the Sun Belt Conference.

Johnson also plucked two defensive coaches from the staff at Wofford in the wake of Mike Ayers’ retirement as head coach after 30 seasons at the FCS school. Defensive coordinator Shiel Wood comes to Tech to coach the safeties, and defensive line coach Jerome Riase will work in the same capacity in Atlanta as he did in Spartanburg, S.C.

Craig Candeto, who was Johnson’s quarterback in his first two seasons at Navy and is a retired fighter pilot, was hired as a graduate assistant quarterbacks coach and unofficially as a TaQuon Marshall whisperer. Candeto used to fly a $57 million F/A-18E Super Hornet, so Johnson feels comfortable putting his quarterback in the hands of Candeto, whose career completion rate hovered just below 50 percent. If Marshall, a converted running back and a career 37.6 percent thrower, can improve to that level, Candeto will have done his job.

Schedule analysis
Georgia Tech is one of two non-SEC schools (Louisville is the other) that will face two opponents from last year’s College Football Playoff — in its case, Clemson and Georgia. Louisville and Tech will meet up on the banks of the Ohio River in a Friday night matchup in early October.

The schedule gods did Paul Johnson no favors as the Tigers and Cardinals represent the Jackets’ out-of-division ACC opponents. Moreover, Georgia Tech travels to Virginia Tech for a Thursday night ESPN game in late October. The Hokies are 13-4 at Lane Stadium on Thursday nights.

A 4-1 start is possible if the Yellow Jackets can win on back-to-back weekend treks to South Florida and Pittsburgh. From there, bowl eligibility might hinge on taking two of three from Duke, North Carolina and Virginia.

Final assessment
It’s Johnson’s 11th season in Atlanta, and he’s not about to change. The Yellow Jackets will lead the ACC in rushing, finish last or near to it in passing and hope to play defense well enough to achieve double-digit wins. An upset at home against Clemson or Miami could swing the season.

State of the Program: Bowl bid only the beginning of Virginia football rebuild under Bronco Mendenhall
https://theathletic.com/382808/2018/06/1...-schedule/

In late 2015, when Bronco Mendenhall was considering taking the head coaching job at Virginia, he began thinking back to his years as defensive coordinator at BYU, to a moment when the program was struggling through losing seasons and dealing with honor-code violations. What he realized was that his fondest memories dated back to the beginning.

Mendenhall became BYU’s head coach in 2005, then won 99 games in 11 seasons, but he wanted a fresh rebuilding job at a place that valued football and academics, and he’s found it at Virginia. The program’s deficiencies — in terms of finances, staffing, fan and alumni engagement, and pretty much anything else you can imagine — were even deeper than he realized when he arrived, and even heading into his third season, he acknowledges that this program is a long way away from competing at a high level in the ACC.

“There was almost no area that I looked at and said, ‘We’re up to industry standard here,’ ” Mendenhall told The Athletic. “It was kind of like taking over a company in bankruptcy.”

Mendenhall counted roughly 27 “ACC-caliber” players on his roster this spring — a figure he repeated to the school’s Board of Visitors on June 8 — with the hope that this fall’s recruiting class will bring that number into the mid-40s. By 2020, Mendenhall hopes, he’ll have a complete roster with the level of talent he’s seeking.

There’s hope from above, as well, from new athletic director Carla Williams, who previously served as deputy AD at Georgia and has placed an emphasis on the importance of football. While groundbreaking on a much-needed new facility is awhile away, Williams has upped Mendenhall’s budget and support staff and is working with him in a number of other areas, including recruiting. She called Mendenhall’s 6-7 record last season (including a Military Bowl loss to Navy) while playing 17 true freshmen “remarkable,” seemingly a strong endorsement for Mendenhall’s long-term future as coach.

“To be back in the postseason in Year 2 is better than what everyone thought,” Mendenhall said. “We had players here when I came in who had never won a road game. To get back-to-back bowls for the first time in 13 years (they made four in row under Al Groh from 2002 to 2005) would be a big step.”

Biggest on-field question
It begins at quarterback, where Bryce Perkins takes over from Kurt Benkert, who threw for a school-record 3,207 yards in his senior season. Benkert was a pro-style quarterback, but Perkins is a dual-threat player who allows the Cavaliers to run a far more diverse offense and could help take the pressure off an offensive line that is a work in progress.

Perkins is a remarkable story: After committing to Arizona State, he suffered a serious neck injury that threatened his career, then transferred to Arizona Western, which he led to the National Junior College Athletic Association championship game last season. And as soon as Perkins landed at Virginia, Mendenhall says, he knew he’d found his starting quarterback.

“It might have been during our first offseason workout,” Mendenhall said. “It didn’t take long.”

Mendenhall has been seeking what he refers to as a “thorterback” — a runner and passer who can provide power and finesse, and he thinks he’s found it in 6-foot-3, 215-pound Perkins. He also has good football genes: Perkins’ brother, Paul, led the Pac-12 in rushing at UCLA in 2014, and his dad played fullback at Arizona State.

While Perkins will have offensive weapons to turn to — including running back Jordan Ellis and H-back Olamide Zaccheaus — the odds are he’ll have to make things happen with his feet quite a bit, largely because Virginia’s offensive line is devoid of depth and top-tier talent. Last year’s line was a patchwork of bodies that allowed 31 sacks, tied for 92nd in the country. It’s also the primary reason Virginia averaged 93.5 yards rushing per game, which ranked 127th out of 129 FBS teams.

The hope is that Perkins’ running ability will impede teams from stacking the box the way they did last season and the Cavaliers will be able to do more on the outside with Zaccheaus and receiver Joe Reed.

“This was more of the system or style we wanted to do when we came to Virginia to begin with,” Mendenhall says. “A mobile and athletic quarterback takes significant pressure off every other player on offense. It allows you a little bit more margin for error. Which is helpful for us at this stage.”

Depth chart analysis
Quarterbacks: Junior college transfer Bryce Perkins, who began his career at Arizona State, will take over as the starter, replacing Kurt Benkert. Mendenhall has another dual-threat quarterback in freshman Brennan Armstrong, a three-star recruit from Ohio who enrolled early. Sophomore Lindell Stone played in one game as Benkert’s backup last season, and junior Matthew Merrick is a walk-on who spent two years at Texas.

Running backs: Senior Jordan Ellis, the Cavaliers’ leading rusher last season, is a solid back and respected team leader who should provide much-needed stability for his new quarterback. However, Virginia needs more explosiveness from its running game after Ellis averaged just 3.9 yards per carry, rushing for 836 yards on 215 attempts. The team had one run of 30-plus yards in 13 games. A committee will provide depth, including sophomores Lamont Atkins and PK Kier and junior Chris Sharp. When Virginia lines up a fullback, it likely will be sophomore Jamari Peacock, though Wayne Taulapapa also joins the roster after serving a two-year Mormon mission.

Wide receivers/tight ends: The most impressive player this spring, according to Mendenhall, was senior H-back Olamide Zaccheaus, a versatile chess piece who set a school record with 85 catches last season. Zaccheaus is 5-8, 190 pounds, can line up all over the field and, in tandem with Perkins, could provide explosiveness out of the backfield, as well, as he finished second on the team with 182 rushing yards.

With the loss of wideouts Andre Levrone and Doni Dowling, the anchor on the outside likely will be junior Joe Reed, who had 23 catches last year, including a 75-yard touchdown against Miami. Sophomore Terrell Jana only had two catches, but he appeared in every game last year, and Cole Blackman, who saw time in 2016, is returning from an injury that sidelined him all last season.

The most intriguing name here is sophomore De’Vante Cross, a converted quarterback who has played cornerback and ran the Wildcat at times last year. He will concentrate on developing as a receiver this season. Senior Ben Hogg and true freshman Billy Kemp could man the slot, and true freshman Tavares Kelly is a Florida track star who could see time on special teams.

At tight end, senior Evan Butts had 32 catches last season and has a chance to be one of the top players at the position in the conference, and junior Tanner Cowley had a strong spring.

Offensive linemen: Mendenhall said he has about seven players he’s confident can fit into the rotation, which is about the bare minimum, so he’s hoping a few newcomers or veterans will show promise or improvement, in the same way junior left guard R.J. Proctor did during the spring.

At left tackle, sophomore Chris Glaser saw time last year as a true freshman and could wind up replacing departed Jack English. Sophomore Dillon Reinkensmeyer, who started two games at left tackle and nine at center as a freshman, could stick at center. Senior Jake Fieler played guard and center and could be in line at right guard. At right tackle, Rutgers graduate transfer Marcus Applefield should figure in immediately, especially given the lack of depth. Potential backups include sophomore Ben Knutson, junior Ryan Bischoff and four true freshmen.

Defensive linemen: The Cavaliers are banking on assistance from transfers and young talent on the line after significant offseason attrition, as seven scholarship players from last season are no longer on the roster, Mendenhall said. Andrew Brown, who tied for the team lead in tackles for loss, was a fifth-round draft pick. John Kirven and James Trucilla gave up football after spring practice because of injuries, and two sophomore defensive ends left the team in December after undisclosed rules violations.

All that means Ohio State graduate transfer Dylan Thompson, who also has battled injuries, could figure prominently, along with Cassius Peat, a junior college transfer who started his career at Michigan State and committed to Virginia in late May. Junior Richard Burney, who switched from tight end to defensive end three weeks before the bowl game against Navy’s option attack, has made strides in the spring, and junior Eli Hanback started all 13 games at nose tackle last season. Sophomore Mandy Alonso, who started four games last year, has the inside track at the other end position, and redshirt freshman Isaac Buell could see time, as well.

There are several true freshman who could figure into the mix, including Hawaiians Samson Reed and Aaron Faumui, along with Florida product Jordan Redmond. The hope, Mendenhall says, is to have five solid linemen manning the three positions.

Linebackers: The big loss is Micah Kiser, a fifth-round pick who led the ACC with 145 tackles, his third consecutive year with more than 100. On the inside of Mendenhall’s 3-4 scheme, there are high hopes for junior Jordan Mack, who finished fifth in the conference with 114 tackles, along with senior Malcolm Cook, who is shifting from the outside in his sixth year of eligibility and hoping he can stay healthy for a full season. Sophomore Robert Snyder, returning from a pectoral injury, had a strong spring, and senior C.J. Stalker and sophomore Zane Zandier give the Cavaliers depth on the inside.

On the outside, senior Chris Peace led the team with 7.5 sacks last year and could be an NFL prospect with a strong season. Sophomore Matt Gahm likely will back him up. Rangy 6-7 sophomore Charles Snowden will try to fill the other outside spot, along with sophomore Elliott Brown. True freshman Noah Taylor enrolled in the spring, though it’s uncertain whether he or any other recruits could play right away.

Defensive backs: Along with Brown on the line and Kiser at linebacker, the other huge loss on defense is safety Quin Blanding, who compiled 495 tackles as a four-year starter. Mendenhall said the absence of Kiser and Blanding was glaring in the spring, simply because they made so many plays last year for a defense that improved from 13th to seventh in the ACC in yards per play allowed.

But in the secondary, Virginia has another potential star in senior Juan Thornhill, who might be the best player on defense and returned to safety from cornerback this spring. He’ll be spelled by sophomore Nick Grant. Sophomore Brenton Nelson, last year’s ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, missed the spring with a foot injury but is back to start at safety. Sophomore Joey Blount (34 tackles) and junior Chris Moore (41 tackles), who also can play linebacker, are in the mix, too.

At cornerback, Tim Harris, who missed nearly all of last season with a wrist injury, was granted a sixth year by the NCAA, and junior Bryce Hall started every game last season. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Shawn Smith has been shifted to cornerback to provide depth, along with another redshirt freshman, Germane Crowell (son of the former Virginia and NFL receiver), and sophomore Darrius Bratton. Freshman Jaylon Baker could be in the mix, as well.

Special teams: Punter Lester Coleman was fifth in the ACC in punting average last year and returns for his senior season. Also returning is sophomore kicker A.J. Mejia, though he could be challenged by true freshman Hunter Pearson, one of the top kicking recruits in the country. Receiver Joe Reed led the ACC in kick-return average and had two TDs last season, but the competition for punt returns is open, given the departure of last year’s fixture, running back Daniel Hamm. Speedy true freshman Tavares Kelly has a chance to step in.

How the Cavaliers have recruited from 2015-2018
According to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, here is how Virginia’s recruiting classes have fared nationally and within the ACC over the last four years:
Mendenhall would like to bolster Virginia’s in-state recruiting, but he recognizes that it probably won’t happen until the Cavaliers actually beat rival Virginia Tech. That hasn’t happened since 2003, when most of his current recruits “were about 4 years old.” Only three players from the Cavaliers’ 2018 recruiting class hail from Virginia. In the meantime, it’s been easier to lure players from out of state — those who might know little about the program but are looking to play right away at a first-rate academic school for a veteran coaching staff.

Mendenhall has thus tapped into places like Hawaii, a rich recruiting ground when he was at BYU.

“That’s been a surprise. We really didn’t intend to do that,” Mendenhall says. “But if you’re an ACC-caliber player who wants to play right away, there’s probably no better spot in the conference than here.”

Impact of coaching changes
The immediate objective for Mendenhall and Williams, the new athletic director, was to begin to bolster the support staff. Part of that meant replacing a key fixture: After visiting Virginia during his hiatus from coaching, Chip Kelly was apparently so impressed with strength coach Frank Wintrich that he hired him away to UCLA. So Mendenhall hired former Arizona State strength coach Shawn Griswold, and Griswold’s staff expanded from three to five, and the number of analysts on staff jumped from three to six.

With the 10th assistant position, Mendenhall hired UTSA’s Ricky Brumfield to coach special teams.

Schedule analysis
Mendenhall’s signature victory last season was a 42-23 win in September at Boise State, and after mid-October wins against North Carolina and Duke, the Cavaliers were 5-1 before losing six of their last seven games. This year, the nonconference slate includes a winnable road game against Indiana and home games against Ohio (a MAC contender) and in-state foes Richmond (FCS) and Liberty (moving up to FBS).

If they win their ACC opener at home against Louisville, the Cavaliers could be on their way to another bowl, though it also might require a road win in one of their final two regular-season games, against Georgia Tech (where they haven’t won since 2008) and Virginia Tech (where they haven’t won since 1998).

Final assessment
This is obviously a long-term rebuilding project, but a second consecutive bowl game would be a huge accomplishment for Mendenhall and Virginia, and it could help spark the fundraising and fan interest the Cavaliers need to take the next step. It appears that Mendenhall has a very long leash from his new athletic director, but he also is well aware that he has to keep showing progress on and off the field.

State of the Program: Boston College football wants another upgrade after awakening on offense
https://theathletic.com/376641/2018/06/0...-schedule/

Upgrade. It’s the mantra, the mission and the goal wrapped up into one for Boston College entering the 2018 season. The offensive coaching staff uses the word as a motivator on every drill, every play. Upgrade. They point to tape — if one player could have done just a little more to be in the right position to make a certain play, it could have changed the course of a game that ultimately turned into a loss.

Now, upgrade everything.

“We’re keeping track of missed assignments during practice,” Boston College offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler told The Athletic. “We’re keeping track of what we were terrible on. We were 38 percent on third down — we were horrific. But when you look at it, if you upgrade on eight plays, nine plays, you’re in the top 20. It’s amazing. This thing comes down to eight plays, nine plays (in a game, in a season). Our message to our guys is we never know when those eight or nine plays are going to come in a real game. When you’re playing against a team like Clemson, it’s going to come down to three or four plays, and whoever makes those four plays is generally the winner.

“We’re trying to really make an emphasis that every play matters. Worry about just that play. You can’t worry, you can’t change what happened, but you’ve got to worry about taking care of business on just that play.”

The Eagles were pleased with a 7-5 regular-season record in 2017, before a loss to Iowa in the Pinstripe Bowl, but they also know how close they were to reaching college football’s next tier. They dealt with a number of significant injuries, from two starting centers to a late season-ending injury to the starting quarterback, but they blew out Florida State, beat Lamar Jackson and Louisville in a shootout and finally broke through on offense in the second half of the regular season. During much of head coach Steve Addazio’s tenure, the Eagles have won games with their stingy defense; now, they have the potential to have the best Boston College offense since the Matt Ryan era in the mid-2000s, led by AJ Dillon, who will be among the country’s top running backs.

The Eagles averaged 25.5 points per game against ACC opponents, ranking sixth in the conference. They had averaged just 10.6 points in 16 ACC games over the previous two seasons. They broke the 40-point mark once in their first 12 seasons of ACC play, then did it three times in 2017 in road wins over Louisville, Virginia and Syracuse.

“We’re trying to sustain and upgrade what we were doing the last half of last year,” said Loeffler, entering his third season as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. “We’ve finally tasted it, we’ve felt it, we know what this looks like. For two years here, you were trying to explain something, and no one’s seen it. They finally have tasted it, and now it’s upgrading and doing that on a consistent level. If we can do that, we’re gonna have a heck of a football team.

“To say that we’re gonna be more talented than Clemson — we’re not. But we can complement and be a good football team that’s hard to deal with if we keep our ego on the side and worry about all the important things about our team and don’t be selfish. And upgrade. That’s our big message right now, that we’ve tasted it, and now for us to get where we want to be, we’ve got to take it one more step.”

Biggest on-field question
Boston College went through spring practice without many of the players it will rely upon this fall to take that step forward, from quarterback Anthony Brown to top linebackers Connor Strachan and Max Richardson. But the good news is everyone is expected to be healthy and ready in time for fall camp, and center Jon Baker is even back for his redshirt senior season.

The Eagles’ rash of injuries last season has resulted in newfound depth across the board heading into 2018. A linebacker corps that was so depleted it needed to convert a running back is so full of talent that defensive coordinator Jim Reid says he might have to use a set of linebackers to specifically stop the run and a separate set for the passing game. “We just have to make sure we mesh everybody together,” Reid told The Athletic.

Defensively, Boston College should have talent and depth at every level. Offensively, its young stars will enter the season with at least a year of experience under their belts. There are fewer question marks than there have been at any point in Addazio’s tenure — his recruits have finally gotten into his system, and they’ve developed well. They’re healthy, for now.

What is the biggest potential limiting factor for this team as it sets its sights higher than seven-win seasons? The arm of redshirt sophomore Anthony Brown. (Well, his legs, too.) Brown suffered a right leg injury that caused him to miss most of the final four games of the season. It was a crushing injury because he’d just started to get comfortable. While fans and coaches will keep watchful eyes on his knees, they’ll also want to watch his arm.

As a redshirt freshman, Brown completed 52 percent of his passes, the lowest completion rate among ACC starting quarterbacks. Brown has shown flashes of his ability to add a dynamic passing game to this offense — he completed 19 of 24 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns (with zero interceptions) in the win over Virginia — but he needs to become more accurate and more consistent to truly balance an offense that will have a dominant rushing attack. That, too, should help improve the mediocre third-down conversion rate (which ranked 81st in the country). As a team, Boston College finished last in the ACC in passing efficiency and 122nd nationally in yards per attempt.

Addazio believes strongly in Brown, calling him an “outstanding player.” Other players have echoed that sentiment. He’ll have a chance to be so, once he returns, particularly if all of his other banged-up teammates get back to help him.

“We play in one of the very toughest if not the toughest conferences in the country,” Addazio told The Athletic. “The margin for error is small, and depth can be a problem. But we’re hoping to get everybody back (healthy). … We’re still a young team, but I think we’re a team that has got experience and is built for the future.”

Depth chart analysis
Quarterbacks: Redshirt sophomore Anthony Brown missed the end of the season and all of spring with a right leg injury, but he is expected to be back in time for fall camp. So far, so good in terms of rehabilitation for a quarterback whose mobility is important. Brown’s return is huge for an offense that hit its stride when he did around the midpoint of last season. In 10 games, Brown threw for 1,367 yards and 11 touchdowns with nine interceptions to go along with 210 rushing yards, most of which came in October and November as his role expanded into more of a dual-threat quarterback. Brown is expected to start again, if all goes according to plan. With Darius Wade gone, sophomore EJ Perry and redshirt freshman Matt McDonald shared reps during spring ball. Perry was set to redshirt last season until Brown’s injury; he made his collegiate debut against Connecticut, handing the ball off but not recording any stats. Neither he nor McDonald has thrown a pass in a college game.

Running backs: Reigning ACC Rookie of the Year AJ Dillon will be one of the nation’s premier running backs. Last fall, Dillon rushed for 1,589 yards (5.3 yards per carry) and 14 touchdowns. He finished the season with five consecutive 100-yard rushing games. Now, the sophomore has his mind set on different hardware he’d like to bring home: the Heisman Trophy. He’s spending this spring and summer working on getting better at identifying coverages and being part of third-down packages that he hadn’t participated in as a freshman.

Though Dillon has shown he’s capable of carrying heavy workloads — he had a season-high 39 carries for 272 yards in his breakout game against Louisville — he might not always have to. Expect the Eagles to use Dillon and sophomore Travis Levy as a 1-2 punch. Levy only had 21 carries last season, but with the departure of Jonathan Hilliman, who transferred to Rutgers, and junior Davon Jones moving to linebacker, there is a need for anyone not named Dillon to step up. There is very little depth beyond Dillon and Levy on this roster.

Wide receivers/tight ends: Senior tight end Tommy Sweeney is expected to be the focal point of the passing game. He led Boston College receivers with 36 catches for 512 yards and four touchdowns last season, and his role will continue to increase this fall after a strong Pinstripe Bowl performance and a strong offseason. Sophomore wideout Kobay White, one of the team’s breakout players a season ago, is expected to build on the 34 receptions for 423 yards and two touchdowns he accounted for as a true freshman.

Senior receivers Jeff Smith and Michael Walker, third and fifth last season in receptions, respectively, also return, so the Eagles have four of their top five pass catchers back. The passing game as a whole should take a step forward, but a lot of that falls on Brown’s shoulders at quarterback.

Offensive line: The silver lining after a season marred by injuries is that there’s plenty of depth and experience. Boston College has seven linemen — senior center Jon Baker, senior tackle Aaron Monteiro, senior tackle Chris Lindstrom, senior guard Sam Schmal, junior guard John Phillips, sophomore guard Elijah Johnson and sophomore lineman Ben Petrula — who have combined for 139 starts over the past four seasons and have all started at least 10 games. Johnson missed the 2017 season with an injury, and Baker missed every game except one.

Petrula, who had never snapped the ball, became the team’s starting center in September; he’ll likely move over to tackle or guard with Baker’s return. The coaches expect he’ll start, but they’re not sure where yet. It’s also important to highlight Lindstrom, who was an All-ACC second-team honoree at tackle last season; he leads the team in career starts (36). He was the Eagles’ highest-graded offensive lineman in 2017, the centerpiece of a line that ranked second in the conference and 12th in the nation in allowing just 15 sacks and paved the way for Dillon’s breakout season at tailback.

Defensive line: This could be the strongest position group of the defense, led by senior end Zach Allen, who ranked second nationally among defensive linemen with 100 tackles and led Boston College with six sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss. At the other end, it will be senior Wyatt Ray, who stepped up after Harold Landry’s midseason injury last year. Coaches like to put Ray in pass-rush situations.

Senior Ray Smith will start at nose tackle; he started every game last year and accumulated 59 tackles. Other linemen who will see significant playing time include junior Tanner Karafa, who has moved from defensive end to tackle; redshirt sophomore defensive end Brandon Barlow, who had a strong spring; and redshirt freshman Marcus Valdez, known for being a quick-twitch player. Redshirt sophomore Bryce Morais is expected to back up Allen. In the mix at tackle: redshirt freshman Jaleel Berry and sophomore TJ Rayam.
Linebackers: Redshirt senior Connor Strachan and junior Max Richardson sat out spring ball while recovering from injuries (Strachan’s cost him much of last season) but should be back in time for fall camp. Strachan has been a three-year starter, and he’s played every linebacker position (Mike, Sam and Will) for Boston College, so his return is big for this unit. After playing mostly on special teams in 2016, Richardson started four games at middle linebacker before his season-ending injury last season.

Because of Richardson’s injury, John Lamot was thrust into a larger role as a redshirt freshman but rarely skipped a beat. He finished fifth on the team with 63 tackles and had six tackles for loss, despite missing the final two games with an injury. Because of all of the injuries, junior tailback Davon Jones moved over to linebacker at midseason, started the final two games at middle linebacker and finished with 23 tackles. Coaches consider Jones and his willingness to switch positions last season a godsend. Jones might play both ways again this season, though he’s officially listed as a linebacker.

Expect to continue to see more of senior Kevin Bletzer, who filled Strachan’s role last season after he went down. A potential breakout player is sophomore Isaiah McDuffie, a standout on special teams last season. McDuffie hits like a defensive end and is one of the fastest players on the roster. Among the other players who hope to get into the mix at linebacker are redshirt Curt Bletzer (Kevin’s brother, who moved from defensive back), redshirt freshman Paul Theobald Jr., junior Jimmy Martin and redshirt sophomore Doug Rodier. Two early-enrollee freshmen, Vinny DePalma and Joseph Sparacio, could compete for playing time as true freshmen. There is a great deal of depth in the linebacker corps, so much so that it will be a challenge for the coaching staff to figure out ways to get everyone involved.

Defensive backs: Senior Taj-Amir Torres and junior Hamp Cheevers are expected to be the Eagles’ starting cornerbacks. The two have a lot of game experience but started only five games between them last season. However, coaches are particularly pleased with Torres’ performance last season — 32 tackles, three pass breakups and one interception — as part of a defense that finished third in passing efficiency and 12th in interceptions (18). Cheevers was a key part of big defensive moments last season; he forced a fumble to set up the eventual game-winning field goal to beat Louisville.

Behind Torres and Cheevers is redshirt freshman Brandon Sebastian, who came out of nowhere to impress everyone this spring. He’ll be a potential breakout player on defense this fall. Redshirt freshman Tate Haynes, who moved over from quarterback, also will see playing time at cornerback this season.

At safety, Boston College returns two familiar faces: senior Will Harris at strong safety and senior Lukas Denis at free safety. An All-ACC second-team pick, Denis finished second nationally with seven interceptions and tied for third on the team with 83 tackles. Harris also had 83 tackles, with 5.5 for a loss. Both stood out as leaders this spring. Junior Mehdi El Attrach will back them up, because he is flexible enough to fill in at either safety spot, and redshirt sophomore Mike Palmer can do the same.

Also in the mix are two of the most physical players of the defense: redshirt freshmen Ben Stewart and Jahmin Muse, both of whom will give Boston College a lot of depth. Junior Nolan Borgersen, who has played as a wide receiver and a running back, also might see action as a free safety.

Special teams: Senior kicker Colton Lichtenberg returns, but he’ll need to improve his accuracy. He made 12 of 20 field-goal attempts last season, a perfect manifestation of the inconsistency that has marred the Eagles’ kicking game for years. He could be pushed by incoming freshman John Tessitore, the son of ESPN’s Joe Tessitore and the nation’s No. 11 kicker recruit. Redshirt sophomore Grant Carlson likely will be the starting punter after the graduation of the reliable Mike Knoll, who handled every Boston College punt for the past two years. Senior Michael Walker led the nation last season with 1,203 combined kickoff return and punt return yards.

How the Eagles have recruited from 2015-2018:
According to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, here is how Boston College’s recruiting classes have fared nationally and within the ACC over the last four years:

Boston College is not an easy place from which to recruit high-end talent. The key is to find (or, in Dillon’s case, flip) talent that is fairly high-end and local, in addition to identifying potential sleepers and system fits. Part of the reason Dillon spurned Michigan for Boston College was that it was 100 miles from his home in New London, Conn. “You don’t have to go to Timbuktu or across the country to be great and achieve your dreams,” he said recently. “You can do it right in your own backyard.”

That is what the Eagles’ coaching staff is selling its recruits — achieve what you want in football while earning a degree at a great school. These coaches understandably have focused a lot of their recruiting on the New England states and the three- and four-star prospects at prominent prep schools in the region. For example, in the 2018 class, three recruits came from the same prep school as Dillon, Lawrence Academy in Groton, Mass.

As shown in the chart below, a big reason for the program’s step forward in 2017 came from significantly outperforming expectations based on its recruiting level. A lot of that stems from identifying hidden gems and development efforts once those prospects get to Boston College. And the fact that a player like Dillon — someone the coaches knew could be “a heck of a player,” as Loeffler put it — turned out to make a big impact ahead of schedule.

Impact of coaching changes
Most of Addazio’s staffing changes this offseason affected the defense. Paul Pasqualoni, who had coached the defensive line for the past two years, returned to the NFL to become the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator under first-year head coach Matt Patricia. In response, Boston College hired the Lions’ linebackers coach, Bill Sheridan, to coach linebackers — which shifted defensive coordinator Jim Reid, a longtime linebackers coach, to coach defensive ends. He had coached the defensive line at Syracuse and Bucknell in the mid-2000s. Reid will work alongside Antoine Smith, who moved up from director of football initiatives to become the program’s 10th full-time assistant. Smith will coach defensive tackles. In addition, defensive backs coach Anthony Campanile has been elevated to co-defensive coordinator.

On offense, the only new face is Phil Trautwein, who replaced Justin Frye as offensive line coach. Frye left to coach the same position under Chip Kelly at UCLA.

“We’ve really solidified our staff on defense,” Addazio said. “And I feel unbelievably great about what we did on offense — we’ve kept tremendous continuity. It’s not like we have any schematic changes or major deviations. I think we’re all pretty wired in with what we’re doing together and pretty cohesive.”

Schedule analysis

The ACC Atlantic is one of the toughest divisions in the country to crack — at least at the top. Clemson or Florida State has won the division for the past nine years. Before that streak, Boston College won it with Matt Ryan in 2007 and a top-five defense in 2008. But the stakes have gotten higher in the decade since then; a 5-3 conference record will not suffice to keep the Eagles in contention for the ACC championship game. Not in this conference, not in this division, not anymore.

Expectations are high around this team, particularly because of its newfound offensive firepower. But the schedule will be challenging. Purdue, in Jeff Brohm’s second season, will be a tricky road nonconference opponent in Week 4, made tougher by the Eagles opening conference play against a solid Wake Forest team on the road a week earlier. The Eagles’ most challenging stretch begins in early October: They play Miami and Virginia Tech from the Coastal as part of a six-game stretch that also includes N.C. State, Louisville, Clemson and Florida State.

Final assessment
With this much experience and talent returning, matching last year’s 7-6 record should be the bare minimum of what the 2018 team should achieve, and Dillon might become a darkhorse Heisman contender. But with such a daunting conference schedule, improvement in the win column — and pushing for second place in the Atlantic behind Clemson — depends on staying healthier and growing in the passing game.

State of the Program: N.C. State football has positive momentum. Can it capitalize on it?
https://theathletic.com/366431/2018/06/0...-schedule/

N.C. State enters Year 6 of the Dave Doeren era with something of a fresh start. The Wolfpack broke through in 2017 by winning nine games, capping it with a dominant Sun Bowl victory. They finished in the AP top 25 for just the third time since 1994. Doeren drew overtures from other programs and got a contract extension, just one year after receiving the dreaded vote of confidence from his athletic director following a 6-6 regular season in 2016.

The good vibes only continued into the offseason, with N.C. State finishing tied for second with seven players drafted, including the entire starting defensive line, which undoubtedly made a mark on high school prospects across the country.

“I think, for starters, winning helps everything,” Doeren told The Athletic. “When you’re talking to young men that really like your coaches, really like what you’re talking about, have built relationships with you but you’re losing — not that we were not going to bowl games, we were, but we weren’t winning the way we were now, beating Florida State, beating Louisville when they were a top-15 team — those things matter to recruits, because they all wanna play in the best bowl games they can get into.”

The player development aspect of this program was never really in doubt. Jelling as a team and getting over the hump was always the biggest question, and it is fair to say that there remain a few skeptics of a team that won only nine games despite having all of the aforementioned pro talent.

Still, the Wolfpack have been close. They have pushed three-time reigning ACC champion Clemson in each of the past three seasons, scoring 41 points in 2015, missing a field-goal attempt that would have knocked out the eventual national champs in 2016 and losing by seven points in 2017. As Doeren mentioned, they broke through and beat Florida State and Louisville last year. And now they have upgraded their nonconference schedule, testing themselves outside of their rugged division.

In other words, it is a good year to have a third-year starting quarterback who is entering his sixth (sixth!) season of college eligibility. But it is also a bad year to be without that NFL-caliber line and to have to replace nine starters overall on defense.

Biggest on-field question
The defense has work to do, because you do not just replace a No. 5 overall pick like Bradley Chubb, or three other linemen who were drafted within the first four rounds. Churning out the kind of pass rushers that N.C. State had requires lots of time to develop, especially if you’re not an established blueblood. Even then, the Wolfpack finished only tied for fourth in the ACC in takeaways, fourth in sacks and third in rushing defense. (Both starting linebackers from 2017 graduated, as well, leaving the Pack with no starting experience in the front six of a 4-2-5 defense.)

“I think we did a good job of evaluating body types and length and really how big we can make those frames into because of the length of their arms, the width of their shoulders, the thickness of their wrists and ankles, the size of their hands,” Doeren said. “We look at a lot of measurables that are good predictors on how big a body can get, and then we study their work ethic. We really look at: Do they love to train? And I think that gets missed a lot in recruiting.

“Everyone want kids who are good players, but you want kids who can develop into better players than they are at 18 years old, and that doesn’t happen if you’ve got guys that don’t like working out. And so we really try to dig on our work ethic, and we know who we are. I think our staff does a good job of that.”

Senior end Darian Roseboro and senior linebacker Germaine Pratt — neither of whom was a starter last season — will be the leaders of this defense. But they will need plenty of help from underclassmen, particularly freshmen who will be getting their feet wet for the first time.

“We had a good spring. We’re replacing quite a bit, senior class-wise, that left but we’ve got a lot of work to do between now and our first game still to help those guys be ready,” Doeren said. “You can’t really predict where we’re gonna be yet. You can’t insert experience in your roster all the time. We like the depth we have and the competition, but we’re not ready to talk about really how good we’re gonna be.”

At least that is the case on defense. On offense, there is plenty to like, starting with Ryan Finley, who should be one of the ACC’s best passers. The Boise State graduate transfer followed coordinator Eli Drinkwitz to Raleigh before the 2016 season, was granted another year of eligibility and finished second in the ACC in passing yards (3,518) and completion rate last season (65.1 percent).

Now, at the risk of overstating it, the program is in Finley’s hands.

“He wants to be the No. 1 quarterback in college football, and that’s why he came back,” Doeren said. “A lot of people told him that he was gonna be sixth or seventh (quarterback drafted) if he came out, and he sees himself in a position to move up to first or second. And it’s his team. He gets to be the leader now.

“He came in as a transfer and didn’t know a single player on our roster and has worked really hard to build relationships and earn respect. So you only get one shot to lead as a senior, and I don’t think he wanted to let that go.”

Depth chart analysis
Quarterbacks: Senior Ryan Finley is the only quarterback on the roster who has taken a snap, and he continues to grow. Doeren said he put on 15 pounds last season, up to 210, and has room for about 10 more.

“That’ll help with his deep ball, which I thought was really good this spring,” Doeren said. “That was one of the things he wanted to work on, his accuracy down the field, because he’s been really good underneath.”

Behind Finley is redshirt freshman Matt McKay, a three-star local product who earned offensive scout team player of the year honors last season. McKay could be challenged for the No. 2 spot by incoming four-star recruit Devin Leary, who will enroll this summer after finishing his prep career as the nation’s No. 16 pro-style passer (per 247Sports’ Composite Rankings).

Running backs: N.C. State had 1,000-yard rushers in 2016 and 2017, after failing to have a player reach that plateau in the first three years of the Doeren era. Nyheim Hines (1,112 yards in 2017) picked up where Matt Dayes (1,166 in 2016) left off, but he left early and became a fourth-round pick in the draft. You saw Hines’ impact in games like the Notre Dame tilt last season, when the Pack were unable to grind out tough yards in short-yardage situations after Hines left with an injury.

Reggie Gallaspy (505 yards, 7 TDs in 2017), last season’s second-leading rusher, is back for his senior season, but multipurpose back Jaylen Samuels (graduation/draft) is gone, taking with him 403 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground, plus 76 catches. Gallaspy was limited this spring because of injury, as was early enrollee Ricky Person Jr., whom Doeren is counting on to contribute early. UNC-Pembroke transfer Damontay Rhem, a junior, got extended action this spring, and the redshirts are off Erin Collins and Nakia Robinson Jr., a pair of 2017 three-star prospects.

Wide receivers/tight ends: Outside of quarterback, this is the area N.C. State feels best about on the roster. It returns its second-, third- and fourth-leading pass catchers from 2017 in juniors Kelvin Harmon and Jakobi Meyers and fifth-year senior Stephen Louis, who combined for 169 catches for 2,327 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. Harmon, an All-ACC second-team pick, led the team in receiving yards (1,017) but trailed versatile Samuels in receptions.

Sophomores Emeka Emezie (13 catches, 163 yards, 1 TD) and C.J. Riley (9 catches, 142 yards) provide quality depth as they bide their time before the aforementioned trio departs. At tight end, the Pack are optimistic that 6-foot-7, 244-pound USC transfer and former four-star prospect Cary Angeline can provide a boost in the passing game. (He will need a waiver to be immediately eligible for the first few games after leaving USC last fall.) Sophomores Dylan Autenrieth and Dylan Parham are the most experienced returning tight ends, and the redshirt is off former three-star prospect Adam Boselli (son of former NFL player Tony).

Offensive line: N.C. State came out of spring ball confident in its front five and beyond. The left side of fifth-year guys — tackle Tyler Jones, guard Terronne Prescod and center Garrett Bradbury — is back to start again, with Jones and Bradbury entering their third seasons atop the depth chart. Sophomore right guard Joshua Fedd-Jackson and sophomore right tackle Justin Witt are the favorites to start at those respective positions after serving as top reserves in 2017.

Prescod has the ability to play right tackle, which gives the Pack the flexibility to start sophomore Joe Sculthorpe at left guard if necessary. Doeren also loves the potential of tackles Jalynn Strickland (early enrollee) and Kendall Brown (sophomore), and he moved 6-6, 285-pound Tyrone Riley from defensive end to offensive tackle to get the most out of a junior who has a 7-foot wingspan.

Defensive line: So, technically, not everyone who started on N.C. State’s D-line last year just got drafted. Darian Roseboro, after all, did start in the Sun Bowl in place of Chubb, who skipped it before becoming the eventual No. 5 draft pick. And Roseboro, a senior, is a very good player, as he tallied seven tackles for loss (including 2.5 sacks), four hurries, one forced fumble and two pass breakups last season as a reserve.

Still, there is a lot of catching up to do up front. Sophomore Shug Frazier and senior Eurndraus Bryant played in every game last season and figure to man the middle, while JUCO transfer end Joe Babros (8.5 sacks in two years at Saddleback) could contribute early. Junior James Smith-Williams will see plenty of time on the outside as well. Redshirt freshman Grant Gibson and JUCO transfer Larrell Murchison (23.5 TFLs in two years at Louisburg) should provide depth up the middle, and Doeren said Alim McNeill, a versatile four-star lineman, will need to play early.

“It’s just every day trying to take on something that didn’t look good the day before and get it fixed, and continuing to get bigger and stronger this time of the year in the weight room with them and more flexible,” Doeren said of the line. “We’ve always rotated up front, we’ve always played eight to 10 guys. We’ll do the same thing again this year and there’ll just be a few more ‘no names’ in that group.”

Linebackers: Both starters in the middle of the defense are gone, too, with leading tackler Jerod Fernandez and Airius Moore graduating. Fortunately for N.C. State, Germaine Pratt thrived last season while technically performing as a reserve, as the now fifth-year senior finished fourth on the team in tackles (69) while tallying 5.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage and two interceptions. He will be one of the leaders of this year’s defense — which is young at the linebacker spot — and he likely will be joined on the first team by sophomore middle linebacker Louis Acceus, who saw most of his action last season on special teams.

Payton Wilson, a four-star early enrollee, has the chance to see the field early, although he was sidelined for much of this spring as he recovered from an ACL tear suffered in high school. Sophomore Brock Miller should see some time, as well. Raven Saunders played in 11 games as a freshman last season but was dismissed this spring for a team rules violation. (N.C. State regularly plays two linebackers in favor of a five-man secondary.)

Defensive backs: N.C. State returns its top six safeties from last season, including junior second-leading tackler Jarius Morehead (80), senior Dexter Wright and junior Tim Kidd-Glass, the latter two of whom split time at free safety in 2017. Throw in the growth of sophomore Isaiah Stallings, who played in 12 games and made one start last season, and the Pack should be just fine at safety.

Cornerbacks Markel Valdez and Bryce Banks announced their transfer intentions this past semester. Junior Nick McCloud is back at one corner spot after starting seven games last season and breaking up seven passes, and Maurice Trowell is a redshirt senior who moved from receiver to corner this spring and could figure into the starting mix. Junior Stephen Griffin will be the starting nickel back after sitting out last season following his transfer from Tennessee.

Special teams: Early enrollee and coveted in-state prospect Chris Dunn will be the kicker, with the Pack hoping he can solve some of the program’s woes in that department from the get-go. A.J. Cole III is back for his senior year at punter after averaging 43.7 yards per attempt. Hines and Samuels handled most of the return duties on kickoffs and punts last season, but redshirt freshman receiver Thayer Thomas — who recently was given a scholarship — has a chance to play his way into the mix on both return teams. Reggie Gallaspy and Maurice Trowell saw action as punt returners last season, but it is unclear how much the Pack would want to use Gallaspy, their only proven running back, elsewhere.

How the Wolfpack have recruited from 2015-2018
According to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, here is how N.C. State’s recruiting classes have fared nationally and within the ACC over the last four years:

Doeren just hauled in the best class of his tenure and the best class that N.C. State has landed in a decade. The huge leap from 2017 to 2018 is no doubt a testament to staff continuity from last season and, more important, a proven track record of player development. You can bet more prospects took note this spring, when the Pack’s starting defensive line from 2017 got drafted in April.

“We’ve been here awhile now, so we’ve had a chance to build relationships with kids for three to four years,” Doeren said. “It’s not a deal where we’re walking in and they’ve never talked to us. We recruited Alim McNeill and Payton Wilson and Ricky Person for a long time, so there’s a long, long span of comfort and trust that gets built in those relationships. It’s hard for them not to wanna come here when we’re the only team in the state that sells out football games and we win.

“I think just being able to show them what our developmental program is instead of just talking about it — when you’re showing them: ‘Hey, here’s Bradley Chubb, here’s B.J. Hill, here’s Justin Jones,’ and you can show them four years of pictures of how they developed their bodies, that’s real. It’s not just talk, it’s proof, and I think those things combined all matter.”

Six players enrolled early, including N.C. State’s three four-star prospects: Wilson, Person Jr. and cornerback De’Von Graves.

Impact of coaching changes
The only change to N.C. State’s staff is the addition of former Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Ted Roof as the 10th assistant coach. Roof’s duties will be associate head coach, co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach.

Doeren did not have a prior relationship with Roof, but he sat down with coordinator Dave Huxtable at the end of 2017 and went about finding a fifth defensive assistant, since N.C. State already had five offensive assistants and did not want to allocate the 10th spot to a special teams coordinator, because Doeren and Eddie Faulkner assist there.

Roof’s expected departure from Georgia Tech, his Carolina history and his son’s enrolling at Charlotte as a quarterback made the move a perfect fit for both sides.

“He was looking forward to getting back to the Triangle, and he loved living over here when he was at Duke and brings a wealth of experience on defense,” Doeren said of Roof. “He’s a 41-year veteran of recruiting in one of the best states in the country to recruit from in Georgia. I thought it was a great get for our staff.”

Schedule analysis

N.C. State has stepped it up a notch from a scheduling perspective, as the Wolfpack are regularly playing Power 5 programs in nonconference play after not facing any during the first three years of the Doeren era. Notre Dame (2016-17) was forced onto the schedule by the ACC, but the Pack faced South Carolina last season in Charlotte and will host West Virginia this season. A trip to Marshall a week later is no picnic, either.

The Pack luck out by getting Virginia as their rotating Coastal crossover opponent this season and missing Miami and Virginia Tech, but, as usual, the Atlantic side shows little mercy. A two-game road stretch out of the idle week, at Clemson and Syracuse, is particularly unforgiving, especially considering Florida State visits Raleigh one week later. (Yes, winning at Syracuse is hard. Just ask Clemson or Virginia Tech.) And N.C. State plays just five days after that FSU game, as it hosts Wake Forest in its home finale on a Thursday, which means that the Pack will hold Senior Day early, on Nov. 8. Consecutive trips to Louisville and rival North Carolina to end the season likely won’t be easy, either.

Final assessment
Good offense, (mostly) mysterious defense, tough schedule. N.C. State has the pedigree of having posted a strong season, of producing some top draft picks and of providing stability from a coaching perspective. But the Wolfpack might need all of that infrastructure to withstand what — on paper, at least — projects as a transition year, especially as new players are developed on defense. They will make a bowl game, but asking to replicate last year’s success so soon might be a tall order for 2018.

State of the Program: Virginia Tech football thrives on stability, but will it thrive on defense?
https://theathletic.com/365226/2018/05/3...-schedule/

For the past three years, Virginia Tech has been the model for how to balance the old with the new. Legendary coach Frank Beamer gracefully stepped aside after the 2015 season, announcing his retirement with enough time to earn a farewell tour while allowing the Hokies to land a suitable replacement. And Justin Fuente has been just that, winning 19 games in his first two seasons in Blacksburg while paying homage to the man who built the program as we know it today.

The Hokies won the ACC Coastal division in 2016 and finished second last season, and there is no reason to think that they cannot at least contend for the division crown again in Fuente’s third season. Sure, this is the campaign where you will really see the turnover effect from regime to regime, as Fuente inherited an upperclassmen-heavy roster that has given way to a very young team. But the new staff also has most of its personnel in place, allowing the program to move forward with the kind of depth and development that should define Virginia Tech for years to come.

“We’ve got stability in a time of uncertainty in college football and staff turnover and changes and all those sorts of things,” Fuente told The Athletic. “We’re a little bit kind of like the calm ship in the sea, and I think it’s been really appealing to some people.”

Returning a starter at quarterback in Josh Jackson, even if Fuente refused to name a starter coming out of the spring, is a good building block, especially with uncertainty at the skill positions on offense. As important? A veteran offensive line, which Fuente jokes helps him sleep better.

“I mean, you’d like to feel good about something — I can find a reason to feel bad about anything,” he quipped. “But finding some place where you’ve got some people around who have played at a high level always makes you feel better. It doesn’t guarantee you they’re gonna do it again, but at least there’s a little bit of a known element to it that sets your mind at least a little bit at ease.”

The questions might come from the old reliable of this program: Bud Foster’s defense.

Biggest on-field question
You hear Fuente drop phrases like “whoever plays quarterback,” and you naturally have some pause, but it is hard to imagine anyone other than Jackson taking the first snap on Labor Day night at Florida State. He started all 13 games for Virginia Tech last season as a redshirt freshman, throwing 20 touchdown passes against nine interceptions and remaining a threat with his legs (324 yards, six touchdowns). What the son of a longtime college coach might have lacked in his deep-ball touch, he made up for in his decision-making, completing 59.6 percent of his passes for 2,991 yards.

And when you ask Fuente about Jackson specifically, it becomes even more difficult to picture him losing the job.

“Josh has been incredibly intelligent. He has a high aptitude, and he’s just got to continue to develop that aspect and overall understanding, and I think he did that in the spring,” Fuente said. “He’s got as high an aptitude as anybody I’ve ever been around at that position, and as we continue to get better around him, I feel better about him continuing to make more plays. But he displayed toughness, he displayed leadership qualities throughout the season, and those continued into the offseason. And (he) continued to develop his whole understanding of what’s going on.”

The question marks on offense come at receiver, where the Hokies are deep but mostly unproven. But that pales in comparison to the turnover on defense, particularly among the back seven.

The Hokies have been famous for their “lunch-pail defense” during Foster’s 23 seasons as coordinator (he’s entering his 32nd year with the program overall). But they have no scholarship juniors or seniors at linebacker this season and have to replace key pieces in the secondary. Virginia Tech returns upward of just five starters on the defensive side as a whole.

“We’re gonna count on a whole slew of young people to get in there and play, and play at a high level,” Fuente said of the linebackers and defensive backs.

Helping matters is a spring enrollee class that went 10 deep this past semester, which gave the rookies much-needed extra practice time to get familiar with the system and the college lifestyle. The Hokies are hoping that the added work pays dividends come fall camp, when there will be precious little time for the green unit to get up to speed, especially with a bigger-than-usual opener — in ACC play, no less — against the Seminoles waiting for them Sept. 3.

Depth chart analysis
Quarterbacks: In addition to sophomore Josh Jackson, Virginia Tech returns redshirt junior Ryan Willis, who sat out last season after transferring from Kansas, where he started the final eight games of his true freshman season in 2016 and threw for a school rookie-record 1,719 yards. He figures to give Jackson the biggest push, with redshirt freshman Hendon Hooker likely playing from behind at No. 3 on the depth chart.

Four-star Chicago dual-threat Quincy Patterson arrives this summer and could be the Hokies’ quarterback of the future, but it is unlikely he’ll see the field as a true freshman.

Running backs: Fuente has not had a 1,000-yard rusher in his six seasons as a head coach, opting to spread the workload in the running game. The Hokies have used that committee approach since Fuente’s arrival, with quarterback Jerod Evans leading the team in 2016 (846 yards) and Deshawn McClease (530) edging Travon McMillian (439) for the lead last season.

McMillian transferred to Colorado, but McClease is back to lead a group of backs that also includes 5-foot-9, 221-pound senior Steven Peoples, who barreled his way for 267 yards last season. Jalen Holston rushed for 226 yards and three touchdowns as a true freshman and could figure more into the mix this fall after being limited this spring.

Three-star Jacksonville, Fla., product Caleb Steward enrolled early, and three-star Blacksburg all-purpose back Cole Beck arrives this summer and could provide a jolt to the offense from a number of spots if he is up to the learning curve.

Wide receivers/tight ends: The Hokies like what they have at the tight end spot, returning their two most productive players at the position from last year in 6-foot-4, 242-pound sophomore Dalton Keene (10 catches, 167 yards) and 6-foot-2, 241-pound redshirt junior Chris Cunningham (9 catches, 175 yards, 1 TD). Further reinforcements could be on the way as well in the form of four-star in-state signee James Mitchell, who at 6-foot-4, 218 pounds projects as a tight end in this offense.

The Hokies return six of their top seven wide receivers from last season, but the receiving game in 2017 was mostly a one-man show in Cam Phillips, who had 71 catches for 954 yards and seven touchdowns in his final campaign in Blacksburg. For context, the next-best receiver, Sean Savoy, had 39 catches for 454 yards and four touchdowns last season. Savoy was a freshman, though, and should build off that debut this fall if he can be more consistent.

Ditto for rising junior Eric Kumah (28 catches, 324 yards, 2 TDs last season), while fifth-year senior C.J. Carroll is a reliable piece. Redshirt sophomore Phil Patterson impressed this spring, and the Hokies are hoping Ball State transfer Damon Hazelton can provide a lift after being limited this spring (he sat out last season after catching 51 passes for 505 yards and four touchdowns as a Cardinals freshman in 2016). Fuente also thinks newcomers can contribute early here, particularly a guy like early enrollee Tre Turner, who was limited this spring thanks to a prep shoulder injury but showed a knack for picking up things quickly.

Offensive line: The Hokies are deep on the line, and no matter how things shake out, they should trot out at least four upperclassmen starters — including three returning starters — to go with one youngster up front. Versatile senior Yosuah Nijman is back and could see time at either tackle spot, depending on how things fall in place elsewhere, and redshirt senior right guard Braxton Pfaff should remain put. Redshirt senior Kyle Chung moved from right tackle to center this spring, too.

Redshirt junior D’Andre Plantin looks like the guy at left guard after a strong spring, and redshirt freshman Silas Dzansi made a huge leap to put himself in position to potentially start at either tackle spot, with Nijman starting opposite him. Redshirt junior Tyrell Smith is another potential option at tackle.

Fuente mentioned how impressed he was this spring with the performances of redshirt freshman guard Lecitus Smith, redshirt sophomore center Zachariah Hoyt and early-enrollee tackle Christian Darrisaw, saying all three will push for playing time.

Defensive line: This is the most proven area of Virginia Tech’s defense, which isn’t saying a lot. But three starters are back after Tim Settle declared early and was drafted in the fifth round by the Washington Redskins. End Trevon Hill and tackle Ricky Walker combined for 22 tackles for loss last season and are joined by returning starter Vinny Mihota, who added 3.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage in 2017 but moved from end to tackle this spring. Houshun Gaines saw plenty of action at end last season, tallying seven tackles for loss and one fumble recovery, and figures to round out one of the ACC’s best starting fronts.

Redshirt sophomores Jarrod Hewitt and Emmanuel Belmar likely will see extended time at tackle and end, respectively, after showing promise in limited action last season. With a starting unit composed entirely of fourth- and fifth-year players, the Hokies are in good shape on the D-line.

Linebackers: We’ll repeat this: Virginia Tech does not have a single scholarship linebacker who is older than a sophomore.

The Hokies lost four fifth-year senior regulars from last year’s rotation, in addition to first-round pick Tremaine Edmunds. Now, it is all hands on deck, with sophomore Dylan Rivers likely to man coordinator Foster’s “backer” spot while fellow second-year player Rayshard Ashby looks like the man in the middle. The two saw minimal action last season, with Rivers playing seven games in a reserve role and Ashby getting on the field mostly on special teams. But that’s the Hokies’ situation at the moment.

(The Hokies usually deploy a WHIP/nickelback spot instead of a traditional third linebacker, and sophomore Devon Hunter saw the majority of time there this spring while senior Mook Reynolds recovered from surgery.)

Defensive backs: Redshirt freshman Caleb Farley, who tore his ACL last season, was limited this spring but has impressed the staff at corner after working in the secondary and as a receiver in the past.

“He’s a guy that I think has unlimited potential in the back end, possibly even in the return game and maybe playing a little bit of both ways,” Fuente said. “I just don’t know. He’s just got some things that you can’t coach.”

Farley is a key piece, because in addition to losing Greg Stroman and Brandon Facyson, the Hokies must deal with a couple other unexpected losses at cornerback. Adonis Alexander made 15 career starts and was expected to compete for a starting job, but the school announced on June 1 that he is no longer with the team. And JUCO transfer CB Jeremy Webb will miss the season after undergoing Achilles surgery. In the spring, Fuente liked what he saw from sophomore corner Bryce Watts, and early enrollees D.J. Crossen (safety) and Jermaine Waller (corner) could fight their way onto the field this fall.

Junior Reggie Floyd is back to start at rover again and had a strong spring. Redshirt sophomores Divine Deablo and Khalil Ladler are likely the two guys in play at free safety.

Special teams: Redshirt sophomore Brian Johnson saw minimal action last season as four-year starting kicker Joey Slye’s backup and is likely to take over starting duties in 2018. Sophomore Oscar Bradburn is back at punter.

Carroll and Watts saw minimal action as punt returners last season but could take on bigger roles, which also can be said for returning part-time kick returners Henri Murphy, Jovonn Quillen and Chris Cunningham. Fuente had mentioned Farley as a return-game candidate, too.

How the Hokies have recruited from 2015-2018
According to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, here is how Virginia Tech’s recruiting classes have fared nationally and in the ACC over the last four years:

Virginia Tech is on an upward trajectory on the recruiting trail, as evidenced by its first top-25 class since 2013. To be clear, Beamer and Co. did not leave the cupboard bare, but you are slowly seeing improvements on the trail after the inevitable uneven transition year of the 2016 class.

There is a significant gap from the ACC’s top three of Florida State, Clemson and Miami and the rest of the league, and that is to be expected, given tradition and geography. The Hokies have ranked fifth in conference recruiting across the past four years, slightly behind Coastal rival North Carolina, which has not had a coaching change since after the 2011 season. Fuente and the Hokies have seemingly strengthened their stability on that front over the past two years, agreeing to a two-year extension after Year 1 and adding another year after this past fall, with the coach signed through 2024.

“We started regionally, and we believe Virginia Tech is a great fit for certain people. Not just athletically and academically, but socially, I think we have a unique product here that nobody can match, and getting a chance to show that off has been really rewarding,” Fuente said. “It attracts a certain kind of person, and we’re trying to identify those people in the region and some of them far off — we signed some kids from Colorado and from Illinois, some highly recruited guys that were really attracted to what we had here.”

You are seeing bigger recruiting classes as the Fuente regime takes full hold: The Hokies have signed 27 players in each of the last two classes, a product of the abnormally old roster they took over.

Among the newcomers this year are 10 early enrollees, perhaps none whose immediate impact will be felt more than aforementioned Turner, a four-star receiver from North Carolina.

Impact of coaching changes
Virginia Tech initially had the smoothest of staff transitions this offseason, as the program promoted Adam Lechtenberg from director of player development to executive director of player development/assistant head coach, making him the Hokies’ 10th assistant coach. Lechtenberg had spent nine seasons working with Fuente, who more than anything else wanted to get another body on the road as a recruiter. Lechtenberg is working with the offense and special teams units, despite not having a designated position assignment.

But the late-April resignation of co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Galen Scott in light of accusations of an extramarital affair while traveling for work forced changes. Justin Hamilton has assumed Scott’s duties on an interim basis. Hamilton, a former Virginia Tech running back, receiver and defensive back, had joined the program this year as the defense’s director of player development.

Fuente made the move to activate Hamilton as another assistant coach for recruiting purposes, and he told The Athletic in late May that a decision on what to do with that position will be made in the coming months, admitting the solution could be just for this season, given the awkward timing of being in the market for an assistant.

Schedule analysis

Virginia Tech’s schedule is manageable, which is a nice way of saying that there are a lot of winnable games. Of course, that category does not include the season opener on Labor Day night at Florida State — a game that will not only draw the eyes of the nation and the buzz of the FSU crowd for Willie Taggart’s debut — but also is a terrific opportunity for the Hokies to make a statement. This will be the programs’ first meeting in six years and the first in 10 years at Doak Campbell Stadium.

While that opener is a wild card, nonconference games against William & Mary, East Carolina and at Old Dominion offer a nice cushion going into a Sept. 29 trip to Duke, which precedes Notre Dame’s first visit to Lane Stadium. A trip to UNC a week later is no picnic, but the Hokies are fortunate to have a bye before their Thursday game against Georgia Tech and the extra few days of post-option rest before hosting permanent Atlantic crossover opponent Boston College. They then go to Pitt and close at home with Miami and Virginia.

So, yes, getting Clemson and FSU in back-to-back years as Atlantic one-time crossovers is not ideal, but for Coastal contenders that often need all the schedule help they can get, these matchups provide chances to break through on the national stage (Virginia Tech lost to Syracuse in their Atlantic crossover in 2016, anyway, so they sure won’t be overlooking the alternative).

Final assessment
If Virginia Tech’s 2018 roster could be labeled in one word, it might be “precocious.” This is a very young but very promising team, especially since we’ve seen what Fuente and his staff are capable of. Miami ought to be the favorite to repeat in the Coastal, but if the Hokies get surprise contributions from underclassmen starters and stay lucky on the health front, they could take advantage of a relatively favorable schedule and contend for the division crown again.

State of the Program: Miami football looks primed to continue its U-turn under Mark Richt
https://theathletic.com/357746/2018/05/2...-schedule/

The U might not have been “back” last season, at least by Miami’s rich standards, but there was no mistaking the turnaround happening throughout much of 2017.

“All you’ve gotta do is watch the TV copy of our games last year,” head coach Mark Richt told The Athletic. “(The players) got juice, the coaches, fans, media.”

Such is the effect of the perfect marriage of history and jewelry, as the Hurricanes’ famous turnover chain made its rounds across the national circuit when the team raced to a 10-0 start, a No. 2 ranking and its first ACC Coastal division crown. Of course, the months-long hype only made the 0-3 thud to finish the season that much louder.

Still, Miami returns plenty of production from a renaissance campaign in which the Hurricanes reached 10 wins and a major bowl for the first time since joining the ACC in 2004. And 2018 will be, after all, just the third season of the Richt campaign. As Richt, a former ’Canes QB, said: “The turnover chain was a great idea, and it only took off because we had turnovers and we won. If we were losing and got four turnovers all season long, who cares, you know? But sometimes you’ve got to step out on a limb and take a risk when it comes to things like that. And if you’re afraid of people making fun of you about something, you’re gonna be paralyzed. You go for it, man. That was big.”

There is a swagger back in the program. The majority of the keepers of that turnover chain — a unit that finished tied for third nationally in takeaways (31) last season — are back for another round. The first phase of the ’Canes’ long-awaited indoor practice facility is expected to be ready for use Aug. 1, in time for training camp. Consecutive November prime-time routs of brand-name opponents only fueled the resurgence.

“One of the other things I think we can build off is just the Virginia Tech moment, that moment, that game, that crowd, that excitement,” Richt said. “That Notre Dame game with GameDay there, and just fans and the atmosphere. And I think it showed our players what can happen, it showed our fans what can happen, it showed the nation what can happen when we get revved up, so I think it’s paying off. I know we’re very close to selling out all our season tickets, and for some programs that’s not a big deal but for us historically it is a big deal, so I think there’s a genuine excitement and momentum, and we hope to keep it going.”

Now it is about fixing the issues that came to light late last season, developing depth and taking that next step as the hometown coach goes about restoring The U to prominence nationally.

Biggest on-field question
It would be overly simplistic to peg Malik Rosier as the cause of Miami’s late-season letdown. Yes, the first-year starting quarterback failed to reach the 50 percent passing mark in any of the ’Canes’ three losses and threw three touchdown passes to five interceptions in that span. But as Richt says, the entire roster looked bad in the 38-3 ACC title-game loss to Clemson, and the 34-24 Orange Bowl loss to Wisconsin had a number of uncharacteristic miscues, including two missed field-goal attempts.

That first loss, though, 24-14 on Black Friday at Pitt, was the game that left a bad taste in Richt’s mouth, forcing him to briefly bench Rosier.

“He had protection, open receivers, or at least open enough to at least put the ball in play,” Richt said. “But (it was) just: Let’s see who could make the play, and he just wasn’t putting the ball in play. It was just down after down after down, to the point where I was like, ‘We gotta do something.’ But other than that game, you can’t say he was the main reason why we struggled here or there.”

Something funny happened as the heat turned up this spring and the idea of losing his job seemed like a possibility: Rosier got better.

“I think Malik is the best equipped to do everything we wanna do in any situation, which has helped us,” Richt said. “It’s nice to have a guy who really understands what he’s doing, why, getting our team in the right plays at the right times and getting outta bad plays, and really he’s got the skill set. He just wasn’t as consistent as we would like him to be, but he’s performed better, and I think he’s performed better when there’s been a guy nearby. That’s just the way it is.

“Yeah, there is some human nature to it. I think some guys might be offended by (pressure) or even intimidated by it, but he just seems to thrive on it, so we’ll keep applying real pressure.”

Rosier completed 54.8 percent of his passes last season for 3,120 yards and 26 touchdowns with 14 interceptions, adding 468 rushing yards and five scores on the ground. The redshirt senior earned a ton of respect from teammates as he bided his time for three years behind fellow Class of 2014 quarterback Brad Kaaya, sticking through a coaching change, as well. But he has to be sharper and better at avoiding mistakes.

Miami has a defense that will be good enough to win plenty of games, and it needs the quarterback to play the appropriate role, much like Rosier did in the early part of 2017.

A strong spring has further strengthened Rosier’s hold on the job, fending off challengers like redshirt freshmen N’Kosi Perry and Cade Weldon and early enrollee Jarren Williams.

“Malik does well when there’s competition, and there’s good competition,” Richt said. “I’m very, very confident that we have the skill set in the quarterback room to be really good.”

Depth chart analysis
Quarterbacks: Despite the ending to last year, Malik Rosier is the man, barring unforeseen events. Rosier finished eighth in the ACC in passer rating with inconsistent accuracy, although he did make big throws with the game on the line to lead dramatic wins against Florida State and Georgia Tech. N’Kosi Perry and Cade Weldon redshirted last year and are trying to push Rosier. But as Richt said, Rosier seems to respond well to that kind of pressure. Four-star recruit Jarren Williams enrolled early and participated in spring practice.

Running backs: The ’Canes return most of their backfield, led by Travis Homer, who nearly posted a 1,000-yard campaign after assuming the starting role when since-departed Mark Walton suffered a season-ending ankle injury. Homer started the final nine games, averaged nearly 6 yards per carry and was an All-ACC second-team pick. Deejay Dallas made some plays as a freshman, rushing for 217 yards and three touchdowns.

It is hard to overlook five-star freshman Lorenzo Lingard, who enrolled early and has dabbled in track. Trayone Gray, meanwhile, adds veteran presence as a fifth-year guy who saw limited action last season and has moved to fullback. And the redshirt is off Robert Burns, who showed improvement throughout the spring.

Wide receivers/tight ends: Miami lost its top two pass catchers from last season, statistically, as Braxton Berrios and tight end Christopher Herndon are now AFC East rivals with the New England Patriots and New York Jets, respectively. Still, this was a deep receiving corps that returns plenty of familiar faces, starting with junior Ahmmon Richards. Richards had a breakout freshman campaign with a team-high 934 receiving yards in 2016, but he was slowed by injuries throughout 2017 — including a meniscus tear that ended his season early — and finished with 439 yards in eight games as a sophomore. Despite the injury problems, he’s averaged 18.8 yards per catch in his career.

Lawrence Cager, a 6-foot-5 junior, has plenty of potential but missed all of 2016 with an ACL tear before posting a 237-yard, three-touchdown season in 2017. The 5-10 Jeff Thomas made plays as a freshman, catching 17 balls for 374 yards and two touchdowns, and 6-4 redshirt senior Darrell Langham was Mr. Clutch last season, hauling in the winning touchdown at Florida State and a huge fourth-down conversion against Georgia Tech.

Michael Irvin II (nine catches, 78 yards) is the leader of the tight end pack after Herndon’s departure, but four-star Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) product Brevin Jordan could make a push upon his arrival this summer.

Offensive line: Three starters are back from last season, albeit likely just one in the same spot: senior Tyler Gauthier at center. Senior Tyree St. Louis is now at left tackle, and former right guard Navaughn Donaldson, who started 10 games as a true freshman, might man the right tackle spot. The sophomore impressed the staff with a renewed burst of energy playing at the new position.

Hayden Mahoney has a chance to start at right guard, although he could be challenged by Tennessee graduate transfer Venzell Boulware upon his summer arrival. And redshirt senior Jahair Jones has impressed the staff this spring as he takes over the left guard spot.

The biggest question marks come in the form of depth, as Miami is doing plenty of mixing and moving on a first team that has struggled at times through the first two years of the Richt era.

Defensive line: This is probably Miami’s least-experienced position group on defense, although that says more about what the ’Canes have coming back on this side of the ball. End Chad Thomas and tackles RJ McIntosh and Kendrick Norton were drafted, leaving Joe Jackson as the lone returning starter up front. The ’Canes also lost sack leader Trent Harris and former reserve tackle Anthony Moten, leaving Richt with questions along the line. The return of former Florida transfer Gerald Willis, who took an absence from football last season, alleviates some of those concerns in the middle.

“Super, super crucial for us,” Richt said. “He’s a big-time player. He’s really grown a lot as a person, as a player. He’s doing great. The coaches voted him the leader of the defense this spring. He’s come so far. It’s amazing what’s happened to that kid.”

Junior tackle Pat Bethel impressed this spring, and Illinois grad transfer tackle Tito Odenigbo should make an immediate impact upon his summer arrival. Demetrius Jackson, Jonathan Garvin, Scott Patchan and early enrollee Gregory Rousseau will see action on the outside.

Linebackers: Ask Richt about his defense, and he can’t help but lavish praise on third-year starting middle linebacker Shaquille Quarterman: “Start with Shaq. He’s the leader. He’s a baller. He’s a student of the game. … He’s a very, very smart football player, and he can see things before they’re gonna happen. He can help his teammates get lined up properly or anticipate something coming, which is invaluable.”

Quarterman is flanked by fellow junior three-year starters Zach McCloud and Michael Pinckney, whose instincts (11 tackles for loss last season) are off the charts.

McCloud missed much of the spring, with Derrick Smith and Romeo Finley, who are listed as defensive backs, seeing much of the action in his place in a hybrid role. Waynmon Steed could see the field this season after redshirting last season, too.

Defensive backs: The only starter not returning is Malek Young, who suffered a career-ending neck injury in the Orange Bowl after a strong sophomore campaign. Richt says playmaking safety Jaquan Johnson (team-best four interceptions last season, plus three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries) is every bit the leader Quarterman is on the defense, and fellow senior safety Sheldrick Redwine followed a mostly impressive 2017 with a strong spring. (He had two picks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery last season.)

Trajan Bandy could start opposite All-ACC second-team pick Michael Jackson (four interceptions) at the other corner spot, and early enrollees Gilbert Frierson and DJ Ivey could see time this fall.

Special teams: Jeff Thomas is the front-runner to return kicks, with Deejay Dallas and an incoming freshman likely to line up beside him. Dallas was the leading punt-return man coming out of the spring. Zach Feagles is back for his sophomore year at punter, and three-star kicker Bubba Baxa enrolls this summer and figures to replace All-ACC first-team pick Michael Badgley.

How the Hurricanes have recruited from 2015-2018
According to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, here is how Miami’s recruiting classes have fared nationally and within the ACC over the past four years:

Even in Miami’s mediocre years, recruiting was never really an issue for the ’Canes, at least in relation to the program’s deficiencies in player development and other organizational issues. Yet there is no mistaking the impact Richt and his staff have made on the trail since their arrival in Coral Gables.

The 2017 class, Richt’s first full one, finished ranked ahead of Clemson’s. The 2018 class finished ranked ahead of Florida State’s, marking Miami’s first top-10 class since 2012, Al Golden’s first full class, when Miami finished 10th.

Seeing what the staff did last season with mostly Golden-era holdovers has to be encouraging. The season-ending three-game losing streak was in some ways more of a regression to the mean than it was a late-season letdown, as this team overachieved for much of the first two-plus months of the season. That should become less of an issue as the roster continues to receive talent upgrades, especially defensively, where that unit worked its magic despite starting one true senior.

Impact of coaching changes
Miami experienced minimal but significant staff turnover this offseason, given who it lost. The only loss is defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski, who left for Alabama, and that is big, if not unexpected. (The NFL’s Jets were among the teams that made a run at him in 2017). The ’Canes led the nation in sacks per game last season (3.38). Kuligowski had a 15-year run at Missouri in which he produced four first-round draft picks in his final seven years alone. How else do you earn the moniker “Coach Kool” or the Twitter handle @LetsMeetAtTheQB?

Richt replaced Kuligowski with Jess Simpson, who most recently was a defensive assistant with the Atlanta Falcons. Simpson was a longtime coach at Buford (Ga.) High, and that should pay dividends on the recruiting trail.

Richt also promoted quality control analyst Jonathan Patke to outside linebackers coach as Miami’s 10th assistant. Patke is well-versed in the defensive staff’s language, having spent time at previous stops with ’Canes safeties coach Ephraim Banda (Incarnate Word) and coordinator Manny Diaz (Louisiana Tech and Mississippi State).

“Patke’s the kind of guy that, when the guys found out he was gonna be added as a 10th coach, if I’d announced it in the team meeting room there probably would’ve been a standing ovation,” Richt said. “The guys are really happy for him and excited for him, and he’s a high-energy guy, for sure, and he knows what he’s doing. He’s a good recruiter.

“And then Jess, if you just watch what he’s done in his life in regards to football, it’s been more than good, it’s been excellent. Whether winning state championships or helping players become men and then moving to the college and NFL ranks like he did, that’s hard to do from the position he was in.”

Schedule analysis
Miami won’t get the benefit of taking out its 2017 season-ending frustrations on an overmatched opponent in Week 1, but maybe that’s a good thing, as the ’Canes open on Sept. 2, a Sunday, against LSU in Arlington, Texas. This will mark the first time Miami has opened its season with a true neutral-site game since the 1999 Kickoff Classic vs. Ohio State in East Rutherford, N.J. (The ’Canes did play Louisiana Tech in Shreveport, La., to open the 2003 season).

Though home tilts with Savannah State and FIU drag down that schedule strength a bit, a Week 3 trip to Toledo is nothing to laugh at, as the Rockets are coming off an 11-3, MAC-title-winning season and, despite the final optics from a 52-30 loss at Miami, gave the ’Canes a legitimate push last season.

The ACC schedule is actually fairly forgiving, despite the annual interdivision matchup with Florida State, as the ’Canes get two extra days to prepare for a home game with FSU after opening league play on a Thursday vs. North Carolina. Miami is idle before their only other weekday game, Friday, Oct. 26 at Boston College, and it closes with four Coastal opponents, two away, two at home, including the revenge game against Pitt to end the regular season.

Final assessment
Richt showed what he is capable of in his first two years at his alma mater, going 9-4 and 10-3 and taking the program to heights it had not reached in the ACC era. Miami is not quite at the level of a Clemson just yet — and really, outside of Alabama, who is? — but the ’Canes are the most talented team in the Coastal division, with more than enough returning talent to make anything short of a repeat appearance in the ACC title game a disappointment in 2018.

State of the Program: Patience still necessary for Syracuse football
https://theathletic.com/345573/2018/05/1...-schedule/

Despite having been raised in San Diego and attending college in Honolulu, Syracuse head coach Dino Babers never learned to surf. And that’s not the half of it. “There’s a very good reason why I never learned to surf,” says the Orange’s third-year coach. “It’s because I never learned to swim.”

It can be assumed that no one was more disappointed by Babers’ negligence in natation than his father, Luther Babers, who served 21 years in the United States Navy.

An uncharitable scribe might attempt to polish this historical gem into an apt metaphor for the current state of Syracuse football (e.g. “It’s been back-to-back 4-8 seasons at Syracuse, and Babers and the Orange can no longer afford to tread water”). Not us, though. That type of cynicism will not float here.

Why not? Because Babers is a charismatic coach and a natural-born leader. There are countless examples of this, including when he spoke to his team after its 31-17 upset of Virginia Tech during his first season with the Orange. “People don’t know what we went through,” he told them. “They don’t know about the Kum Ba Yah meetings we had this week. They have no idea! They don’t! We … are … together! We play as one, we win as one! Off the field, on the field, picnics to the classroom, we’re together!”

And it got better from there.

Babers’ track record (a 26-5 conference record at those two prior stops) suggests that the Orange, who finished at the bottom of the ACC Atlantic Division last season, will again break the surface. Certainly, ’Cuse fans must be confounded by a 2017 season in which the Orange shocked No. 2 Clemson at the Carrier Dome in October, only to lose their final five games.

Still, this is not a program in need of rescue, only a little patience.

Biggest on-field question
In its final three games of 2017, Syracuse surrendered an average of 54 points per contest. The Orange gave up 64 points at home to Wake Forest, 56 at Louisville and 42 at home to Boston College, blowouts in which they never came nearer than three touchdowns. When The Athletic suggested to Babers that his defense appeared to be waving the white flag in the season finale, he replied, “I wouldn’t fight you on that observation.”

And sure, the Orange were without starting quarterback Eric Dungey for those three routs, but Dungey does not play defense. Hence the question beckons, particularly in light of the fact that the Orange’s three starting linebackers — including the defense’s two leading tacklers, Parris Bennett and Zaire Franklin, both of whom are in NFL training camps — have moved on: Can this defense stop anyone?

Syracuse finished 98th in scoring defense and 113th in yards per play allowed in 2017, anemic numbers that were exacerbated by the late-season collapse. Up front, the Orange are stout with end Alton Robinson and tackle Chris Slayton, the latter of whom is the unit’s standout. Babers is succinct in explaining why he is so fond of 6-foot-4, 320-pound Slayton, the school’s active leader in sacks, tackles for loss, fumbles forced and starts. “Because he’s a man,” Babers says. “He’s just a full-grown, throwback, old-fashioned defensive lineman who creates havoc.”

Slayton is a man surrounded by, if not boys, a bevy of inexperienced teammates. Asked to volunteer a name or two among underclassmen who might make a name for themselves on defense in 2018, Babers says, “IDK (I don’t know). IDK, you know. I’m as anxious to find out as anyone. Our underbelly is young.”

Defense is the paramount question in upstate New York, but another valid query is what will it take for the national pundits to discover Dungey? The three-year starter out of Lake Oswego, Ore., led the Orange in passing and rushing in 2017, the latter of which is more impressive when one remembers he missed 25 percent of the season. But you won’t see 6-foot-4 Dungey’s name on any early 2019 NFL mock drafts.

“I’ve gotten used to playing with a chip on my shoulder,” says Dungey, who also played with a broken bone in his foot in Syracuse’s three-point loss at Florida State last November. “But I know I’ve had three straight years where I’ve been unable to finish the season. I’m at the point now where I just want to be able to play the entire season out.”

The record says 4-8, and there’s no avoiding that, but with Dungey starting, Syracuse lost by narrow margins on the road at LSU, N.C. State, Miami and Florida State last season. With another offseason of maturity and a far more manageable road schedule, Dungey and his teammates will do better in 2018.

Babers calls Dungey “a fantastic leader and a better athlete than people think; he could be a starter at a few positions for us.” That’s an homage to Dungey’s athleticism, of course, but also a commentary on the depth of talent inhabiting the Syracuse roster. The three losses at the end of last season haunt this team, but they also illustrate how much the Orange missed Dungey’s on-the-field presence and leadership. With Dungey healthy, they can take a big step forward while he at last garners some of the attention that his career has been lacking.

Depth chart analysis
Quarterback: Eric Dungey enters his fourth season as a starter, but he is still in search of his first as a finisher. The dual-threat signal-caller has missed the final three games in each of his first three seasons because of injury. Leading a fast-paced, pass-happy Syracuse offense that led the nation in plays per game (85.6) and the ACC in pass attempts per game (45.7), Dungey finished second in the ACC in passing yards per game last year but 10th in passer rating, completing 59.7 percent for 2,495 yards and 14 touchdowns with nine interceptions in nine games.

Redshirt sophomore Rex Culpepper, who started the 2017 season finale against Boston College and played well (24-for-34, 280 yards and two TDs), was diagnosed with testicular cancer in March. The Tampa native played in the Orange’s spring scrimmage, completing a 17-yard touchdown pass on the final play, while in the midst of 10 weeks of chemotherapy. Culpepper received his final treatment on June 1, and his father announced his son was cancer-free.

While Culpepper’s status for August camp remains unknown, redshirt freshman Tommy DeVito, a former four-star recruit, will be Dungey’s understudy.

Running backs: Though he missed 25 percent of the 2017 season, Dungey was the team’s leading rusher with 595 yards. At running back, senior Dontae Strickland (128 attempts) and junior Moe Neal (92) split the carries and gained 482 and 488 yards, respectively. The pair should share the load again. Syracuse, the alma mater of Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Larry Csonka and Floyd Little, last had a 1,000-yard rusher in 2012.

Wide receivers/tight ends: Pairing a highly experienced passer — Dungey has 25 starts — with a neophyte corps of wideouts: Such are the vicissitudes of the game. The Orange lost their two most prolific receivers in Steve Ishmael (219 career catches) and Ervin Phillips (224). How do they restock the cupboard?

Devin Butler (6-3) and Jamal Custis (6-5) have outstanding size and will get the nods out wide. Redshirt freshman Sharod Johnson is the third man in the outside rotation. Antwan Cordy played safety and slot receiver in the spring, but it looks as if he’ll be moving back to defense. Sophomore Nykeim Johnson is 5-8 but has breakaway speed. He’s the only receiver who took reps inside and outside in the spring. Sean Riley looks promising as the other slot receiver. Senior Ravian Pierce, who caught 29 passes last fall, has a death grip on the tight end position.

Offensive line: For the first time in 30 years, the Orange will return five O-linemen starters. And yet the entire unit has a “Who’s on first?” aspect to it. Only senior left tackle Cody Conway, who has 20 consecutive starts at the position, is entrenched.

After that? Redshirt sophomore Airon Servais started all 12 games at center in 2017 but played right tackle in the spring. That was before Texas A&M left tackle Koda Martin, who is Babers’ son-in-law, announced that he was seeking a graduate transfer. Look for massive Martin (6-6, 310), who has a year of starts in the rugged SEC West to his credit, to play right tackle.

The interior will be a mix of Servais, likely returning to his snapping position, plus guards Sam Heckel (12 starts), Evan Adams (21 starts) and Aaron Roberts (12 starts in 2016 before missing 2017 because of injury). Mike Clark, a 6-8, 304-pound redshirt sophomore, adds depth.

Defensive line: The designated stud is end Alton Robinson, who led the Orange in sacks (five) and was the most prolific tackler on the D-line. Junior Kendall Coleman, who in 2016 became the first true freshman in 20 years to start the season opener at defensive end for the Orange, missed spring practice but will start opposite Robinson.

In the interior, McKinley Williams has the nose tackle spot to himself now that Kayton Samuels has transferred. Redshirt senior Chris Slayton has NFL girth (6-4, 320) and with 8.5 tackles for loss in 2017, Sunday potential. His 29 career starts are tops on this roster.

Linebackers: All three starters, most notably three-year captain Zaire Franklin, are gone. Four of the Orange’s top seven tacklers last season were linebackers; all of them are in NFL camps.

Who will replace them? Seniors Ryan Guthrie and Kielan Whitner have one start between them (vs. Central Connecticut State) and will man the Mike and Sam positions, respectively. Junior Andrew Armstrong will make his first start at the Will spot. Behind this trio are younger and even less-experienced players, but you can bet Babers is hoping an underclassman emerges during fall camp. The most likely candidates are redshirt freshman Tyrell Richards (6-4, 224) and junior college transfer Lakiem Williams.

Defensive backs: The unit has a lack of depth after four scholarship players, most notably two-year starter Rodney Williams, opted to transfer. There’s plenty of top-line experience, though. Combined, corners Scoop Bradshaw and Christopher Fredrick started 23 of a possible 24 games last season (Bradshaw sat out the Miami game with an injury), and strong safety Evan Foster landed every start. Antwan Cordy has 16 starts at safety, but he is being pushed by early enrollee Andre Cisco at free safety. Cordy’s primary role might be at nickel.

Of the reserves, 6-3 redshirt freshman Ifeatu Melifonwu has the size, talent and DNA (his brother Obi plays for the Oakland Raiders) to see the field plenty at corner.

Special teams: Sterling Hofrichter, who saw only nine of his 57 punts get returned in 2017, will add kicking to his duties. Hofrichter’s housemate, Sean Keller, will be his long snapper. Nolan Cooney will kick off, and Sean Riley returns as the kickoff and punt returner.

How the Orange have recruited from 2015-2018
According to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, here is how Syracuse recruiting classes have fared nationally and within the ACC over the last four years:

The Orange have signed just three four-star recruits in the past five recruiting cycles, per 247Sports. One of them, wide receiver, K.J. Williams (2014), failed to qualify. Another, quarterback Tommy DeVito (2017), will be backing up Dungey and possibly Culpepper this autumn. The third, athlete Atrilleon Williams out of White Plains, N.Y., arrives this summer.

More than one-third of Syracuse’s roster is composed of freshmen or redshirt freshmen, players who have yet to play a collegiate snap. That’s not uncommon for a third-year coach intent on flushing the system, but the key contributors this fall almost all appear to be upperclassmen. Only three of Baber’s recruits are likely to crack the starting lineup, and two are defensive backs, a unit where depth was decimated by four offseason defections.

While the program’s recruiting rankings have trended upward in Babers’ two full offseasons, this is a program that should be able to sell immediate playing time to four-star recruits who want to play Power 5 football. Babers and recruiting coordinator Asil Mulbah, a former linebacker at Fordham, need to lure another four-star or three to campus. Landing a four-star from an established program like New Jersey’s Don Bosco Prep (DeVito), was a bonanza. However, signing a four-star or two who are able to take the field before their third autumn on campus is essential for job security.

Impact of coaching changes
Co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Sean Lewis left to become Kent State’s head coach, and Babers hired as his new QBs coach inveterate Houston-area high school coach Kirk Martin, whose daughter-in-law is Babers’ own daughter, Jazzmin. Her husband, Kirk’s son, Koda, is the recent grad transfer from Texas A&M who, as noted above, is likely to start at right tackle.

Martin, whose appointment was facilitated by the NCAA’s new 10th coach rule, had a .812 winning percentage in 10 seasons at Houston-area Manvel High School. His transition from prep ranks to Power 5 will be made smoother by the fact that his top pupil, Dungey, is an accomplished three-year starter.

The other new face in the meeting room belongs to grizzled offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh. In 32 seasons, Cavanaugh has coached at more than a half-dozen schools, including FBS programs Hawaii, Oregon State and, most recently, Nebraska. Cavanaugh slid into the vacancy created by the promotion of Mike Lynch, now the running backs coach and offensive coordinator. Make no mistake, though, Syracuse’s playbook has Babers’ fingerprints all over it.

Schedule analysis
The Orange have played at least one top-three opponent in each of the past six years (1-6) and likely will again in 2018 when they visit Clemson in late September. Syracuse will host Florida State in the Seminoles’ first road jaunt of the Willie Taggart era; old-timers recall how the Orange spanked No. 5 Florida at the Carrier Dome in mid-September back in ’91.

The nonconference games are all winnable, and a November trek to Yankee Stadium to face Notre Dame might tempt undergrads to begin Thanksgiving holiday one weekend early. Ultimately, a trifecta of midseason matchups vs. Tar Heel State schools — North Carolina, N.C. State, at Wake Forest — will determine if ’Cuse goes bowling for the first time since 2013.

Final assessment
Syracuse hasn’t appeared in the AP Top 25 at any point since 2001, the second-longest drought among Power 5 teams. After two 4-8 seasons, Babers needs to put the Orange at .500 or above in his third year in upstate New York. The offense is experienced and the quarterback is productive — Dungey finished sixth in total offense in 2017, just 9 yards per game below Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield — but the defense was porous and must replace its three leading tacklers. A December bowl is possible if Dungey stays upright for all 12 games.

State of the Program: The Willie Taggart era begins at Florida State
https://theathletic.com/332772/2018/05/0...-schedule/

When Willie Taggart walked into Florida State’s team meeting room for the first time as the Seminoles’ new coach, his players clapped in approval. Taggart told them to cut it out, because he had not accomplished anything yet.

“When he said that, I knew he was about business,” cornerback Levonta Taylor told The Athletic. “I knew we were in good hands after that.”

It is a new era at a place where that is still, in many ways, foreign territory. Florida State had not hired a head coach from outside the program since 1976. Then again, Oregon had not done that since 1977, and Taggart was successful enough in his lone year with the Ducks to land the FSU job.

After the shock of Jimbo Fisher leaving for Texas A&M — the first national championship-winning coach to do that for another college job in 40 years — came the natural changing of the guard to Taggart. The 41-year-old Bradenton, Fla., native grew up on the Seminoles and is likely to be a hit on the recruiting trail. But first comes shaking up a program coming off an underwhelming 7-6 campaign after five consecutive seasons of at least 10 wins.

“He told us the story of how he didn’t get the opportunity to be here as a player, but sometimes life gives you things you need,” running back Jacques Patrick told The Athletic. “He came back, now he’s a coach at a prestigious university like this, so I’m pretty sure he’s gonna do everything to maximize this opportunity, and I’m gonna do my best to help him.”

Taggart has spoken repeatedly about the family atmosphere he hopes to bring back to Tallahassee, as things fell flat last season during Fisher’s final campaign despite the abundance of talent.

Getting those players to come together has been Priority No. 1 for the new coach, because it is not like he is walking into a massive rebuild.

“I think part of what you’re hearing is just our guys being around each other a lot more,” Taggart told The Athletic. “And in practice one thing I learned about our team was whenever we put them in a competitive situation, they have fun doing it; you don’t have to pull any teeth to get them to go. So everything we do around here is competitive, and I think our guys are really liking that in every aspect. Whether it’s football or academics or even community service, we’re competing in it, our guys are taking fun in that and enjoying it.”

Taggart has held mandatory team dinners three nights a week, and he has been amazed by what some of his players have learned about each other.

“We just had our spring evaluation meeting, and a lot of our players talked about how those dinners allowed them to talk to guys they normally wouldn’t have even talked to, or some guy they haven’t even talked to in three years, so that was eye-opening,” he said. “But also for me, (it’s about) letting them know that’s exactly why we’re doing it, is to get those guys to be around each other and get to know each other. And the more they know each other and are around each other, it’s easier for them to hold each other accountable.”

With the early pleasantries out of the way, now comes the hard part for Taggart: challenging Clemson for ACC supremacy, living up to the standard Fisher set during his tenure and making the most of his dream job.

Biggest on-field question
Florida State is no different than most places in this space, as the Seminoles have a full-on quarterback battle on their hands. The rub is that they are choosing from two who have a ton of game experience.

James Blackman was thrust into the spotlight as a true freshman, and the circumstances were not optimal: a struggling offensive line, little in the way of proven playmakers (at least by FSU standards) and an overall tumultuous campaign that hastened the exit of a national title-winning coach and brought in change foreign to a power like this one.

Yet Blackman came out of the other end of that firestorm in one piece and with the respect of his teammates, too. Listed at 6 feet 5 and just 176 pounds, Blackman completed better than 58.2 percent of his passes for 2,230 yards and 19 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. His team only went 7-6, but there is something to be said for getting all those rookie mistakes out of the way, especially during what was a lost season.

The Gulf Coast offense that Taggart prefers is different for these quarterbacks, with an emphasis on tempo and quick decision-making. “Lethal simplicity” is the phrase du jour, as the new staff hopes to make the most of its abundance of highly recruited playmakers by getting them in space.

So what happens with Deondre Francois, who had a strong redshirt freshman season in 2016, leading Florida State to an Orange Bowl win? The 6-1, 204-pounder entered Tallahassee straight out of central casting: He was Rivals’ No. 1 dual-threat QB prospect in 2015, threw for 3,350 yards and 20 touchdowns with seven interceptions in 2016 and won ACC Rookie of the Year honors. He completed 58.7 percent of his passes, adding 198 rushing yards and five scores on the ground.

But it has been a rocky road for Francois since then. He suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee in last year’s opener, sidelining him for the season. (And limiting him this spring.) He was investigated by the Tallahassee Police Department on four occasions in two months on the suspicion of marijuana possession with intent to sell. (He was not arrested and was offered participation in a pre-trial diversion program.)

“I wouldn’t say necessarily setback — he knows what I’m expecting and looking for along with the other quarterbacks,” Taggart said of Francois. “It’s important that all of our guys at the quarterback position earn the trust and respect of their teammates. I think all three of them can play the position. What we need here is a guy that’s gonna lead this football team, a guy that’s gonna get his teammates to follow him and play for him. And you do that by being a good person and staying out of the negative light. And Deondre understands that along with the other guys. They understand they’re gonna have to win this team over in order to be the quarterback.”

Taggart said he expects Francois to be a full-go physically come fall camp. And the coach has been careful not to omit Bailey Hockman when discussing the competition, as the redshirt freshman was impressive when given extended reps this spring.

“I feel like we have three quarterbacks who are capable of running our offense,” Taggart said. “I look at each one of those guys and can find pluses to say: ‘Hey, this guy can do it for us.’ Deondre didn’t get to go through all the practices. He did some 7-on-7, did a great job with us then, and James and Bailey both got better from Day 1 till the end of practice — just understanding the offense and being able to go out and execute it. I’ve been really impressed with those guys just by how they come in and work on their craft daily. It’s important to them that they’re learning, and you see them get better throughout the spring.”

Depth chart analysis
Quarterbacks: Taggart thinks he has three good options in sophomore James Blackman, junior Deondre Francois and redshirt freshman Bailey Hockman. Even if that sounds like an embarrassment of riches to some degree, it is important to remember that you can never have too much depth at this position. How else do you explain a powerhouse like FSU having to turn to Blackman, then a true freshman, in the second game last season? The Francois situation is worth monitoring, especially since he did not get to fully acclimate to the new offense this spring the way the other two did.

Running backs: Taggart’s first recruiting win at FSU came when Jacques Patrick elected to return for his senior year. Patrick rushed for 748 yards and seven touchdowns last season and has tallied 1,412 yards and 16 touchdowns in his career. (Patrick is a receiving threat, too, catching 21 passes last season for 171 yards.)

Sophomore Cam Akers and Patrick form as potent a 1-2 punch as there is in the ACC. Akers has his eyes on a 2,000-yard campaign after a Dalvin Cook-like 1,024-yard debut season.

“We ain’t complacent about the year we had last year, because we feel like there’s much more out there,” Patrick said. “With Coach Taggart’s system, he’s always had really good running backs, and we feel like we’re next in line to do that.”

Throw in junior Amir Rasul (152 yards in 2017) and two second-year players who redshirted last season (Zaquandre White and Deonte Sheffield), and this is the best position group on the roster.

Wide receivers/tight ends: If you include the running backs, Florida State returns four of its top six pass catchers from last season. The problem is that the 2017 group was, like many units in an otherwise forgettable season, among the least-proficient receiving crops FSU has had this decade. Leading receiver Nyqwan Murray (40 catches, 604 yards, 4 TDs) is back, along with the No. 3 pass catcher from last season, Keith Gavin (27 catches, 278 yards). But Murray missed spring ball because of meniscus surgery, leaving the ’Noles with just four scholarship receivers during spring ball.

With injury woes from last season behind him, 6-3, 217-pound Gavin has the chance to break out and become the kind of big deep threat this offense lost when Auden Tate left for the NFL. Tamorrion Terry (6-4, 197 pounds) should step into a sizable role this season, too, after redshirting as a freshman. Fellow redshirt freshman Ontaria Wilson converted this spring from defensive back to receiver.

Sophomore Tre’ McKitty should lead a tight end group that graduated Ryan Izzo, who caught 54 balls across four years for 761 yards and six touchdowns.

Offensive line: Technically speaking, four of five starters are back from last season, with only right tackle Rick Leonard having graduated. That does not include the return of redshirt sophomore guard Landon Dickerson, who might be the best of the bunch but saw his first two seasons in the program end early because of injuries. But there is little in the way of proven depth returning, and with returning starting center Alec Eberle and returning starting right guard Cole Minshew among the number of players limited this spring with injuries, the ’Noles were down to eight healthy bodies, leading to plenty of mixing and matching in what was a much faster offense than they were used to playing.

“We didn’t back off,” Taggart said. “It was a little different for them offensively with the tempo, so they got a lot of reps and they’re really tired, but it was good for them because they needed that from a development standpoint and hopefully we get these other guys back in the fall and we can get them all together and we can get rolling.

“But a big part of it is just getting depth. I thought our guys did a good job in the spring, because some guys were moving around to different positions to help us out and we were still able to get things done. So that was good to see, but it’s also encouraging knowing once we get some of these guys back we can allow some guys to just play at one position and it’ll help us big-time.”

Defensive line: The ’Noles lost a ton of production with the departures of Josh Sweat (5.5 sacks last season) and Derrick Nnadi (3.5), but there is no shortage of playmakers on this line. Brian Burns posted a team-best 13.5 tackles for loss last season, and he is back along with Demarcus Christmas (4.5 TFLs) to start another season. Taggart was impressed this spring with former four-star end Janarius Robinson, who saw limited action last season as a redshirt freshman. And former five-star tackle Marvin Wilson looked ready to break out before an MCL tear sidelined the sophomore this spring. Taggart said Wilson has shed nearly 30 pounds since January. (He had been listed at 323.) As important: The ’Noles have developed depth on the line that wasn’t there last season, with Wilson among five second-year players poised to contribute in 2018.

Linebackers: This group is about as wide open as it gets defensively, with every starter from last season gone. Taggart singled out former four-star prospect Dontavious Jackson as a standout this spring. The junior inside ’backer has played more freely without an abundance of upperclassmen in front of him, as he slimmed down and helped set the tone for a defense that is adjusting to the pace of the new offense. Likewise, former four-star outside linebacker Josh Brown has benefited from the roster and coaching turnover, as he figures to see the field more as new coordinator Harlon Barnett prefers to regularly use three linebackers (as opposed to the five-DB set championed by predecessor Charles Kelly).

Adonis Thomas and Leonard Warner have fought their ways into potential starting jobs, and the staff has mixed in redshirt freshman DeCalon Brooks (son of Derrick) and true freshman Amari Gainer at the Star position as well.

Defensive backs: Early enrollee four-star recruit Jaiden Woodbey has made an immediate impression at Star … when he’s not doing the same at strong safety, where he could start from Day 1. “The kid is locked in, he is all business, and he’s a great teammate,” Taggart said. “The one thing that stood out to me was how he had the respect of all of his teammates; that’s just by the way he carries himself every day and the way he goes out and competes on the field every day. He seems like a kid that’s been around there for years.”

Levonta Taylor established himself as one of the ACC’s top corners last season and has one starting spot locked down, likely opposite sophomore Stanford Samuels III. Fellow sophomore Cyrus Fagan could start at free safety, although senior A.J. Westbrook is a steady veteran presence who has started 13 games over the past two seasons.

Special teams: Multiyear starters Ricky Aguayo and Logan Tyler are back manning their respective spots at kicker and punter. Keith Gavin and Amir Rasul saw action at kick returner last season and figure to be in line to do the same this season, and the punt returner could be anyone from D.J. Matthews to a potential special teams playmaker such as Levonta Taylor.

How the Seminoles have recruited from 2015-2018
According to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, here is how Florida State’s recruiting classes have fared nationally and within the ACC over the past four years:

Simply put, few other programs nationally have recruited as well as FSU has, and none in the ACC. That includes Clemson, which is favored to win its fourth ACC title in a row but only this year leaped the ’Noles in recruiting rankings, and that was due in large part to a coaching transition in Tallahassee. Also worth noting this season: FSU has 14 redshirt seniors on the roster. Nine of those players signed as part of the 29-man 2014 recruiting class, which was signed right after the ’Noles won the national title. That class ranked No. 4 nationally.

Garfield (Wash.) High coach and former NFL corner Joey Thomas, who is sending receiver Tre’Shaun Harrison across the country to play for Taggart, pointed to another factor working in Florida State’s favor.

“I said this a million times: People devalue the fact that having a man in your living room that looks like you (helps),” Thomas told The Athletic. “I mean, at the end of the day, let’s look at Florida State: the athletic director is an African-American male, the (men’s) basketball coach is an African-American male and the head football coach is an African-American male. When you sit in people’s living rooms, you can have conversations that other people can’t have, and that’s powerful, and I think you’re gonna start seeing a trend because again, Coach Taggart, Coach (David) Kelly (FSU’s recruiting coordinator), they can relate with kids and family in a way that other people can’t.”

Impact of coaching changes
Odell Haggins is the lone holdover from the previous staff, as the lifelong ’Nole continues in his roles as associate head coach and defensive tackles coach. This fall will mark Haggins’ 25th season on staff, and the former FSU nose guard — who served as interim coach after Fisher left — will be an invaluable resource for Taggart, who is the program’s first head coach who had never played or coached in Tallahassee in any capacity since 1975 (Darrell Mudra).

Taggart has tabbed Walt Bell (offense) and Barnett (defense) as his coordinators, and pretty much the only similarity between the two is that they came from the Big Ten. Bell, who will turn 34 this summer, is considered an up-and-comer in the profession, and his work with Maryland’s quarterbacks last season in the face of numerous injuries was admirable, especially in the turnover department. (The Terps threw just eight picks last season.) This is still Taggart’s offense, predicated on the “Lethal Simplicity” philosophy, but Bell (who also is the quarterbacks coach) will play a big part in tutoring the signal-callers and taking advantage of the personnel on hand.

Barnett, 51, meanwhile, comes from Michigan State, where he played and later coached for 11 seasons, under Mark Dantonio. As coordinator the past three seasons, his units were particularly stingy against the run, culminating in a No. 2 finish nationally in 2017. He will have some familiarity on his side of the ball in defensive ends coach Mark Snyder, whose three-year stint with the Spartans included linebacker, end and special-teams duties.

Raymond Woodie is one of a handful of Taggart confidants on this staff, and he will coach FSU’s linebackers after following his boss in a variety of defensive roles from Western Kentucky to USF to Oregon. Donte’ Pimpleton will be the running backs coach, a role he has served for Taggart since 2015 at USF. And Alonzo Hampton is the ’Noles’ special teams coordinator, a role he had at USF in addition to defensive back duties. (He was a defensive analyst for Oregon last season.)

Telly Lockette, who was Taggart’s running backs coach at USF in 2013 and ’14, is coaching tight ends, though his biggest asset at FSU might be his reign as Miami Central High’s head coach from 2008-12, after four years as an assistant at the prep powerhouse. Ditto for David Kelly, FSU’s receivers coach and recruiting coordinator who has spent the majority of his nearly 40 years in coaching in the Southeast region. (Kelly had linked up with Taggart at USF in an off-the-field recruiting role before following him to Oregon in a similar capacity.)

FSU alum Greg Frey will try to repair an offensive line that had become FSU’s Achilles’ heel the past few seasons. He comes over from Michigan, where, like Taggart once did, he worked under Jim Harbaugh. Frey also will coordinate the run game.

Schedule analysis
To say that Taggart’s first slate in Tallahassee looks tough would be an understatement. The ’Noles jump right into the fray on Labor Day Night, hosting Virginia Tech in the schools’ first meeting in six years. They end things, as always, with rival Florida, also at home. There are plenty of challenges in between. There’s a Week 3 trip to Syracuse, and FSU can ask Virginia Tech and Clemson how difficult the Carrier Dome can be for visitors. Northern Illinois comes to town the following week for a 2013 Orange Bowl rematch. The Huskies, annually among the nation’s best Group of 5 programs, are only the third-toughest nonconference opponent on an FSU schedule that also features a Nov. 10 trip to Notre Dame, in addition to the meeting with the Gators.

Trips to Louisville and Miami — two teams that won at FSU last year — follow NIU, before a much-needed bye. Home games against Wake Forest and Clemson come after that before a Nov. 3 trip to N.C. State, which also won in Tallahassee last season.

A home tilt with Boston College is sandwiched between the Notre Dame and Florida games, and while last year was last year, yes, this is a BC team that thoroughly dominated FSU, winning 35-3 on a Friday night.

Perhaps that’s the silver lining for these ’Noles, who have no excuse this time around: Yes, they play five teams that beat them last season, and two more that came a play away from doing the same. But they will have a new coach, a new edge and no excuses, and there is no other way to approach this difficult schedule than to be out for blood.

Final assessment
Taggart walks into a much better situation than most first-year coaches because of the talent level on FSU’s roster. With that, however, comes little patience, especially from a fan base that is smarting from Fisher’s departure. Before 2017, FSU was on the short list of stable national powerhouses, as the ’Noles could practically pencil in (at the very least) a New Year’s Six date at the start of every season. But as with any new coach, and new offensive system, there will be an adjustment period. The quarterback situation is in many ways enviable, but managing the personalities and locker room dynamics that come with such a decision is always an X factor. And this schedule is pretty brutal.

Florida State ought to be much better than the seven-win outfit from last season. Perhaps it can get back to its New Year’s Six ways. Come within striking distance of that, and the future will look very bright for the ’Noles under the Taggart regime.

State of the Program: Wake Forest football
https://theathletic.com/325787/2018/04/2...-schedule/

Even during the rough early days, when it seemed as if Wake Forest had trouble simply falling forward, when the Demon Deacons could barely run the ball and were winning three games in each of their first two seasons under Dave Clawson, the head coach never batted an eye. He would regularly say that he and his staff knew exactly what they had signed up for, and they had seen this before.

Clawson had gone 0-11 in his first year as a head coach, at Fordham, and exited with a 19-6 mark across his fourth and fifth seasons in the Bronx. He went 3-8 in Year 1 at Richmond, then left behind an 11-3 FCS playoff team, the core of which went on to win a national championship the following season.

He won the Mid-American Conference in Year 5 at Bowling Green, and the recipe for success has followed in Winston-Salem, N.C.: Wake won bowl games in 2016 and ’17 after consecutive 3-9 seasons.

The foundation has been poured, the system firmly in place. In his fifth year at Wake, Clawson fields a team filled entirely of players he has recruited. And to be clear, Wake got the absolute most out of the incumbents: Players like Cam Serigne and Duke Ejiofor were among the best players in the ACC by the time they reached their fifth seasons in 2017, and Wendell Dunn and Mike Weaver became program stalwarts, too.

So what is next for Wake Forest football? The Deacs have the coach, the facilities and the enhanced expectations after an 8-5 campaign. They have plenty of returning talent, too, especially in the positions that matter most, meaning a repeat of last season’s standout campaign should be within reach.

Biggest on-field question
Losing a four-year starting quarterback in John Wolford is naturally a cause for concern, but this is not Kendall Hinton’s first rodeo. He regularly pushed Wolford for his job, started two games as a freshman and appeared to be on his way to building off that in 2016 before suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 3. If he can replicate the chemistry that Wolford had with this crop of pass catchers, Wake’s offense should be in good hands.

“He’s just a great athlete, and he’s just got to get all those reps that John got,” Clawson told The Athletic. “John got all those reps over four years and threw 1,000 passes to Cam and Cortez (Lewis) and Scotty (Washington), and Kendall just has to get reps. I think Kendall can be really, really good.”

Moreover, he will have the protection of an offensive line that returns everyone, Nos. 1-10, to say nothing of a stable of proven running backs.

“It’s not just the fact that we have everybody back, it’s the type of kids they are,” Clawson said of the line. “They’re consistent, they’re workers, they have a good work ethic, they understand the offense.

“They’re really reliable, dependable kids. There’s not a lot of drama within that group, so these guys just show up every day and work and put their time in and play at a high level.”

The biggest on-field question likely comes from a macro perspective: Can the defense take the next step? Key faces in key places are gone, but the depth is much better, particularly at safety. More important, this unit was aggressive in Year 1 under new coordinator Jay Sawvel, finishing seventh nationally in tackles for loss with 106. If it could play with that kind of edge even after losing coordinator Mike Elko and two other assistants on that side of the ball, could another year in this system mitigate the personnel losses up front?

“We’re more on the same page now and the kids are more comfortable with the package now than they were at any point last year,” Clawson said.

Carlos “Boogie” Basham Jr. will be called on to take what he learned while backing up Ejiofor last season. If an All-ACC-caliber campaign is in his sights, that could mean big things for the defense. Depth needs to be developed behind Basham and Chris Calhoun at end, but the first four years of this regime should alleviate potential concerns when it comes to player development.

Depth chart analysis
Quarterbacks: Kendall Hinton emerged out of spring as the top quarterback, and it would be a surprise if Jamie Newman is able to unseat him, despite what Clawson said was an impressive spring. Hinton has seen plenty of action, as he spared injured Wolford in the past and added another dimension to what at the time was a stagnant run game.

Seeing Wolford’s growth during his four-year career has to give Hinton and the staff confidence that he can break out this fall and be one of the reasons Wake continues to rise rather than one of the offense’s concerns in a new full-time job. What’s more: Because of his early-season knee injury in 2016, Hinton gained another year of eligibility, allowing Wake to possibly go two years in a row with the same quarterback.

Running backs: This should be the strongest position group on the team, as 904-yard rusher Matt Colburn is back, along with impressive Cade Carney, who rushed for 232 yards in limited action last season. The running back room is crowded enough that last year’s second-leading rusher among the group, Arkeem Byrd, moved to cornerback.

What Wake loses in the legs of Wolford it should make up for in the legs of Hinton, and though Greg Dortch made his mark mostly as a receiver and a return man, he proved to be a threat out of the backfield at times as well. Christian Beal showed promise this spring after redshirting last season, and Wake is excited about the prospect of three-star running back Courtney McKinney adding even more competition to the room upon his arrival this summer.

Wide receivers/tight ends: If there is one area on offense that has been hit, at least at the top, by departures, it is this one. Serigne is gone after one of the most prolific tight end careers in ACC history, as he set records for receptions and receiving yards. Additionally, third-leading receiver Tabari Hines elected to pursue a graduate transfer after a 683-yard, seven-touchdown season.

But depth is still there within this group, which will be aided by the return of jack-of-all-trades Greg Dortch, who finished as Wake’s leading receiver (53 catches, 722 yards, nine TDs) despite missing the season’s final five games with an abdominal injury. Oh, and he was only a redshirt freshman. The fourth-year duo of Scotty Washington (45 catches, 711 yards) and Alex Bachman (21 catches, 365 yards) should see more opportunities come its way, provided that the turnover from Wolford to Hinton does not mess with chemistry and timing. Don’t overlook redshirt freshman Waydale Jones, either. Chuck Wade Jr., who made his mark with 19 catches for 245 yards last season, has moved to safety.

Offensive line: No position group was in more dire straits when Clawson arrived than the O-line, which struggled mightily in ACC play. Four years later, that unit is the strength of this team, as the group returns everyone and ought to compete to be among the best lines in the conference. Left tackle Justin Herron, left guard Phil Haynes and center Ryan Anderson earned All-ACC honors last season. As Clawson said: “I think between what we have back on the O-line and what we have back at running back, we should be disappointed if we don’t run the ball well again next year.”

Wake had the ACC’s No. 5 rushing offense last season and should be even better. Again, this unit surrendered 45 sacks of Wolford in 2014. Wolford lived to tell about it, and in 2017 he took just 15 sacks. With another year together up front, and with a mobile quarterback in Hinton, the Deacs should be able to control the line of scrimmage this season.

Defensive line: The bulk of the production from the interior is back in the form of Zeek Rodney (8.5 TFLs in 2017), Willie Yarbary (7.5 TFLs, including four sacks) and Elontae Batemen (4.5 TFLs). There are new starters outside in Carlos Basham Jr. and Chris Calhoun, but both played a ton of football last season and should be ready to take on bigger roles.

The question is if either can replace the production of departed fifth-year seniors Wendell Dunn and Duke Ejiofor, who combined for 23.5 TFLs, 9.5 sacks and five forced fumbles last season. Ejiofor, in particular, will be tough to replace, as he notched second-team All-ACC honors.

“Duke Ejiofor got us off the field a lot on third down by himself the last few years, and we need to develop that pass rusher,” Clawson said. “We need a guy that allows us to get off the field by rushing three or rushing four and not having to blitz. Duke did a lot for us. He allowed us to do different things in coverage and not have to blitz a lot because he won so much. So we’re hoping one of those guys emerge and become an elite pass-rusher.”

Linebackers: Mike linebacker Grant Dawson and Buck linebacker Jaboree Williams were the team’s second- and third-leading tacklers last season, respectively, and leave some holes to fill. Justin Strnad, who tallied 8.5 TFLs, three picks and two forced fumbles last season as a reserve behind Williams, has established himself as the premier player in this position group, with the potential for an All-ACC season if the cards align right for him.

Things are a little less clear behind Strnad, although the bodies and the system are there in the group’s second season under Sawvel and linebackers coach Brad Sherrod. They should play faster and more decisively, which should lead to more plays. Demetrius Kemp is back to start again at rover, but players like Jeff Burley, Nate Mays, Jake Simpson and DJ Taylor should see the field in some capacity, with Taylor in position to assume starting Mike duties.

Defensive backs: Starting corners Amari Henderson and Essang Bassey are back after tallying a combined five interceptions and 28 breakups last season, and they are joined by former running back Arkeem Byrd and emerging sophomore Coby Davis, who had a strong spring.

But the most important pieces of this secondary will come from the safety spots. This defense regularly struggled against the spread last season because of its lack of numbers at safety, which only grew worse down the stretch when strong safety Jessie Bates missed two games late because of injury. Bates declared for the NFL Draft, leaving free safety and 2017 team-leading tackler (98) Cameron Glenn alone as the returning starter back there.

Chuck Wade Jr. is now a safety, and Clawson is optimistic that players like Tyriq Hardimon, Nasir Greer and Traveon Redd can make an impact this season. All three are in their first or second years of eligibility.

“The good thing is that we have depth at safety now,” Clawson said. “So I think it’s going to allow us to match up better with certain personnel groups, and it’ll really help us on special teams.”

Special teams: Greg Dortch’s return is a boon for a number of reasons, as he is a threat to score every time the ball is in his hands. That includes as a kick- and punt-return man, despite not taking any to the house last season. Alex Bachman and Chuck Wade Jr. are the most likely to spell him at either spot … or to be kicked to when opposing special teams units try to avoid Dortch.

Dom Maggio is back at punter, and he was expected to challenge for the starting kicking job left vacated by the graduation of Mike Weaver but was limited this spring due to injury. That meant redshirt freshman Zach Murphy and early enrollee Nick Sciba were left to duke it out this spring, although Maggio certainly can work his way back into the mix during fall camp.

How the Demon Deacons have recruited from 2015-2018
According to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, here is how Wake Forest’s recruiting classes have fared nationally and within the ACC over the last four years:

It is tough to judge the Demon Deacons solely on their recruiting rankings. As with most academically elite schools, the Deacs’ success comes through finding the right fits and developing those players, usually over four- or five-year periods. That is the Clawson blueprint, and it has worked from Fordham to Richmond to Bowling Green. Presently, look no further than a player like Wolford, who came to Winston-Salem during Clawson’s first season, struggled like seemingly everyone else in the program during that 2014 campaign, gradually improved and ended up leading the ACC in touchdown passes (29) during his senior year — an eight-win campaign for the Deacs.

That might be the biggest takeaway when looking at the makeup of this roster. Sure, Wake may regularly be near the bottom of the Power 5 when it comes to class rankings, but this is the Clawson regime’s fifth season, meaning it is the first roster made up entirely of players he recruited. Considering the 2014-17 on-field growth — from winning three games to winning bowls in consecutive years — that could mean the best is yet to come. At the very least, it should mean this program has a new floor, with bowl appearances an expectation rather than cause for celebration.

Impact of coaching changes
Wake had a relatively easy go of it this offseason: All Clawson had to do was add cornerbacks coach Ryan Crawford as the program’s 10th assistant. Crawford, a Davidson grad who had gotten to know Wake’s staff through camp work, comes over from Harvard, where he had coached the secondary. The only residual effect is second-year defensive coordinator Sawvel dropping “cornerbacks coach” from his title.

Schedule analysis
Opening against a triple-option team entering a potential breakthrough season in its coach’s third season presents its challenges. That’s what Wake Forest faces on the road against coach Willie Fritz and Tulane for its Thursday season opener. (Wake beat Tulane 7-3 in Fritz’s first game with the Green Wave in 2016.) Hosting Towson and Rice in the season’s first month should provide a reprieve of sorts from a nonconference standpoint, but a home game against Notre Dame is tough.

The Deacs then get Clemson, Florida State and Louisville in a row, with an idle week coming after the Clemson game and the latter two games on the road. But as long as Wake survives that stretch from a health and morale standpoint, the program will enter the season’s final month with the potential for a strong finish as it closes with Syracuse, at N.C. State, Pitt, at Duke.

Final assessment
If Hinton is consistent and the defense continues to grow, this will be a very good team. The definition of “very good” is ever-changing at Wake Forest, but if the Deacs stay healthy and run the ball as well as they should, then yes, topping last year’s seven-win regular season is certainly feasible, despite the rigors of this schedule.

State of the Program: Clemson football
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Clemson has reached the College Football Playoff the past three seasons, winning the national championship in January 2017 and playing for a title the year before. None of those teams appeared as stacked on paper going into a season as Dabo Swinney’s 2018 squad, which returns 62 lettermen — the most in school history.

“It’s a different deal for me in that I really haven’t had a team like this in nine years as a head coach,” Swinney told The Athletic this spring. “This year is the first team I’ve had where I really feel like at every position we have talent, we have experience, we have depth, we have character and we have leadership. We have all five of those components.

“That’s a good spot to be in.”

Indeed, there might be just one program in the country, Alabama, that wouldn’t love to trade places with the juggernaut Swinney has built at Clemson.

The Tigers, 82-15 since 2011, have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to reload each year. The breakout 2015 squad that lost to Alabama on the final night of the season did so a year after losing star defensive linemen Vic Beasley and Grady Jarrett to the NFL. The 2016 team that beat the Crimson Tide in Tampa had to replace six starting defenders who turned pro early. And in 2017, Clemson’s first team without all-time great quarterback Deshaun Watson made it back to the Playoff (losing to Alabama in the semifinals).

But 2018 began in entirely different fashion for the Tigers when D-linemen Christian Wilkins, Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant opted to return for their senior seasons despite high NFL draft projections. They join rising junior Dexter Lawrence, arguably the most coveted of the bunch, in forming what could be one of the best front fours the sport has ever seen.

Their goal is to be “THE best,” Ferrell said. Mind you, Clemson’s defense finished tied for first nationally in sacks last season and second nationally in yards per play allowed (4.27).

Swinney has spent the past several years playing the “no respect” card, first when the public was slow to acknowledge Clemson’s ascension and then in response to doubters who thought the Tigers would backslide post-Watson. This year, for a change, the Tigers must deal with the widely held assumption that they’re going to be great.

“Not losing that edge is something that’s going to be really huge for us,” Ferrell said. “I hope nobody in here thinks they’re good enough or they ain’t got nothing to work on, because they’ll get exposed out there.”

Biggest on-field question
All Kelly Bryant did in his first season as Clemson’s starting quarterback was succeed a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist, Watson, and lead the Tigers to 12 wins and a third consecutive ACC championship. Less than a year later, however, the rising senior will enter preseason camp in a fight to retain his job.

Not that he agrees.

“Definitely, I feel like it’s my job,” Bryant told The Athletic.

Maybe, but that’s not going to stop Tigers fans from clamoring for decorated true freshman Trevor Lawrence, the nation’s top-rated overall recruit on 247Sports’ Composite Rankings. The lanky 6-foot-5, 205-pound quarterback from Cartersville, Ga. — where he broke Watson’s state records for passing yards and touchdowns — enrolled at Clemson in January and wasted no time dazzling practice observers with his cannon arm.

Then came the Tigers’ April 14 spring game, when 50,000-plus spectators and an ESPN audience saw Lawrence throw a 50-yard touchdown to Tee Higgins on his second pass attempt and finish 11-for-16 for 122 yards. Conversely, Bryant struggled to an 8-for-15, 35-yard performance.

“Our culture is built around no entitlement,” Clemson co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott said. “Kelly knew that even after all the success he had last year that he’s going to have to come out and compete again this year, especially at the quarterback position, where you’ve got some high-profile guys coming in.”

Bryant has a huge leg up in experience and command of the Tigers’ playbook. Though Lawrence is mobile in the pocket, Bryant is a more dangerous rusher, leading the team last season in rushing yards gained (before sacks) with 884. Clemson certainly felt his absence when Bryant, already playing with an ankle injury, missed the second half of its Oct. 13 game at Syracuse with a concussion. The Tigers suffered their only regular-season loss that night.

But few would argue Bryant was an elite passer as a junior. His 7.0 yards per attempt ranked 70th nationally, and he threw just 13 touchdown passes in 14 games. He endured a miserable night in Clemson’s 24-6 Playoff loss to Alabama, finishing 18-for-36 for 124 yards and two interceptions.

And yet, shortly after the spring game, Bryant was named Clemson’s Male Athlete of the Year at the school’s annual “Clemmys” award show. It’s truly hard to imagine that such a distinguished player would be in jeopardy of losing his job. Only the coaching staff knows whether the new guy is a real threat to surpass him before the season opener.

“Everybody always wants to be curious about the new thing, but that comes with it,” Bryant said. “I’m here. Everybody wants to write me off, but I don’t feel like I’ve done anything to raise any questions.”

Depth chart analysis
Quarterbacks: A year ago at this time, the Next Big Thing at Clemson was Hunter Johnson, a five-star quarterback in the Class of 2017, but the 6-2, 210-pound sophomore from Indiana likely sits third string at best behind Kelly Bryant and Trevor Lawrence. Redshirt freshman Chase Brice, a three-star recruit in the same class as Johnson, led all passers with 221 yards in the spring game but also threw three picks.

Running backs: As a true freshman last season, Travis Etienne emerged as the Tigers’ most explosive playmaker, busting four gains of at least 50 yards and averaging 7.2 yards per carry. But he also never had more than 15 carries in a game, in part due to his struggles in pass blocking. Scott envisions Etienne continuing to share carries with junior Tavien Feaster, another speedster who made 11 starts in 2017. Both need to improve as pass protectors. Senior Adam Choice returns as well, having gained 702 yards on 162 career carries.

Receivers/tight ends: Fifth-year senior Hunter Renfrow, hero of the 2016 national title game, is back for one more go-round at the slot position. Sophomore Tee Higgins, the star of Clemson’s spring game (four catches, 118 yards, two TDs), is poised for a big year at the boundary position vacated by Deon Cain, as is sophomore Amari Rodgers at Ray-Ray McCloud’s old spot. Scott raves about early enrollee Derion Kendrick, calling him a “combination of (former stars) Sammy Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins.” He’ll join the Tigers’ deep rotation along with junior Diondre Overton, senior Trevion Thompson and sophomore T.J. Chase.

Clemson saw a drop-off from the tight end position last year after standout Jordan Leggett’s departure, but that could change this fall. “We’re at our best when those tight ends can stretch the field,” co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott told reporters this spring. Senior Milan Richard is a returning starter, but Clemson also gets back Cannon Smith and two tight ends, Garrett Williams and Cole Renfrow, who missed last season. And early enrollee Braden Galloway has made an impression on the coaches.

Offensive line: Senior Mitch Hyatt is back for his fourth year as the starting left tackle. He earned second-team AP All-America honors last season. All-ACC center Justin Falcinelli is back as well, but Clemson must replace both starting guards. Sean Pollard started at right tackle last season but worked at right guard in the spring. Fellow juniors John Simpson and Tremayne Anchrum and redshirt freshman Matt Bockhorst likely will vie for the other two spots. Massive (6-6, 350 pounds) five-star early enrollee Jackson Carman figures to play as a freshman.

Defensive line: As noted earlier, this could be an all-time great unit with three returning All-Americans — ends Clelin Ferrell (first-team AP) and Austin Bryant (third team) and tackle Christian Wilkins (second team) — and two-time All-ACC tackle Dexter Lawrence. Together, the three seniors and junior (Lawrence) have combined to make 96 career starts. Their backups include senior tackle Albert Huggins, who’s played 503 career snaps; sophomore tackle Nyles Pinckney, who played 174 snaps last season; and fifth-year senior end Chris Register. Meanwhile, five-star ends Xavier Thomas and K.J. Henry arrived in January.

Linebackers: Defensive coordinator Brent Venables says the Tigers go at least two deep at every position. Fifth-year senior Kendall Joseph and junior Tre Lamar return at the starting Will and Mike spots, respectively. Versatile sophomore Isaiah Simmons, who’s played safety to this point, now splits time at the outside linebacker spot vacated by leading tackler Dorian O’Daniel. Venables also is counting on third-year sophomore Shaq Smith and veterans Jalen Williams and J.D. Davis.

Defensive backs: Clemson has one top-flight cover corner in junior Trayvon Mullen and two others, Mark Fields and A.J. Terrell, with experience, but “we don’t have a lot of depth there,” Venables said. He and Swinney point to incoming freshmen Mario Goodrich and Kyler McMichael, both four-star recruits, as guys who will need to be ready to play immediately.

Junior Tanner Muse is entrenched at strong safety after making nine starts there last season, while juniors K’Von Wallace or Denzel Johnson could take over alongside him depending on whether Simmons lines up in the secondary or at nickel linebacker. Redshirt sophomore Nolan Turner missed much of spring with a shoulder injury but will be counted on for depth.

Special teams: Greg Huegel, a second-team All-ACC kicker in 2015 and ’16 and a former Groza Award semifinalist, returned this spring after tearing his ACL last September. It’s expected he’ll beat out Alex Spence, who took over for Huegel last season and made nine of 14 field goal attempts and missed two extra points. Sophomore punter Will Spiers will try to improve after ranking 11th in the ACC last season at 40.6 yards per kick.

McCloud was a dangerous return man who will be missed. Rodgers is expected to take over as punt returner, though true freshman Kendrick lined up there as well in the spring game. Running back Etienne was the primary kick returner last season and Feaster has returned kicks the past two seasons, though Rodgers could fill that role as well.

How the Tigers have recruited from 2015-18
According to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, here is how Clemson’s recruiting classes have fared nationally and within the ACC over the past four years:

What distinguishes Clemson’s recent classes from other recruiting powerhouses is not necessarily where they’re ranked but how small they’ve been. The Tigers signed 17 players in the 2018 cycle and inked just 14 the year before that. Swinney last signed a full 25-scholarship class in 2015.

“You have 85 scholarships — that’s simple math to me,” the head coach said. “I don’t like saying ‘OK, just go recruit everybody, sign everybody and we’ll figure it out later.’ I can’t lay my head down at night that way. That’s not how we operate.”

Clemson has needed a pretty high hit level in those classes given how many NFL early entries it’s had to replace during that time — 10 in 2016 and ’17 alone. Given how commonly attrition ravages other rosters, it’s striking that 19 of the 26 players in Clemson’s 2015 signing class are still on the roster or about to be drafted.

The 2018 class finished seventh in 247Sports’ Composite Rankings but on a per-player basis might be Swinney’s best yet. Only Georgia signed more five-stars than Clemson’s five — quarterback Lawrence, defensive ends Thomas and Henry, receiver Kendrick and arguably its biggest get, Carman, the monstrous tackle from Fairfield, Ohio, who surprisingly spurned Ohio State.

With a huge senior class set to graduate, though, Swinney knows he’ll need to load up in 2019, likely back-counting some of this year’s early enrollees to get above 25 for the first time in four years. “With this signing class,” he said, “you’ll look back three years from now and either go, ‘Damn, we did really good,’ or ‘Damn, we sucked.’ ”

Impact of coaching changes
Clemson has enjoyed a rare degree of staff continuity for such a successful program. Renowned defensive coordinator Venables has been in place since 2012. Co-offensive coordinators Scott and Elliott have been on staff since 2008 and 2011, respectively.

Swinney’s only staff change this season was to promote defensive analyst Lemanski Hall to become the Tigers’ 10th assistant coach. Hall will coach the tackles and returning defensive line coach Todd Bates will coach the ends. Clemson’s D-line had a similar co-share arrangement before last season with Dan Brooks (who retired) coaching tackles and Marion Hobby (who took an NFL assistant job) coaching the ends.

Hall, an Alabama teammate of Swinney’s in the early ’90s and a nine-year NFL linebacker, was a high school assistant coach in Tennessee before joining Swinney’s staff as an analyst in 2015. When announcing the move in January, Swinney said they’d been preparing for Hall’s ascension since the NCAA approved the 10th assistant role last April.

Schedule analysis
Like with its home-and-home against Auburn the past two seasons, Clemson plays an intriguing early nonconference game at Texas A&M. Swinney gets to face off for the ninth consecutive season against former Florida State adversary Jimbo Fisher. The Tigers will be favored, but the Aggies aren’t lacking for talent and will be running a different offense than they did under Kevin Sumlin.

Clemson’s ACC schedule could not be more forgiving, given the Tigers play neither Miami nor Virginia Tech from the Coastal Division. The Tigers instead drew Georgia Tech (5-6 last season) and Duke (7-6). The key stretch comes on three consecutive weekends in October and early November against divisional foes N.C. State, Florida State in Tallahassee and Louisville back at home.

Clemson closes as always against in-state rival South Carolina, whom Swinney’s teams have beaten four consecutive times but has been noticeably improving under third-year coach Will Muschamp.

All in all, it’s a highly manageable slate.

Final assessment
As Swinney said, Clemson is deep and talented at nearly every position group. It already boasted an extremely experienced roster full of future NFL players, and that was before adding a lauded incoming class with several potential high-impact freshmen.

Given all of that, and given the Tigers’ favorable conference schedule, the minimum expectation for 2018 will be a fourth consecutive ACC championship. And all the pieces are there to contend for a second national title in three seasons.

But don’t discount the potential for messiness with a budding quarterback controversy. In an ideal world for Swinney, either charismatic and highly respected Bryant shines from Week 1, putting to rest any possibility that Lawrence supplants him, or the freshman is so clearly otherworldly that Swinney would be foolish not to make the switch.

What Swinney needs to avoid is a season-long derby — much like Ohio State’s in 2015 with Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett — that overshadows all other storylines for the Tigers. That’s the kind of thing that can derail a potentially special squad.

State of the Program: Notre Dame football
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It will be Year 9 for Brian Kelly in 2018, and if that seems like a long time, that’s because it has been. Only four other Notre Dame coaches have made it this far, and they are four of the five who have won national titles in South Bend: Knute Rockne (13 years), Frank Leahy (11), Ara Parseghian (11) and Lou Holtz (11). (Dan Devine is the outlier, at six years.)

Expecting a national title from the Fighting Irish this season might be a bit much, but given the experience returning on defense, big things should at least be in striking distance for this group. Of course, pretty much all of that is contingent on getting the quarterback situation right (sound familiar?) and navigating what should be one of the nation’s most difficult schedules.

The positives? Kelly’s staff overhaul, and personal one, paid immediate dividends last season. Notre Dame entered November in the thick of the College Football Playoff race before faltering, which in some ways may have spoken to this group’s overachieving ways in September and October.

Consider: The Irish had six new assistant coaches, including three new coordinators. The defense was completely overhauled. A new quarterback was in place. And, perhaps most important, it was the team’s first season after implementing a different offseason strength and conditioning program, as Matt Balis came aboard from UConn and put the roster through the ringer. Another year of conditioning, combined with enhanced depth across the board, should in theory have these players ready for another tough November slate.

“For me, flying at 35,000 feet, I want to continue to test our football team and their endurance,” Kelly said at the start of spring practice. “I want to continue to test our football team and the gains that they’ve made from a physicality standpoint. Then I want to put them in positions where we can see what their skill sets are and how they can contribute, and where our issues are, and what we need to prop up as we move into the summer months and then certainly into camp.”

Most of those issues likely will come from the offensive side of the ball, where, in addition to the search for a quarterback, there is a ton of production to replace in the backfield, in the receiving game and on what was arguably the nation’s best offensive line in 2017.

“I don’t know that we’re looking for an answer as much as we’re looking for the consistency in play,” Kelly said of quarterback play, adding that the focus “is really about how do we get our passing game up to where it needs to be.”

Last year, that was the likely difference between good (Notre Dame’s 10-3 season) and great (a potential Playoff berth). The question now is how the Irish build off that when their identity was so wrapped up in so many of the players who have since left for the NFL. Change comes on the other side of the ball in new defensive coordinator Clark Lea, too, but Lea’s familiarity with the personnel, coupled with his time working with predecessor Mike Elko, should make for a relatively smooth transition.

Making a turnaround from 4-8 to double-digit wins was impressive, but the Irish haven’t had back-to-back 10-win seasons since a run of three in a row from 1991-93. There is yet another level to reach, and that might be the hardest part for a Notre Dame program that has so often managed to play its way into the conversation of the elite before falling a step or two short.

Biggest on-field question
Notre Dame entered the final month of the 2017 season ranked as high as No. 3 by the Playoff selection committee, but the Irish were exposed in November road losses to Miami and Stanford, with subpar quarterback play leading to their undoing.

What does that mean for Brandon Wimbush moving forward? The question is simple, but the answer is much more complicated, given all the factors at play.

Consider: Wimbush was the nation’s No. 3 dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2015, per 247Sports’ Composite Rankings. There were important people in Notre Dame’s football complex early on who thought Wimbush possessed more natural talent than the men in front of him, Malik Zaire and DeShone Kizer. And that may still be true: At nearly 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, Wimbush has a dynamic arm and impressive legs. He did, after all, rush for 803 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, his first as a starter.

Though Wimbush benefited from playing behind an offensive line that went on to win the Joe Moore Award, his legs masked his early shortcomings as a passer, as he completed just 51.5 percent of his passes even as he helped the Irish get off to an 8-1 start. Those numbers were fine compared to the miserable four-game finish, as he completed just 33 of 75 throws down the stretch (44 percent) before getting replaced by Ian Book in the Citrus Bowl win against LSU.

And yet: You will hear genuine praise behind the scenes about the high quality of his practice habits, about how smart the accounting major is, about how he is everything you could hope for in a Notre Dame quarterback in the way that he carries himself from Sunday through Friday. But the names “Chuck Knoblauch” and “Mackey Sasser” have been invoked to The Athletic by separate Irish insiders — analogies to baseball players whose perplexing battles with the yips undercut otherwise stellar careers. Never was that more evident than in the 41-8 loss to Miami, when the Irish’s playbook was essentially discarded because of Wimbush’s unexplainable inability to make accurate throws.

All of which makes spring evaluations about Wimbush tough to gauge.

“His hard work this offseason is paying off right now,” offensive coordinator Chip Long said this spring. “He’s doing a really good job just executing what we want to do and taking charge of the offense, and Ian is as well. And young Avery (Davis, the third-stringer) has really stepped up his game as well.”

Book proved more than capable as a backup, replacing ineffective Wimbush in the bowl win and filling in for the injured starter in an earlier rout of North Carolina. But with so many new faces on the offensive line and in the receiving game in 2018, more is needed for the Irish to take the next step.

Can incoming freshman Phil Jurkovec be the answer? The 6-5, 215-pound fourth-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the high school class of 2018 has all the tools, and the Irish staff is not so quietly counting on him to at the very least make a push for the starting job. Kelly is not averse to replacing a returning starter with a rookie.

But Jurkovec does not arrive until the summer. And if there is anything to be learned from last season, it’s that no one can truly know anything for certain until the lights come on.

Depth chart analysis
Quarterbacks: Ian Book and Brandon Wimbush are duking it out this spring, though no clarity is expected to come anytime soon. Jurkovec arrives this summer. Avery Davis, a former four-star prospect who redshirted last season, seems primed for a position switch, as the Irish have tried different ways to get the 5-11, 203-pound speedster on the field with the ball in his hands this spring. All of this is a long way of saying that Notre Dame is in better shape at the position than it was last season, if only because it has more potential options.

Running backs: Replacing Josh Adams and his 3,201 career rushing yards across three seasons is likely to involve a committee approach, as Tony Jones Jr. and Dexter Williams highlight a thin running back corps. Jones showed flashes as a runner and a blocker last season as a redshirt freshman, but he was often banged up and tallied 232 yards and three touchdowns. Williams, meanwhile, finished a single carry short of the minimum to qualify among the nation’s rushing leaders — a list he would have topped among running backs at 9.2 yards per carry.

Crazy enough, Williams is entering his senior year, and with just one other scholarship back on the spring roster (early enrollee Jahmir Smith), the cards could be aligning in his favor to have a breakout year as the featured back. The last time the Irish were this thin in the backfield, in the spring of 2015, the situation boded well for their featured back that season: converted receiver C.J. Prosise.

Wide receivers/tight ends: On their own, the receivers might make up the least-proven group on the Irish roster. The most consistent, established returning threat is Citrus Bowl phenom Miles Boykin, who tallied one start, 12 catches and 253 yards in 2017. The next-most proven target is Chase Claypool, who, by all indications — particularly Kelly’s news conference words — needs to get more consistent. Former walk-on Chris Finke is back, too, although his biggest contributions might come in the return game.

The tight end rotation is deep, in keeping with a program that has boasted the Tight End U. moniker over the past decade. Nic Weishar is the elder statesman of a group that will feature four players, with Alize Mack, Brock Wright and Cole Kmet likely to see extended action in 2018.

Offensive line: The only set positions are returning starters Sam Mustipher (center) and Alex Bars (who has started at both guard spots). Notre Dame has largely experimented with the talent it has this spring, at times trotting out a first-team line with Liam Eichenberg at left tackle, Tommy Kraemer at left guard and Robert Hainsey at right tackle; or, alternately, with Hainsey at left tackle, Josh Lugg at left guard and Kraemer at right tackle. Eichenberg’s emergence this spring seems to have been the impetus for the shuffle, and though Kraemer and Hainsey split time at right tackle during last season’s standout campaign, Long has indicated that Eichenberg and Hainsey are the frontrunners for the two tackle spots this spring.

No matter how things shake out, there likely will be an adjustment period given that soon-to-be high draft picks Mike McGlinchey and Quenton Nelson are no longer holding down the fort, along with the fact that O-line coach Harry Hiestand left for the NFL. But recruiting along the line has not slowed, as the Irish have four more tackle signees on the way this fall. And, perhaps as impressive as anything else, Hainsey played his way into a part-time starting job as a true freshman on last year’s dominant line.

Defensive line: Notre Dame went from a comically low 14 sacks in 2016 (118th nationally) to a much more respectable 24 last season (70th). The jump was impressive considering the personnel was largely the same and will continue that way into 2018. Jay Hayes transferring leaves the Irish down an official starter from 2017, but Hayes was going to have to outplay junior Khalid Kareem to keep that job to begin with. And Kareem is coming off a pleasantly surprising season in which he tied for second on the team with three sacks. He is joined on the outside by fellow junior (and fellow Michigan native) Daelin Hayes, who also tallied three sacks (among 6.5 tackles for loss), along with four hurries and two fumble recoveries.

Two seniors man the interior, as Jonathan Bonner and Jerry Tillery started every game last season, with Tillery playing his way into the NFL conversation with a breakout campaign that featured a team-best 4.5 sacks and 11 hurries. This line is not like those early Kelly-era units that were loaded with first-round potential, but it has developed nicely through coaching changes and can make up for physical shortcomings with years of playing experience together.

Linebackers: Fifth-year senior and two-time captain Drue Tranquill is back again, this time in yet another position. Tranquill, who overcame ACL tears in both knees during his first two years on campus, thrived in his switch last season from safety to rover, finishing with 10.5 TFLs, one pick, one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries. But with the graduation of starters Greer Martini (Buck) and Nyles Morgan (Mike), Tranquill will slide over to the Buck position, with Asmar Bilal taking over at rover. A part-time starter (and leading tackler) last season, senior Te’von Coney will now man the Mike, after providing relief for Martini at the Buck last season. Coney showed massive improvements as the season progressed, finishing with 116 stops, including 13 behind the line of scrimmage.


Defensive backs: Ask anyone who coached for or against Notre Dame last season, and each will tell you how impressive a job Elko did, considering he essentially had a nine-man defense to work with. The play at safety was substandard, and it needs to improve this season, regardless of who’s in the lineup.

As for who will be there, Kelly said in plain terms recently that everything is up for grabs. So incumbents Nick Coleman and Jalen Elliott have their work cut out for them — as do Isaiah Robertson and Devin Studstill. Navy safety transfer Alohi Gilman likely would have started last season had he been eligible, and returning corners Julian Love, Troy Pride Jr. and Shaun Crawford should continue to build off their first real extended stretches of playing from last season.

Special teams: Kicker Justin Yoon and punter (and captain) Tyler Newsome are back, with each entering their fourth years as starters. It will be the second year at their respective positions for John Shannon (snapper) and Jonathan Doerer (kickoffs). Chris Finke is back to return punts, too, although there will be a new face returning kicks, as receiver C.J. Sanders has elected to become a graduate transfer.

Tony Jones Jr. has the most returning experience in the kick return department, although the lack of depth at running back likely means that others will get a longer look there. With the Irish indoors pretty much all spring, those reps have been few and far between, although sophomore receivers Jafar Armstrong and Michael Young look to have the early inside track, with the potential for some freshman contributions come fall camp.

Notre Dame was decidedly middle-of-the-pack across the board on special teams last season, but even that was an upgrade from the comedy of errors that preceded the Irish’s special teams in 2017. Keep in mind, too, that last year was Brian Polian’s first as special teams coordinator and that he will look for more big plays out of these groups in 2018 now that most of the adjustments have been worked out. (Also worth noting: There will be a new holder with quarterback Montgomery VanGorder off to Youngstown State. Anyone overlooking that should be pointed to the mess that was the end of the 2014 season for the Irish.)

How the Irish have recruited from 2015-2018

According to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, here is how Notre Dame’s recruiting classes have fared nationally over the past four years:
Notre Dame pulled in the nation’s No. 10 class for the second consecutive year, following classes ranked No. 15 (2016) and No. 13 (2015). That ’15 class, in particular, has not aged particularly well: Eight of its 23 players have transferred or been dismissed, and two others, Josh Adams and Equanimeous St. Brown, declared for the draft.

Helping to offset that is a roster featuring eight fifth-year seniors, as Notre Dame, like its academic brethren Stanford, has tried to master the art of getting old. The Irish shed some dead recruiting weight on their staff in recent years and have seen their recruiting rankings jump. The last two classes should provide some needed depth for a program that has fallen victim to late-season flameouts in recent years.

More noteworthy: Eight D-linemen have joined the program over the past two years, adding to a core of Tillery, Daelin Hayes and Kareem. When the Irish were winning — such as in 2012 — they, like most recent Playoff participants, were getting after the quarterback. While there was a dip in the aftermath of that title-game run six seasons ago, things appear to be back on the upswing in that department.

Impact of coaching changes
Jeff Quinn and Terry Joseph are in, Hiestand and Elko are out. All in all, the staff turnover for Notre Dame was minimal, at least from a familiarity standpoint: Quinn, the former Buffalo head coach, had been with the program in a number of non-coaching roles the previous three seasons before being tabbed to replace Hiestand as offensive line coach — no small task, considering the left side of arguably the nation’s best line is moving on to the NFL (as is Hiestand, now with the Chicago Bears).

Joseph comes from North Carolina and joins incumbent Todd Lyght as a defensive backs coach, with the former tutoring the safeties. Joseph is the lone fresh voice on this staff, which unexpectedly lost Elko, its defensive coordinator, to Texas A&M in January.

Elko engineered a massive turnaround in his lone year in South Bend, and look for much of the same cosmetically with Lea running the show, especially with upward of nine starters back on that side of the ball. Lea had worked under Elko at three different stops, including serving as Notre Dame’s linebackers coach last season. (He will remain in charge of the linebackers this season.)

Longtime Kelly right-hand man Mike Elston got a bump from assistant head coach to associate head coach (in addition to defensive line duties), and former Irish QB Tommy Rees became the 10th assistant after being tabbed as quarterbacks coach last year — a title he could not officially assume until 2018.

Schedule analysis

From opening against rival Michigan to closing at rival USC, Notre Dame should have one of the toughest schedules in the country. It’s not just that the Irish play 10 Power 5 opponents and always-strong Navy. And it’s not just that, in addition to the aforementioned opponents, the Irish also face Stanford, Virginia Tech and Florida State.

On top of all that, Notre Dame only has one home game in October … and one in November. It closes its home schedule Nov. 10 against Florida State, then travels to Yankee Stadium to face Syracuse and finishes at Southern California. And that final three-game stretch overshadows the trap-heavy stretch ahead of it: an Oct. 27 trip to San Diego to face the Midshipmen, followed by a Nov. 3 visit to Northwestern.

Thirty years after their last national championship, the Irish will need some luck to navigate this road relatively unscathed.

Final assessment
Fix the quarterback problem, and the rest will take care of itself, right? In college football today, teams might not need both a dominant quarterback and a dominant defense, but they do need at least one of those to succeed. The Irish lacked both last season, but they have the potential to do a lot more, particularly on defense, which would give them a good shot at a New Year’s Six bowl if the cards align just so.

(06-13-2018 08:16 AM)GTFletch Wrote:  State of the Program: Notre Dame football
https://theathletic.com/304756/2018/04/1...-schedule/

It will be Year 9 for Brian Kelly in 2018, and if that seems like a long time, that’s because it has been. Only four other Notre Dame coaches have made it this far, and they are four of the five who have won national titles in South Bend: Knute Rockne (13 years), Frank Leahy (11), Ara Parseghian (11) and Lou Holtz (11). (Dan Devine is the outlier, at six years.)

Expecting a national title from the Fighting Irish this season might be a bit much, but given the experience returning on defense, big things should at least be in striking distance for this group. Of course, pretty much all of that is contingent on getting the quarterback situation right (sound familiar?) and navigating what should be one of the nation’s most difficult schedules.

The positives? Kelly’s staff overhaul, and personal one, paid immediate dividends last season. Notre Dame entered November in the thick of the College Football Playoff race before faltering, which in some ways may have spoken to this group’s overachieving ways in September and October.

Consider: The Irish had six new assistant coaches, including three new coordinators. The defense was completely overhauled. A new quarterback was in place. And, perhaps most important, it was the team’s first season after implementing a different offseason strength and conditioning program, as Matt Balis came aboard from UConn and put the roster through the ringer. Another year of conditioning, combined with enhanced depth across the board, should in theory have these players ready for another tough November slate.

“For me, flying at 35,000 feet, I want to continue to test our football team and their endurance,” Kelly said at the start of spring practice. “I want to continue to test our football team and the gains that they’ve made from a physicality standpoint. Then I want to put them in positions where we can see what their skill sets are and how they can contribute, and where our issues are, and what we need to prop up as we move into the summer months and then certainly into camp.”

Most of those issues likely will come from the offensive side of the ball, where, in addition to the search for a quarterback, there is a ton of production to replace in the backfield, in the receiving game and on what was arguably the nation’s best offensive line in 2017.

“I don’t know that we’re looking for an answer as much as we’re looking for the consistency in play,” Kelly said of quarterback play, adding that the focus “is really about how do we get our passing game up to where it needs to be.”

Last year, that was the likely difference between good (Notre Dame’s 10-3 season) and great (a potential Playoff berth). The question now is how the Irish build off that when their identity was so wrapped up in so many of the players who have since left for the NFL. [b]Change comes on the other side of the ball in new defensive coordinator Clark Lea, too, but Lea’s familiarity with the personnel, coupled with his time working with predecessor Mike Elko, should make for a relatively smooth transition.[/b]

Making a turnaround from 4-8 to double-digit wins was impressive, but the Irish haven’t had back-to-back 10-win seasons since a run of three in a row from 1991-93. There is yet another level to reach, and that might be the hardest part for a Notre Dame program that has so often managed to play its way into the conversation of the elite before falling a step or two short.

Biggest on-field question
Notre Dame entered the final month of the 2017 season ranked as high as No. 3 by the Playoff selection committee, but the Irish were exposed in November road losses to Miami and Stanford, with subpar quarterback play leading to their undoing.

What does that mean for Brandon Wimbush moving forward? The question is simple, but the answer is much more complicated, given all the factors at play.

Consider: Wimbush was the nation’s No. 3 dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2015, per 247Sports’ Composite Rankings. There were important people in Notre Dame’s football complex early on who thought Wimbush possessed more natural talent than the men in front of him, Malik Zaire and DeShone Kizer. And that may still be true: At nearly 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, Wimbush has a dynamic arm and impressive legs. He did, after all, rush for 803 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, his first as a starter.

Though Wimbush benefited from playing behind an offensive line that went on to win the Joe Moore Award, his legs masked his early shortcomings as a passer, as he completed just 51.5 percent of his passes even as he helped the Irish get off to an 8-1 start. Those numbers were fine compared to the miserable four-game finish, as he completed just 33 of 75 throws down the stretch (44 percent) before getting replaced by Ian Book in the Citrus Bowl win against LSU.

And yet: You will hear genuine praise behind the scenes about the high quality of his practice habits, about how smart the accounting major is, about how he is everything you could hope for in a Notre Dame quarterback in the way that he carries himself from Sunday through Friday. But the names “Chuck Knoblauch” and “Mackey Sasser” have been invoked to The Athletic by separate Irish insiders — analogies to baseball players whose perplexing battles with the yips undercut otherwise stellar careers. Never was that more evident than in the 41-8 loss to Miami, when the Irish’s playbook was essentially discarded because of Wimbush’s unexplainable inability to make accurate throws.

All of which makes spring evaluations about Wimbush tough to gauge.

“His hard work this offseason is paying off right now,” offensive coordinator Chip Long said this spring. “He’s doing a really good job just executing what we want to do and taking charge of the offense, and Ian is as well. And young Avery (Davis, the third-stringer) has really stepped up his game as well.”

Book proved more than capable as a backup, replacing ineffective Wimbush in the bowl win and filling in for the injured starter in an earlier rout of North Carolina. But with so many new faces on the offensive line and in the receiving game in 2018, more is needed for the Irish to take the next step.

Can incoming freshman Phil Jurkovec be the answer? The 6-5, 215-pound fourth-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the high school class of 2018 has all the tools, and the Irish staff is not so quietly counting on him to at the very least make a push for the starting job. Kelly is not averse to replacing a returning starter with a rookie.

But Jurkovec does not arrive until the summer. And if there is anything to be learned from last season, it’s that no one can truly know anything for certain until the lights come on.

Depth chart analysis
Quarterbacks: Ian Book and Brandon Wimbush are duking it out this spring, though no clarity is expected to come anytime soon. Jurkovec arrives this summer. Avery Davis, a former four-star prospect who redshirted last season, seems primed for a position switch, as the Irish have tried different ways to get the 5-11, 203-pound speedster on the field with the ball in his hands this spring. All of this is a long way of saying that Notre Dame is in better shape at the position than it was last season, if only because it has more potential options.

Running backs: Replacing Josh Adams and his 3,201 career rushing yards across three seasons is likely to involve a committee approach, as Tony Jones Jr. and Dexter Williams highlight a thin running back corps. Jones showed flashes as a runner and a blocker last season as a redshirt freshman, but he was often banged up and tallied 232 yards and three touchdowns. Williams, meanwhile, finished a single carry short of the minimum to qualify among the nation’s rushing leaders — a list he would have topped among running backs at 9.2 yards per carry.

Crazy enough, Williams is entering his senior year, and with just one other scholarship back on the spring roster (early enrollee Jahmir Smith), the cards could be aligning in his favor to have a breakout year as the featured back. The last time the Irish were this thin in the backfield, in the spring of 2015, the situation boded well for their featured back that season: converted receiver C.J. Prosise.

Wide receivers/tight ends: On their own, the receivers might make up the least-proven group on the Irish roster. The most consistent, established returning threat is Citrus Bowl phenom Miles Boykin, who tallied one start, 12 catches and 253 yards in 2017. The next-most proven target is Chase Claypool, who, by all indications — particularly Kelly’s news conference words — needs to get more consistent. Former walk-on Chris Finke is back, too, although his biggest contributions might come in the return game.

The tight end rotation is deep, in keeping with a program that has boasted the Tight End U. moniker over the past decade. Nic Weishar is the elder statesman of a group that will feature four players, with Alize Mack, Brock Wright and Cole Kmet likely to see extended action in 2018.

Offensive line: The only set positions are returning starters Sam Mustipher (center) and Alex Bars (who has started at both guard spots). Notre Dame has largely experimented with the talent it has this spring, at times trotting out a first-team line with Liam Eichenberg at left tackle, Tommy Kraemer at left guard and Robert Hainsey at right tackle; or, alternately, with Hainsey at left tackle, Josh Lugg at left guard and Kraemer at right tackle. Eichenberg’s emergence this spring seems to have been the impetus for the shuffle, and though Kraemer and Hainsey split time at right tackle during last season’s standout campaign, Long has indicated that Eichenberg and Hainsey are the frontrunners for the two tackle spots this spring.

No matter how things shake out, there likely will be an adjustment period given that soon-to-be high draft picks Mike McGlinchey and Quenton Nelson are no longer holding down the fort, along with the fact that O-line coach Harry Hiestand left for the NFL. But recruiting along the line has not slowed, as the Irish have four more tackle signees on the way this fall. And, perhaps as impressive as anything else, Hainsey played his way into a part-time starting job as a true freshman on last year’s dominant line.

Defensive line: Notre Dame went from a comically low 14 sacks in 2016 (118th nationally) to a much more respectable 24 last season (70th). The jump was impressive considering the personnel was largely the same and will continue that way into 2018. Jay Hayes transferring leaves the Irish down an official starter from 2017, but Hayes was going to have to outplay junior Khalid Kareem to keep that job to begin with. And Kareem is coming off a pleasantly surprising season in which he tied for second on the team with three sacks. He is joined on the outside by fellow junior (and fellow Michigan native) Daelin Hayes, who also tallied three sacks (among 6.5 tackles for loss), along with four hurries and two fumble recoveries.

Two seniors man the interior, as Jonathan Bonner and Jerry Tillery started every game last season, with Tillery playing his way into the NFL conversation with a breakout campaign that featured a team-best 4.5 sacks and 11 hurries. This line is not like those early Kelly-era units that were loaded with first-round potential, but it has developed nicely through coaching changes and can make up for physical shortcomings with years of playing experience together.

Linebackers: Fifth-year senior and two-time captain Drue Tranquill is back again, this time in yet another position. Tranquill, who overcame ACL tears in both knees during his first two years on campus, thrived in his switch last season from safety to rover, finishing with 10.5 TFLs, one pick, one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries. But with the graduation of starters Greer Martini (Buck) and Nyles Morgan (Mike), Tranquill will slide over to the Buck position, with Asmar Bilal taking over at rover. A part-time starter (and leading tackler) last season, senior Te’von Coney will now man the Mike, after providing relief for Martini at the Buck last season. Coney showed massive improvements as the season progressed, finishing with 116 stops, including 13 behind the line of scrimmage.


Defensive backs: Ask anyone who coached for or against Notre Dame last season, and each will tell you how impressive a job Elko did, considering he essentially had a nine-man defense to work with. The play at safety was substandard, and it needs to improve this season, regardless of who’s in the lineup.

As for who will be there, Kelly said in plain terms recently that everything is up for grabs. So incumbents Nick Coleman and Jalen Elliott have their work cut out for them — as do Isaiah Robertson and Devin Studstill. Navy safety transfer Alohi Gilman likely would have started last season had he been eligible, and returning corners Julian Love, Troy Pride Jr. and Shaun Crawford should continue to build off their first real extended stretches of playing from last season.

Special teams: Kicker Justin Yoon and punter (and captain) Tyler Newsome are back, with each entering their fourth years as starters. It will be the second year at their respective positions for John Shannon (snapper) and Jonathan Doerer (kickoffs). Chris Finke is back to return punts, too, although there will be a new face returning kicks, as receiver C.J. Sanders has elected to become a graduate transfer.

Tony Jones Jr. has the most returning experience in the kick return department, although the lack of depth at running back likely means that others will get a longer look there. With the Irish indoors pretty much all spring, those reps have been few and far between, although sophomore receivers Jafar Armstrong and Michael Young look to have the early inside track, with the potential for some freshman contributions come fall camp.

Notre Dame was decidedly middle-of-the-pack across the board on special teams last season, but even that was an upgrade from the comedy of errors that preceded the Irish’s special teams in 2017. Keep in mind, too, that last year was Brian Polian’s first as special teams coordinator and that he will look for more big plays out of these groups in 2018 now that most of the adjustments have been worked out. (Also worth noting: There will be a new holder with quarterback Montgomery VanGorder off to Youngstown State. Anyone overlooking that should be pointed to the mess that was the end of the 2014 season for the Irish.)

How the Irish have recruited from 2015-2018

According to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, here is how Notre Dame’s recruiting classes have fared nationally over the past four years:
Notre Dame pulled in the nation’s No. 10 class for the second consecutive year, following classes ranked No. 15 (2016) and No. 13 (2015). That ’15 class, in particular, has not aged particularly well: Eight of its 23 players have transferred or been dismissed, and two others, Josh Adams and Equanimeous St. Brown, declared for the draft.

Helping to offset that is a roster featuring eight fifth-year seniors, as Notre Dame, like its academic brethren Stanford, has tried to master the art of getting old. The Irish shed some dead recruiting weight on their staff in recent years and have seen their recruiting rankings jump. The last two classes should provide some needed depth for a program that has fallen victim to late-season flameouts in recent years.

More noteworthy: Eight D-linemen have joined the program over the past two years, adding to a core of Tillery, Daelin Hayes and Kareem. When the Irish were winning — such as in 2012 — they, like most recent Playoff participants, were getting after the quarterback. While there was a dip in the aftermath of that title-game run six seasons ago, things appear to be back on the upswing in that department.

Impact of coaching changes
Jeff Quinn and Terry Joseph are in, Hiestand and Elko are out. All in all, the staff turnover for Notre Dame was minimal, at least from a familiarity standpoint: Quinn, the former Buffalo head coach, had been with the program in a number of non-coaching roles the previous three seasons before being tabbed to replace Hiestand as offensive line coach — no small task, considering the left side of arguably the nation’s best line is moving on to the NFL (as is Hiestand, now with the Chicago Bears).

Joseph comes from North Carolina and joins incumbent Todd Lyght as a defensive backs coach, with the former tutoring the safeties. Joseph is the lone fresh voice on this staff, which unexpectedly lost Elko, its defensive coordinator, to Texas A&M in January.

Elko engineered a massive turnaround in his lone year in South Bend, and look for much of the same cosmetically with Lea running the show, especially with upward of nine starters back on that side of the ball. Lea had worked under Elko at three different stops, including serving as Notre Dame’s linebackers coach last season. (He will remain in charge of the linebackers this season.)

Longtime Kelly right-hand man Mike Elston got a bump from assistant head coach to associate head coach (in addition to defensive line duties), and former Irish QB Tommy Rees became the 10th assistant after being tabbed as quarterbacks coach last year — a title he could not officially assume until 2018.

Schedule analysis

From opening against rival Michigan to closing at rival USC, Notre Dame should have one of the toughest schedules in the country. It’s not just that the Irish play 10 Power 5 opponents and always-strong Navy. And it’s not just that, in addition to the aforementioned opponents, the Irish also face Stanford, Virginia Tech and Florida State.

On top of all that, Notre Dame only has one home game in October … and one in November. It closes its home schedule Nov. 10 against Florida State, then travels to Yankee Stadium to face Syracuse and finishes at Southern California. And that final three-game stretch overshadows the trap-heavy stretch ahead of it: an Oct. 27 trip to San Diego to face the Midshipmen, followed by a Nov. 3 visit to Northwestern.

Thirty years after their last national championship, the Irish will need some luck to navigate this road relatively unscathed.

Final assessment
Fix the quarterback problem, and the rest will take care of itself, right? In college football today, teams might not need both a dominant quarterback and a dominant defense, but they do need at least one of those to succeed. The Irish lacked both last season, but they have the potential to do a lot more, particularly on defense, which would give them a good shot at a New Year’s Six bowl if the cards align just so.

ND was flying high in late October at 7-0 after beating Southern Cal by 35 points (I was there) and handily beating NC State.

ND beat Wake Forest the next week, but Brandon Wimbush was injured in that game and was never the same.

RB Josh Adams looked to be building a Heisman invitation season until hobbled by a foot injury late in the season. He never regained his early and mid-season form. There was little RB depth.

Adams went undrafted despite pretty gaudy numbers against good competition because of the injury and still cannot practice with the Philadelphia Eagles after signing as an UDFA. He will likely be cut soon. He can't even take the field, six months after the season ended.

Coming off a 10-3 season, ND has had a number of suspensions and expulsions (and related transfers/terminations) since December, losing RB's Deon Macintosh, CJ Holmes and likely (for at least four games because of smoking hootch) putative RB starter Dexter Williams, among others.

The Irish should have a fairly stout defense. The question marks are on offense, particularly rebuilding an offensive line that lost two Top Ten 1st round draft picks, the development of QB Brandon Wimbush and finding a starting running back.

Loving these State of the program updates Fletch Thanks!!!


of course patiently waiting on my teams update.
FLossY Out...

State of the Program: After strong finish, Duke football searches for consistency
Link
https://theathletic.com/391123/2018/06/1...-schedule/

It is the Zen koan of Duke coach David Cutcliffe: You’re either getting better or you’re getting worse, he likes to say. But even Cutcliffe would admit that it’s not often you have a season like the one the Blue Devils did in 2017, where you get better, then get worse, and then seemingly get even better than you were.

“Responding to losing is sometimes easier than responding to winning,” Cutcliffe told The Athletic, and last year was a season in which Duke had to do both. The Blue Devils were 4-0 heading into a nationally televised Friday night home game against Miami in late September. They lost 31-6 and went into a tailspin, losing six games in a row before becoming bowl-eligible with wins over Georgia Tech and Wake Forest to end the regular season. In the Quick Lane Bowl, they blew out Northern Illinois 36-14 to finish 7-6 — Cutcliffe’s fourth winning record in five years after Duke had 18 consecutive losing seasons.

“First time I’ve experienced a season like that,” newly promoted co-defensive coordinator Matt Guerrieri said.

Those ups and downs could prove a boon for a roster that is deep, experienced and now has a sense of how important consistency can be at a program that is never going to overwhelm anyone on the basis of sheer athleticism. This Duke team is perhaps more balanced than it has ever been during Cutcliffe’s remarkable 10-year renaissance as coach, and Guerrieri and Ben Albert take over a unit that finished tied for 21st in the country in points allowed last season under Jim Knowles, who left to become the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State.

Knowles’ hiring by Mike Gundy makes a statement in itself about the evolution of this program. But something about the ongoing challenge of maintaining the newfound standards at Duke says a good deal about why Cutcliffe has remained in Durham rather than pursue jobs like the one at Tennessee (a school where he was a longtime assistant) that opened up last year.

“This has a chance to be the best team we’ve had,” Cutcliffe said. “I hope that’s been made loud and clear to them. You never know when it’s going to pop and have that crazy exceptional year, but I think the thing about coaching here is that every day matters. You’ve got to do every little thing right. To me, I find that more motivating.”

Biggest on-field question
This might be the deepest team that Cutcliffe has fielded in his decade at Duke. The question now is: Can the Blue Devils take advantage of that depth and parlay it into a nine- or 10-win season, as they did in 2013 and ’14?

That question will be determined in large part by the play of redshirt junior quarterback Daniel Jones, a two-year starter who appears primed for a breakout season after three years under the tutelage of Cutcliffe, one of the most respected quarterback whisperers in the sport. While Jones — one of only six quarterbacks at a Power 5 school to throw for 2,500 yards and rush for 500 last season — was very good at times, he also was inconsistent. His completion rate decreased from 62.8 to 56.7 percent, and his passing efficiency rating of 111.97 was the lowest for any starting quarterback in the Cutcliffe era. At least some of that can be attributed to a subpar offensive line.

“To be blunt, he’s been hit too much,” Cutcliffe said. “That’s one of the reasons we’ve got to be better up front.”

Cutcliffe said he challenged Jones even more this spring than he had in the past. His goal was to get Jones, who is 6 feet 5 and 220 pounds, to tighten up his footwork and perfect his mechanics during non-contact drills in the spring and early fall, so that when the hits do come, he won’t falter. Cutcliffe likened Jones’ intelligence to that of his one-time protégés Peyton and Eli Manning, and he said Jones has gotten a chance to ask them questions when they’ve come to visit.

The good news for Duke is that Jones ended the season on a high note and the Blue Devils found more overarching consistency on offense at the tail end of the season: They averaged 36.7 points in their final three games, as opposed to 12.2 during their six-game losing streak. Pair that with an offensive line starting five that appears to be pretty well set coming out of the spring, and the Blue Devils are hoping they can keep that end-of-season momentum going into 2018 — and avoid another midseason swoon.

“We are looking for more consistent play on the offensive line, but you’d say that about every position on the offense,” offensive coordinator Zac Roper said. “Overall, there were more turnovers and more negative plays (during the losing streak portion of last season) than in other parts.”

Depth chart analysis
Quarterbacks: At the end of an uneven campaign in which he finished 12th in the ACC in passing efficiency, Daniel Jones finished his sophomore season strong, throwing for two touchdowns and running for another in the Blue Devils’ 36-14 Quick Lane Bowl win over Northern Illinois. If Jones gets injured or falters, junior dual-threat Quentin Harris has experience after playing in 10 games last season. Behind them are two pro-style passers: redshirt freshman Chris Katrenick is behind Harris on the depth chart, and true freshman Gunnar Holmberg enrolled early.

Running backs: Leading rusher Shaun Wilson is gone, but he was just one of three Duke players to rush for more than 500 yards last season (a first in school history). The others were Jones and sophomore Brittain Brown, who ran for 701 yards and had two 100-yard games. Explosive sophomore Deon Jackson, who Cutcliffe says is capable of lining up and running patterns at wide receiver, will step in behind Brown, as will redshirt freshman Marvin Hubbard III and senior Nicodem Pierre, who began his career as a quarterback.

Wide receivers/tight ends: The Blue Devils return pretty much every key player from last season at wide receiver and tight end, and they’re hoping a few more young players will emerge. Senior T.J. Rahming led Duke with 65 catches last year and was All-ACC honorable mention. Senior Johnathan Lloyd was second with 39 catches, and another senior, Chris Taylor, had 25, giving Duke a veteran group. Junior Aaron Young (13 catches) had a strong spring and could vie for time with Taylor, and junior Keyston Fuller, sophomore Scott Bracey and senior Trevon Lee saw extensive time last season. Given that depth, the three freshman receivers in the Blue Devils’ 2018 recruiting class could wind up redshirting this season, though South Carolina product Dennis Smith might have the best chance of breaking through.

Duke also might have one of the deepest tight end units in the ACC, if not in the country. Daniel Helm (22 catches last year) returns, along with fellow senior Davis Koppenhaver (17 catches) and sophomore Noah Gray, who had two touchdown catches last season. And sophomore Mark Birmingham played in every game last season.

Offensive line: Three starters are gone, including center and team captain Austin Davis, and that could spell trouble for Jones if the Blue Devils can’t find a coherent unit here. But there is talent left behind: Fifth-year senior Zach Harmon, who started at right guard last year, will move over to center, and junior Julian Santos returns at left guard. Senior Christian Harris played in 11 games last year and will start at left tackle. Sophomore Rakavius Chambers — the second true freshman to play on the line in Cutcliffe’s tenure — appears to have locked down the starting spot at right guard, and 6-7 sophomore Robert Kraeling, who was named one of the most improved players this spring, has the edge at right tackle.

And for once, Duke might have depth on the line, as well, which could make a huge difference as the season wears on. Junior Zach Baker played 12 games at guard last season, and true freshman Casey Holman should see time at tackle. Sophomore Jack Wohlabaugh is an Ohio State transfer who applied for a waiver to play but might not be eligible until 2019.

Defensive line: The Blue Devils return nine lettermen, including four who played as true freshmen last year. Despite the loss of Mike Ramsay (43 tackles), they should have plenty of depth. At end, junior Tre Hornbuckle and sophomore Victor Dimukeje return as starters. Hornbuckle had 9.5 tackles for loss last season, and Dimukeje had 7.5 tackles for loss as a true freshman. Key backups at end include sophomore Drew Jordan, a four-star recruit who made a couple of key plays (including a sack) in the win over North Carolina last season, sophomore Chidi Okonya and junior Terrell Lucas. The Blue Devils’ only four-star recruit of 2018, Tahj Rice, also could figure in at end.

“We’ve got depth here on defense we haven’t had in the past,” Guerrieri said. “Our job, from a philosophy standpoint on defense, is to play really aggressive.”

Senior Edgar Cerenord (34 tackles) returns to start at tackle, and Trevon McSwain (23 tackles, 3 TFLs) will step in at Ramsay’s position. Two sophomores who gained experience last season, Axel Nyembwe and Derrick Tangelo, will back them up.

Linebackers: Junior Joe Giles-Harris received All-America honors and is one of the best linebackers in the country. He was the first player in Duke history to record 125 tackles and 16 tackles for loss in a season. “He’s the total package,” Guerrieri said. Along with senior Ben Humphreys, who had 70 tackles and nine tackles for loss, the Blue Devils will have one of the strongest tandems in the country. Junior Koby Quansah started three games last season and will fill in behind Humphries along with sophomore Xander Gagnon, and sophomore Brandon Hill will back up Giles-Harris.

Defensive backs: The Blue Devils finished 25th in passing efficiency defense and again have a strong secondary with three starters returning. The group is led by junior cornerback Mark Gilbert, a first-team All-ACC pick whom Cutcliffe calls “as good as any corner in the country.” Gilbert had six interceptions and broke up 14 passes.

Senior safety Jeremy McDuffie was a third-team All-ACC pick and should be fully healed from a knee injury that knocked him out at the tail end of the season. Junior safety Jordan Hayes started nine games last season and had 50 tackles. Sophomore Marquis Waters, who played in all 13 games as a true freshman last year, could man one of the three safety positions, as could junior Dylan Singleton (41 tackles last season). There’s also sophomore Michael Carter, who started the final two games, along with a handful of redshirt freshmen, including Leonard Johnson.

Alongside Gilbert, sophomore Myles Hudzick topped the post-spring depth chart at the other corner spot, though redshirt freshman Josh Blackwell also should see time. And true freshman Jeremiah Lewis was an early enrollee. Junior Mason Williams, a Penn transfer who was a first-team All-Ivy League pick in 2106, could spell Gilbert on the other side.

Special teams: Junior kicker and punter Austin Parker was reinstated in May after being suspended for violating the university’s academic policy. Assuming he stays in Cutcliffe’s good graces, Parker — who made 17 of 21 field-goal attempts last season and averaged 42 yards per punt — could provide a big lift for the Blue Devils, who have struggled with the kicking game in years past. If Parker falters, senior Collin Wareham could kick and sophomore Jackson Hubbard could handle punting duties. Running backs Deon Jackson and Brittain Brown will return kicks, and receiver T.J. Rahming will return punts.

How the Blue Devils have recruited from 2015-18
According to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, here is how Duke’s recruiting classes have fared nationally and within the ACC over the last four years:

The Blue Devils’ 2018 class included only 16 recruits, in part because the roster was so jammed with underclassmen. Though they’ve managed to pull in a few four-star talents here and there, a number of their best players — including Joe Giles-Harris and Mark Gilbert — were three-star recruits, and Daniel Jones was a two-star prospect who was mostly recruited by Ivy League schools. The stringent academic requirements limit the talent pool the Blue Devils can pursue, but as long as they continue to find and develop under-recruited talent, they should be able to stay competitive for as long as Cutcliffe — who turns 64 in September and chose not to pursue the Tennessee job in the offseason — decides to stay.

“I don’t mind people asking, because I’m sincerely telling you the truth,” Cutcliffe said when asked if he thinks this will be his final job in coaching. “I’ve had multiple opportunities to consider other places, and I kind of chuckle, because people don’t believe me when I say I’ve got the best job in America. Maybe the Good Lord knows this is what I do best.”

Impact of coaching changes
As The Athletic’s Chris Vannini reported in February, Cutcliffe’s staff is replete with homegrown talent, and it will remain that way in 2018. Kirk Benedict was promoted from graduate assistant to full-time defensive and special teams assistant, and operations assistant Gerad Parker became wide receivers coach. Guerrieri and Albert were promoted from within the staff to lead the defense after Knowles left. New linebackers coach Lanier Goethie, most recently at Louisiana Tech, played for Cutcliffe at Ole Miss and could help open up new recruiting avenues in the Deep South,

Schedule analysis

The Blue Devils’ fast start last year was helped by the fact that their two Power 5 nonconference games, against Northwestern and Baylor, were at home. This year, they get the road end of those series — and before those games, they start at home against an Army squad that won 10 games last year, including a victory against the Blue Devils at West Point.

The week off is tucked in after a home game against Virginia Tech, at which point we should have a pretty good idea if the Blue Devils might be subject to the same kind of midseason swoon that plagued them last year. The toughest ACC stretch lies in November, with a home game against archrival North Carolina sandwiched between games at Miami and Clemson, their first trip to Death Valley in a decade.

Final assessment
Presuming the defense lives up to its billing under its new leadership, and if Jones and the offensive line find consistency, Duke could win nine or 10 games and even compete for a spot in the ACC championship game. But even now, Cutcliffe recognizes that there’s little room for error, especially with that tricky road schedule. This is a program that won 19 games from 2013 to 2014 and has won a total of 19 games in the three years since. It’s never going to be easy.

State of the Program: Louisville football prepares for life after Lamar Jackson
Link
https://theathletic.com/392899/2018/06/1...-schedule/

It’s Year 5 of the second act of Bobby Petrino at Louisville, which coincides with the fifth year of the Cardinals being in the ACC. The marriage, like so many others, can be viewed through a number of prisms.

Petrino helped land and develop the best player in program history in 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson … but the Cardinals only had a 17-9 overall record to show for it over the past two seasons. Louisville’s early defenses were among the best in the country … but once coordinator Todd Grantham left for Mississippi State, everything went downhill last season.

Along the way, the ACC got better, especially the Atlantic division. Consider: Louisville lost to Boston College, N.C. State and Wake Forest last season, and only the BC game seemed like much of an upset. There are no more gimmes on that side of the league, meaning the crowd for that No. 3 spot behind presumed annual front-runners Clemson and Florida State has never been bigger.

Throw in the fact that Jackson is gone, there is a third defensive coordinator in three years, there are three new assistant coaches and there is not much room for error (to put it nicely) in facing Alabama in the season opener, and you can see why there are a ton of questions about the 2018 season, especially with all of the changes happening around the university in the past year.

Biggest on-field question
Because you cannot just replace a Lamar Jackson, quarterback has to be the first question here. Jackson won the Heisman in 2016, finished third in the voting last year and ended his college career with 9,043 passing yards and 4,132 rushing yards in three seasons. He led the ACC in passing yards and rushing yards per game in 2017. Heck, even Petrino repeated the phrase “Life After Lamar” for emphasis after a reporter mentioned it in the coach’s opening spring news conference.

But Louisville can rest a little bit easier knowing that it has plenty of upside in successor Jawon Pass, a former four-star quarterback recruit from Georgia who was considered something of a program-changer when he committed to the Cardinals as the nation’s No. 3 dual-threat QB, spurning Alabama and Auburn.

Now a redshirt sophomore, Pass saw minimal action last season behind Jackson, although he was impressive when called upon: 23-for-33 passing for 238 yards and two touchdowns, with 62 rushing yards and a score on the ground.

Petrino had said entering the spring that he wanted to see his new No. 1 quarterback take charge and operate with a little more urgency. He exited the spring pleased with Pass’ development in those departments.

“The best thing about Jawon is even his redshirt year and then last year getting in and playing some, he prepared himself each week to play,” Petrino told The Athletic. “He’s always been a really good listener, and he’s always really paid attention to what we were doing when we were coaching Lamar and really wanted to know everything about it. It is (rare) for a quarterback that was as highly recruited as him to be patient, stay in the program and sit here. I think it will really help benefit him and us both.

“Quarterbacks transfer all the time, so it’s a credit to him, too. He knows the offense, he can make the throws we need to make, he understands the running game and protections. It’s just a matter of getting the reps and getting the experience, and obviously we get a pretty good opener for him.”

On defense, meanwhile, new coordinator Brian VanGorder will have to remake a unit that will have upward of nine new starters, although Petrino says that is not as big of a challenge as it seems to be on paper. Still, VanGorder’s schemes took a lot of getting used to at Notre Dame during his last coordinator stint, when he was fired four games into his third season.

“It was the entire defense (staff) in the transition, but I thought it went real well,” Petrino said of the spring. “Brian is a guy that’s really detailed, has some real strong beliefs in what he thinks you need to do defensively, has great experience. He does a really good job of teaching and coaching our coaches. That’s what I’ve been really impressed with. Defensively, we’re gonna be more talented, but we’re inexperienced. I don’t feel as bad in the secondary because we had guys sitting here redshirting and transfers that were getting ready to play.”

Depth chart analysis
Quarterbacks: Redshirt sophomore Jawon Pass has made the offseason transition from Lamar Jackson relatively smooth, although as Petrino alluded to, Alabama has a way of exposing your flaws, especially when you are making your first start. Pass will be backed up by redshirt freshman Malik Cunningham, who signed as a three-star dual-threat quarterback in 2017. Three-star dual-threat signee Jordan Travis arrives from West Palm Beach, Fla., this summer as well. After that come two walk-ons, including former Morehead State quarterback Clay Bolin, the younger brother of former Cardinals QB Kyle Bolin.

Running backs: Jackson was so good with his legs that this position was easy to overlook the past two seasons, but with second- and third-leading rushers Malik Williams (531 yards last season) and Reggie Bonnafon (459) gone, too, running back is a bigger priority for the Cardinals.

Louisville dealt with so many tailback injuries this spring that it didn’t even have a scholarship back available for its spring game, although Petrino likes what he has on the roster. Sophomore Dae Williams (235 yards in 2017), junior Trey Smith (124) and redshirt freshman Colin Wilson (69) are back after contributing last season. Petrino was particularly pleased this spring with Smith, who could double as a slot receiver. And the coach thinks incoming three-star Atlanta athlete and former prep track star Hassan Hall has the potential to be a big-play threat if he gets up to speed in camp.

Wide receivers/tight ends: Pass will have an experienced front line of receivers to throw to, as Louisville returns its top three pass catchers: senior All-ACC first-team pick Jaylen Smith, sophomore Dez Fitzpatrick and junior Seth Dawkins. The trio brings a combined 214 career catches for 3,487 yards and 28 touchdowns into 2018. Smith should be one of the best receivers in the ACC this season.

Corey Reed played in every game as a true freshman, contributing on special teams and making eight catches for 145 yards, and he will take on a bigger role this season. Fellow underclassmen Josh Johnson (sophomore) and Chatarius Atwell (early enrollee) will have the chance to play plenty in the slot.

Micky Crum, who has dealt with injuries over the past two seasons, is back for his fifth year at tight end and figures to see the majority of time along with sophomore Kemari Averett, who caught seven passes for 79 yards as a true freshman.

Offensive line: Louisville has four of five starters coming back, and if the games started today, it is possible the only difference from last year’s unit would be senior Linwood Foy starting at left tackle, a position vacated by third-round draft pick Geron Christian.

From there, the first team would be senior Kenny Thomas (left guard), sophomore Robbie Bell (center), senior Lukayus McNeil (right guard) and sophomore Mekhi Becton (right tackle), although sophomore guard/center Cole Bentley was impressive this spring, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he became the Cardinals’ starting center.

Petrino thinks 6-foot-7, 359-pound Becton might be the most talented player on the roster, given his size and flexibility, and the coach has been pleased with his enhanced understanding of the offense. While Jackson bailed out the line at times and the unit came under immense scrutiny, this is now as experienced of a unit as there is on the roster, with the chance to be the strongest group on the team.

“It’s probably the (deepest) and the most talented offensive line that we’ve had since we’ve been here,” Petrino said.

Defensive line: Louisville loses three starters up front, but there is enough promising talent returning on this line to be effective. Start with ends Jon Greenard and Tabarius Peterson. Greenard, now a redshirt junior, started five games last season, doubling as an outside linebacker. He led the team in tackles for loss (15.5) and tied for the team lead in sacks (seven). Peterson is a redshirt sophomore who impressed Petrino this spring and will be counted on to rush the passer more this season.

Junior G.G. Robinson, who started six games inside in 2017 and finished with three tackles for loss, is the lone returning starter in the middle, where the Cardinals have the most work to do. Look for 6-6, 302-pound JUCO transfer Michael Boykin to contribute inside as well, along with fellow JUCO transfer Jared Goldwire, who is 6-6 and 309 pounds but is recovering from a shoulder injury that limited him in the spring. Senior Henry Famurewa played in every game last season and finished with three tackles for loss.

Petrino also said true freshmen could see extended action on the line. In addition to the junior college transfers, the Cardinals signed four defensive linemen in the 2018 class, including early enrollee end Jarrett Jackson, who had a strong spring game.

Linebackers: Technically, one starter is back here, as five-game starter Khane Pass was moved to safety. But the lone returner, Dorian Etheridge, gives the Cardinals plenty to build around, as he led the team in tackles (83) as a true freshman. Four-star recruit Robert Hicks was Louisville’s highest-rated signee and enrolled early this spring, giving him a chance to start, which could move Etheridge to the outside.

Sophomores C.J. Avery (22 tackles, one fumble recovery) and P.J. Blue (missed the last two seasons with knee injuries) moved from safety to linebacker this spring and figure to be contributors. Quen Head, another JUCO transfer, posted 13.5 tackles for loss at Hutchinson (Kansas) CC last season and arrived this winter. Three-star outside linebacker Yasir Abdullah could contribute upon his arrival this summer, as well.

Defensive backs: When Petrino says this defense will be more talented but less experienced than last year’s, the secondary is likely the group he has in mind the most, especially considering the transfers who will be ready to play in 2018. Depending on one’s math, Louisville loses all four of its starters but has plenty of capable bodies back there, starting with cornerback Rodjay Burns, who redshirted at Ohio State in 2016 and sat out last season as a transfer. The Louisville native and former three-star has the flexibility to move up as a run stopper and double as a nickel when necessary. He could start opposite P.J. Mbanasor, who sat out last season as an Oklahoma transfer and impressed the staff this spring with his leadership qualities.

Russ Yeast, who made seven starts as a true freshman and tallied 23 tackles and two pass breakups, also is in the mix, impressing the staff this spring by bouncing back from an up-and-down season that Petrino attributes largely to getting picked on while starting as a rookie opposite first-round pick Jaire Alexander. Petrino also brought up Cornelius Sturghill, who has played receiver and corner, when talking about players who could get into the mix here, saying the senior is the fastest player on the team but has had trouble getting healthy the past few years after getting shot in the foot in 2016.

Dee Smith, TreSean Smith and Khane Pass will see plenty of time at safety, with the Smiths combining for 87 stops last season. Two incoming four-star signees, Trenell Troutman and Marlon Character, could figure into the mix at safety, as well. Character redshirted at Auburn in 2016 before transferring and playing at Northwest Mississippi CC last season.

Special teams: Junior kicker Blanton Creque and junior punter Mason King are back, as is long snapper Mitch Hall, who started last season as a freshman. Both returner spots are up in the air, but there will be no shortage of athletes in the mix, likely starting with Rodjay Burns at either spot. Seth Dawkins led the team kickoff returns last season (12 for 255 yards), and Russ Yeast, Jaylen Smith and Chatarius Atwell could figure into the mix at punt returner.

How the Cardinals have recruited from 2015-2018
According to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, here is how Louisville’s recruiting classes have fared nationally and within the ACC over the last four years:

The Cardinals’ recruiting has been above average compared to their ACC peers, although it also is worth remembering that this program was in the American Athletic Conference (and Big East before that) just five years ago, so the definition of “ACC peers” may be flexible.

Still, the bump up to a stronger league coincided with the Petrino regime’s first year back in town, meaning this is now his roster, with his track record of player development. And there has been a “Lamar Effect,” especially when it comes to the former Heisman winner’s home state of Florida, where Louisville pulled in 13 signees in its 2018 class. (Its prior three classes combined to land 10 players from the Sunshine State.)

A big part of those efforts, however, is no longer with the program, as inside linebackers coach and Florida meal ticket Cort Dennison moved to Oregon, where he will coach outside linebackers.

Still, with a new facility attached to an expanded Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium expected to be ready in the coming months, Louisville has a lot going for it, provided it can get kids on campus.

“I think it’s the accumulation of being here, making the relationships with the coaches, getting on players when they’re sophomores and knowing who everybody is,” Petrino said. “And then being able to get them here on campus. We made a real push the last two years to get those kids here in the spring or the summertime so they get to really see what the University of Louisville is all about and the facilities that we have. And summer will be huge for that, too, because we’ve got the construction going on and are about ready to move back into our new facility here hopefully in a month, and it’s pretty exciting.”

Impact of coaching changes
In addition to losing Dennison to Oregon, Louisville saw defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon resign after one season and head to Cal as inside linebackers coach. Petrino replaced him with VanGorder, who was last seen as a coordinator getting fired in the middle of his third season at Notre Dame, a 4-8 campaign, before spending last season in an analyst role with Oklahoma State.

Petrino replaced Dennison by elevating quality control assistant Ryan Beard to linebackers coach. Grady Brown also was added to the staff as cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator after serving as Alabama State’s safeties coach last season. (Brown had previously worked with Cardinals secondary coach Lorenzo Ward at South Carolina as cornerbacks coach.)

Beard is Petrino’s son-in-law, meaning that, along with defensive line coach L.D. Scott (son-in-law) and quarterbacks coach Nick Petrino (son), 30 percent of the team’s full-time assistants are related to the head coach.

Of course, that will matter little if VanGorder can turn around a defense that finished 10th in the ACC in points allowed and 11th in yards per play allowed last season.

“What really started attracting me was when I coached against him,” Petrino said of VanGorder. “When I was the offensive coordinator at Auburn, he was the defensive coordinator at Georgia. They were really good, really well-coached, really on top of their schemes. We had to battle really hard. And then I hired him with the Falcons, and he came in and coached the linebackers and became the coordinator there. And then we played him when he was at Notre Dame, so we watched all their video and prepared for them and they were very well-coached and had really good schemes and played extremely fast and hard and had a great year. We ended up beating them that year, but it was a really good battle. But I know him, and I know what his character is and what he’s made of, and I know he’s gonna do real well for us.”

Schedule analysis
The ACC’s Atlantic division is a meat grinder, so depending on your point of view, the opener in Orlando against reigning national champion Alabama is completely unnecessary or great preparation for some of the heavyweights that await Louisville later in the season. The Cardinals are fortunate to have Florida State (Game 5) and Clemson (Game 9) spread out, but there are not many cupcakes in between. Indiana State and Western Kentucky follow Alabama, and facing Kentucky to close the season is never a gimme.

Moreover, there are no pushovers in ACC play, with the traditional bottom feeders having stepped up their games in recent years. The Cardinals are fortunate that they landed Virginia as their permanent Coastal crossover opponent, but having Georgia Tech on the schedule this year is no picnic, especially with the game coming on the Friday after the FSU game, leaving Louisville with a short week to prepare for the option. (VanGorder did seem to ace those tests while at Notre Dame, for what it’s worth.) The Cardinals’ legs get an extra day of recovery before a trip to Boston College the next Saturday, which precedes a midseason bye.

Final assessment
Change is in the air at Louisville, from the administration to the revamped coaching staff to the absence of the Heisman winner at quarterback. Throw in a retooling defense, that sledgehammer of an opener and all of the other moving parts in the ACC, and that does not paint the prettiest of pictures. Still, there is talent on this roster, and the offensive line should be much better. Of course, this program has won eight or nine games in all four of its ACC years, so that would seem an appropriate ceiling for this year’s outfit.

State of the Program: Pittsburgh football hopes growing pains of last season lead to success in 2018
Link
https://theathletic.com/407998/2018/07/0...-schedule/

Last year was no different from most Pitt seasons in that the Panthers pulled off a major upset. The difference is that this one came at the end of a disappointing campaign, although the program is hoping that knocking off then-No. 2 Miami to close a losing 2017 was a sign of things to come.

“It wasn’t an easy season,” coach Pat Narduzzi told The Athletic. “Right before we beat Miami, I think we started to jell as a football team and find out who we were. But I think it’s all for the best. I think our kids have learned from it, and I think it’s gonna make them better and understand how far they can go. I think we’ve had some confidence in the offseason that, ‘Hey, we can beat anybody.’ And they can, but you’ve gotta play, you’ve gotta stay healthy, you’ve gotta work hard, you’ve gotta believe.”

Pitt went 5-7 last year after showing progress in Narduzzi’s first two years in the Steel City by posting consecutive 8-5 campaigns. Blame subpar quarterback play and youth along both lines. In any event, Year 4 eliminates any excuses, even if this program has not seen a coach make it to Year 4 since Dave Wannstedt in 2008.

The Panthers think the now-experienced defense is for the better after withstanding tough outings, particularly a 38-point home loss to Oklahoma State in Week 3. Narduzzi took a heavier hand with the unit in November and saw it turn a corner, losing close contests to North Carolina and Virginia Tech before getting over the hump against the Hurricanes. And he thinks that momentum will carry over into 2018 with a new coordinator and two other new defensive assistants.

More important, the program has fallen in love with the quarterback from that finale: Kenny Pickett, who the Panthers think can right the ship this fall and get them back into the thick of things in the Coastal after second-place finishes in 2015 and 2016.

Biggest on-field question
This space does not feature your typical position battle, because Pitt was so young last season it basically knows who will be taking the field to start 2018, at least early on. But the biggest factor in determining whether the Panthers can get back on their upward trajectory from Narduzzi’s early days is Pickett, whose impact went beyond the Miami game.

Yes, the then-rookie completed 18 of 29 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 60 yards and two TDs in his first start, becoming the first true freshman quarterback to start at Pitt since, coincidentally enough, Pat Bostick, who led the Panthers past then-No. 2 West Virginia in the 2007 finale. But Pickett carried that moxie, as Narduzzi calls it, throughout winter conditioning and spring practices, even with a more-crowded position room.

“The first thing is he’s mature, he’s smart, he’s a leader and the kids follow him,” Narduzzi said. “That’s the greatest thing: Our kids are gonna follow that guy. He’s the leader of our football team right now, in my opinion, especially on offense.”

Of course, Pickett only has a four-game sample size of 59.1 percent passing for 509 yards and one touchdown with one interception. But he welcomed competition this spring in the form of former four-star quarterback Ricky Town, who signed with USC and transferred to Arkansas before enrolling at Ventura (Calif.) College last season.

Narduzzi calls this the deepest quarterbacks room he has been a part of at Pitt, and though Pickett came out of the spring ahead of Town, the coach liked the way both responded to the challenge.

“I think (Town) is progressing the way we want him to,” Narduzzi said. “It was his first 15 (practices) on campus, so he’s still got a whole August to get even better. I like where he’s at, I love the kid as a person and he fits in our room.”

Smart, solid play from Nate Peterman in Narduzzi’s first two years led to favorable results. The inconsistent play last season of USC transfer Max Browne and local product Ben DiNucci — now at James Madison — did not help a team that was replacing a ton of production on both sides of the ball. Neither did having a third play-caller in three years, which should no longer be an issue as offensive coordinator Shawn Watson is back for his second year with the program.

Though it still takes a backseat to the Atlantic, the Coastal division is not getting any easier. Miami is not going anywhere under Mark Richt, Virginia Tech continues to rise and there is no way the 2015 winner, North Carolina, plays as poorly as it did during last year’s 3-9 campaign. Pitt’s schedule, a nonconference murderers’ row, will make things more difficult.

Still, Narduzzi is optimistic after the way last season ended. Part of that might be the youth and potential of a guy like Pickett, but part of that, too, is because of what everyone saw from him when he received his opportunity. Can he handle the week-in, week-out rigors of a full season and help Pitt reverse its fortunes from a year ago? The answer to that question likely will determine whether this program takes the next step in 2018.

Depth chart analysis
Quarterbacks: Though this is sophomore Kenny Pickett’s job to lose, Ricky Town was the No. 6 pro-style quarterback in the 2015 class, according to 247Sports, so the talent is there. In addition to Town, Pitt signed three-star New Jersey quarterback Nick Patti, who arrives this summer.

The other two quarterbacks on the roster are redshirt sophomore walk-on transfers: Tyler Zelinski from Erie (N.Y.) Community College and Jake Zilinskas from Division III John Carroll in Cleveland.

Running backs: Pitt has to feel good about its backfield situation, returning its top two rushers from last season in seniors Darrin Hall and Qadree Ollison. Hall has rushed for 1,045 yards and 11 touchdowns over his first three years with the program — including a team-best 628 and nine last season — and Ollison is a one-time ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year who has 1,646 career yards and 18 touchdowns. Both are capable pass catchers, as well, combining for 62 career receptions for 510 yards and four touchdowns.

The Panthers also have an abundance of young talent behind those two: Former four-star prospect A.J. Davis got on the field immediately last season as a freshman and could see an expanded role this season, and four-star back Mychale Salahuddin, a Washington, D.C., native, arrives this summer and is talented enough to contribute immediately.

Wide receivers/tight ends: On paper, this is a green group that did not produce a whole lot last season, but Narduzzi is confident that the talent is there to make a difference in the passing game, provided health works in Pitt’s favor.

Redshirt senior Rafael Araujo-Lopes (43 catches, 531 yards) and junior Maurice Ffrench (25, 272) are the leading returning receivers and will be expected to take on bigger roles, given the depth surrounding them. Junior Aaron Mathews (16 catches, 189 yards in 2017) has moved over to the “X” receiver spot to replace departed leading receiver Jester Weah.

Tre Tipton enters his redshirt junior campaign coming off a lost season due to a knee injury suffered in a bike accident but is expected to be among the group’s leaders. Ditto for redshirt freshman Dontavius Butler-Jenkins, who would have played as a rookie last season had he not suffered a knee injury. And Pitt is excited about early-enrollee three-star Fort Myers, Fla., product Shocky Jacques-Louis, a smooth runner who could make an immediate impact.

At tight end, Pitt lost Matt Flanagan (17 catches, 160 yards in 2017) to graduation, and Chris Clark (16, 122) took a leave of absence from the program this spring. The Panthers added Arkansas graduate transfer Will Gragg in June, and he will try to build off a five-catch, 61-yard campaign from 2017.

Offensive line: Things will look much different for Pitt up front than they did last fall — and not just because there is a new line coach in Dave Borbely. The Panthers exited the spring with a solid idea of what their starting five might look like.

Narduzzi singled out redshirt senior Alex Bookser, redshirt sophomore Jimmy Morrissey and redshirt senior Connor Dintino for having had great offseasons, with Bookser the leader of the group. When Kent State grad transfer Stefano Millin arrives, he could move to first-team left tackle, after starting 30 games in a number of roles with the Golden Flashes. Dintino, named the team’s most improved offensive player this spring, should start at left guard after moving over from center, with Morrissey manning the middle. Redshirt senior Mike Herndon, who played in every game last season, is the likely starter at right guard, with Bookser starting beside him at right tackle.

Aside from Bookser, former walk-on Morrissey is the only returning starter. Redshirt freshmen Carson Van Lynn, Gabe Houy and Carter Warren provide depth on the outside, with redshirt sophomore Bryce Hargrove and JUCO transfer Chase Brown capable of playing guard or tackle.

Defensive line: Plenty of familiar faces are back up front, starting with four pass-rushing ends in redshirt seniors Dewayne Hendrix and James Folston and redshirt sophomores Rashad Weaver and Patrick Jones. The quartet combined for 14 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and 19 quarterback hurries last season.

Redshirt senior nose tackle Shane Roy is the anchor of the front, and he will have comfort near him in junior Amir Watts and redshirt sophomore Keyshon Camp, who combined for six TFLs and nine hurries in their first seasons of starting action.

Kam Carter (1.5 TFLs, two hurries) is gone on the interior, having transferred down the road to Duquesne, while redshirt sophomore Rashad Wheeler got his feet wet as a reserve tackle last season and redshirt freshman Jaylen Twyman provides more depth inside.

Linebackers: This unit could be the strength of the defense, if not the entire team. Consider: Pitt brings back its three starters from the middle of its defense who were three of the program’s top four tacklers (216 total) a year ago. Moreover, new coordinator Randy Bates had most recently served as Northwestern’s linebackers coach, so this is his area of expertise. One only needs to look at reigning Big Ten Defensive Freshman of the Year Paddy Fisher to be intrigued by the possibilities of a linebacking corps that starts redshirt seniors Elijah Zeise and Oluwaseun Idowu and redshirt junior Saleem Brightwell. Idowu was the toast of the team last season, earning All-ACC honors after leading Pitt in tackles (94), TFLs (11.5) and sacks (five).

Quality depth is there in the form of redshirt junior Anthony McKee, who was named the team’s most improved defensive player this spring, and redshirt senior Quintin Wirginis. McKee was limited to two games last season because of a broken forearm, and Wirginis, who might have started last season, missed 2017 because of a non-football injury.

Defensive backs: This is where Pitt struggled the most last season, finishing 106th nationally in passing defense (254.2 yards per game). The Panthers have two new assistants here in secondary coach Archie Collins and cornerbacks coach Cory Sanders, and they will be tasked with improving a mostly experienced group of first-teamers while developing the type of quality depth that was lacking last season.

Junior free safety Damar Hamlin is the leader of the group after enjoying his first extended stretch of good health after missing 13 games across his first two seasons. That should pay dividends in 2018, after a full, uninterrupted year in Pitt’s strength program. Redshirt senior Dennis Briggs and redshirt sophomore Phil Campbell will duke it out to start opposite Hamlin in place of departed Jordan Whitehead, who was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round.

Narduzzi likes what he has in returning starter Dane Jackson at corner, as the redshirt junior is coming off a stat sheet-stuffing season of two TFLs, one sack, nine pass breakups and two picks. Beyond that, there are a number of corners in contention for extending playing time, from sophomore Jason Pinnock to redshirt senior Phillipie Motley to former four-star local product Paris Ford, a redshirt freshman.

Special teams: Redshirt sophomore kicker Alex Kessman is back for another year of starting duty after an up-and-down debut in which he connected on two boots of 55 yards or more but missed eight kicks overall. First-team All-ACC punter Ryan Winslow is gone, replaced by redshirt freshman Kirk Christodoulou. Maurice Ffrench (kickoffs) and Rafael Araujo-Lopes (punts) are the only return men back after Quadree Henderson dazzled for the past three seasons, although Shocky Jacques-Louis, Tre Tipton and Jason Pinnock likely will get opportunities to establish themselves in the return game.

How the Panthers have recruited from 2015-2018
According to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, here is how Pittsburgh’s recruiting classes have fared nationally and within the ACC over the last four years:

Pitt made an early impact on the trail in Narduzzi’s first full recruiting cycle, finishing with the ACC’s No. 4 recruiting class in 2016, behind the traditional triumvirate of Florida State, Clemson and Miami. The Panthers’ class in 2017 was similarly strong before taking a minor dip this past cycle, landing just one four-star prospect in Salahuddin, a USC de-commit who was a huge get on the second signing day.

How much of that drop in the rankings was a product of a bowl-less season and staff turnover across a new signing period remains to be seen. Keep in mind: Offensive quality control coach James Patton had to be activated for the home stretch of recruiting after offensive line coach John Peterson’s departure, and Patton helped land Millin from Kent State. Another second signing day commit who could bear watching: three-star New Jersey defensive end Kaymar Mimes, the 6-5, 225-pound younger brother of Oakland Raiders end Shilique Calhoun, a former three-star prospect whom Narduzzi helped turn into a three-time first-team All-Big Ten performer at Michigan State.

Pitt only landed its first verbal pledge of the 2019 class on June 10 from Miami Northwestern linebacker Leslie Smith (unrated on 247Sports), but like so much else with recruiting, that opened the floodgates: The Panthers received 10 more commitments in the week after that initial pledge, including a ridiculous nine verbals alone June 17, with nine of the 11 total commits coming from southern states.

The Panthers have generally cleaned up in the summer months, and they have really hit Florida hard, landing 15 players over the past three years from the Sunshine State, the program’s biggest out-of-state talent producer. So how everything unfolds with the 2019 class will be interesting to see. Also worth noting: Pitt lost recruiting director Mark Diethorn to Virginia Tech in June — before that active Father’s Day on the trail.

Impact of coaching changes
Pitt enters 2018 with four new assistants, three the result of departures: Defensive coordinator Josh Conklin took the head coaching job at Wofford, O-line coach John Peterson “mutually parted ways” with the program and defensive backs coach Renaldo Hill took a job with the Miami Dolphins as assistant defensive backs coach.

The Panthers replaced the trio by hiring Bates (formerly Northwestern’s linebackers coach) as coordinator, Borbely (who most recently held an off-the-field role at Maryland) as O-line coach and Collins (Central Michigan defensive passing game coordinator) and Sanders (Western Michigan defensive backs coach) as secondary and safeties coach, respectively.

The biggest move was the addition of Bates, whom Narduzzi got to know through Big Ten circles while the head coach was Michigan State’s defensive coordinator. The football lifer has spent nearly four decades as a college assistant across the country, and he comes in looking to retool a young defense that struggled through growing pains in 2017, finishing 69th in total defense, 65th in scoring defense and 88th in opponents’ yards per play.

Narduzzi took a heavier hand in defensive matters toward the end of last season, when Pitt held Virginia Tech and Miami to 20 and 14 points, respectively, and thinks he has found a kindred spirit in fiery Bates, who has worked with practically everyone during his career on the defensive side of the ball.

“He’s done an outstanding job this spring of gaining players’ trust in who he is as a person, and he adds a lot of enthusiasm to our defense,” Narduzzi said. “I listen to him, and he kind of reminds me of me back when I was coordinating. He’s got that little swag to him, and he’s a competitor, so that’s what I like about him, and he’s really smart. So I think that’s probably the only part of me that he has that I don’t have — I’m not very smart and he’s really smart.”

Schedule analysis
There is a reason The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel ranks Pitt’s nonconference schedule as the nation’s toughest. The Panthers host Penn State, travel to Notre Dame and travel to UCF. (And yes, there is that easy opener against FSC Albany.) Pitt’s Atlantic rotating crossover opponent this year is Wake Forest on the road, although the Panthers get lucky in having Syracuse as their permanent crossover opponent.

Still, they close their home slate Nov. 10 vs. Virginia Tech, meaning they will finish the regular season with consecutive road games at Wake and Miami. At least their off week comes at roughly the midseason point, after Game 7 against the Irish. And while Friday road games are never ideal, Pitt at least plays Virginia in that scenario Nov. 2.

Final assessment
This is a promising roster that, for better or worse, has weathered tough times together already. So much of this team’s potential success likely comes down to the play of Pickett, although the depth of the quarterbacks room has to be comforting for Pitt. The Coastal seems fairly open this year aside from Miami, so Pitt has a chance to play its way into meaningful November football, provided it survives that brutal nonconference schedule in one piece.

State of the Program: After hard-luck season, North Carolina football searches for answers
Link
https://theathletic.com/409417/2018/07/0...-schedule/

Ask Larry Fedora about the 2017 season, and he’ll say he learned some things about himself, his North Carolina football team and the program’s fans. He’ll say that you discover a lot about how you handle adversity when you’re going through a season like last year, which turned out to be the worst of Fedora’s head-coaching career: a 3-9 campaign marred by an unstable quarterback situation and a bevy of injuries.

But the biggest result, Fedora told The Athletic, is “that we learned we don’t want to do it again.”

Fedora is hesitant to attribute North Carolina’s lost season to injuries, but the numbers are staggering: Roughly 37 players were lost to injury during the season, including 22 missing during a 24-19 loss to a top-10 Miami team and 23 for a 33-21 loss to N.C. State to end the season. In part because of that lack of depth, the Tar Heels finished 88th in points allowed and 103rd in turnover margin. Add those numbers to the fact that the Tar Heels cycled through three quarterbacks in a search for consistency — they were 96th in yards per play, two years after finishing first — and the reasons for the 3-9 record become clear.

Still, Fedora is hopeful. This is a program three years removed from an 11-win season, and the Tar Heels had played in four consecutive bowl games before 2017. Fedora brought in one of his best recruiting classes this offseason, and a handful of those highly touted freshman enrolled early this spring and could play right away. And this will be the first full season in which Fedora won’t be laboring under the shadow of an NCAA investigation that predates his tenure.

“It’s still Carolina,” Fedora said. “I think everyone could see we were having a very unusual season. That’s not something we’re accustomed to, and we’ll be back. This is all going to pay off for us down the road.”

Biggest on-field question
The presumption heading into last season was that the starting quarterback job would belong to Brandon Harris, a graduate transfer from LSU. But Harris threw two interceptions in the season opener against Cal and was benched in favor of Chazz Surratt, a speedy redshirt freshman who had solid moments but also some epic freshman mistakes. Surratt did complete 12 of 14 passes in the first half against Louisville the next week, but he hurt his back and gave way to Harris again.

But Harris threw only 30 passes in Carolina’s final nine games, was phased out and is gone. Instead, it became a competition between Surratt and then-sophomore Nathan Elliott, who didn’t play in Carolina’s first seven games and became the starter for the last three. The 6-foot-1 Elliott also had ups and down. After throwing three interceptions in the loss to Miami, he threw for six touchdowns with no interceptions in wins over Pitt and Western Carolina before being picked off twice in a loss to N.C. State.

Where does that leave things between Surratt and Elliott heading into the 2018 season? Fedora said he hasn’t made a decision and won’t until “one guy separates himself from the others.” The smart money might be on Elliott, since he was a little steadier in the pocket and finished the season relatively strong. Surratt’s mobility, however, could prove to be an asset to Fedora’s offense, if he can “take care of the football,” which the coach listed as his top priority in choosing a quarterback. “They both did some really good things, but we were too inconsistent,” Fedora said.

That consistency should be aided by more depth at nearly every position, presuming the Tar Heels don’t get caught up in another titanic parade of injuries. An offensive line that gave up 2.5 sacks per game should be a little more stable, which could give Elliott or Surratt an opportunity to find his footing. But given that UNC opens its season with a road game against an improving Cal team, it wouldn’t be surprising if this quarterback battle extends into the first week of the season, if not beyond.

Depth chart analysis
Quarterbacks: Brandon Harris is gone, but two quarterbacks who started last year return. Sophomore Chazz Surratt started seven games, completing 58.5 percent for 1,342 yards and eight touchdowns with three INTs and recording 210 yards and five TDs as a runner. Junior Nathan Elliott started three games, completing 51.4 percent for 925 yards and 10 TDs with five INTs, plus 134 rushing yards. Behind Surratt and Elliott are two true freshman who enrolled in the spring: four-star dual-threat Jace Ruder, a highly recruited Kansas product, and three-star pro-style passer Cade Fortin, from Georgia. Odds are that both will redshirt, but, if nothing else, Fedora learned last season to be prepared for anything. Redshirt freshman Jack Davidson and senior Manny Miles round out the depth chart but likely would be only emergency options.

Running backs: Sophomore Michael Carter and junior Jordon Brown lead the way. They combined for 1,171 yards last season, or roughly two-thirds of Carolina’s total rushing production as a team (UNC was 89th in the country in rushing offense). Carter is a former USA TODAY Florida Offensive Player of the Year who ran for 157 yards on 13 carries against Virginia as a true freshman, and he might have the edge as the starter, given his speed. Brown was the Tar Heels’ second-leading receiver last season with 29 catches.

North Carolina native Antonio Williams — a four-star recruit who spent two years at Ohio State — transferred to North Carolina in the offseason, but it’s uncertain whether he’ll be eligible this season. If he is, he should figure immediately into the mix and will have three seasons of eligibility remaining. True freshman Javonte Williams, an early enrollee, could provide depth here, as could junior Johnathon Sutton.

Wide receivers/tight ends: Last year’s leading receiver was junior Anthony Ratliff-Williams, a converted high school quarterback. And while Ratliff-Williams’ 35 catches is not a prolific number, Fedora says he’s improved in the offseason and should lead the way at what’s largely a youthful position for the Tar Heels, given the loss of Austin Proehl and Jordan Cunningham. Sophomore Dazz Newsome, one of the fastest receivers on the roster, caught 18 passes as a true freshman and could start in the slot. True freshman four-star recruit Dyami Brown had an impressive spring and could start opposite Ratliff-Williams on the outside.

Another four-star freshman, Antoine Green, could be a factor in fall camp, and senior Thomas Jackson is a solid possession receiver who’s recovering from a torn ACL but should be ready for the fall. Beau Corrales is a 6-foot-4 sophomore who might be the most impressive physical specimen of the group, and sophomore Roscoe Johnson gained extensive experience last season.

The Tar Heels have depth at tight end, led by junior Carl Tucker, who was hampered by injuries for much of last year, and senior Brandon Fritts, who had 25 catches. Fritts, however, injured his knee in the spring, putting his status in doubt. Sophomores Garrett Walston and Noah Turner also are solid options here.

Offensive linemen: Fedora says he feels good about his starting tackles: Charlie Heck and William Sweet Jr. are 6-7 juniors with extensive experience. Heck will line up on the right side and Sweet on the left, but there are questions on the interior. At center, sophomore Jay-Jay McCargo played in seven games last year and could step in for departed Cam Dillard, and junior Nick Polino should step in at left guard. At right guard, four-star recruit William Barnes has a chance to take control of the job in fall camp.

It remains to be seen how the Tar Heels’ depth plays out behind those five, but versatile redshirt freshman Brian Anderson will be in the mix, along with sophomore guard Tyler Pritchett and fifth-year senior Jonathan Trull. Another four-star recruit, Avery Jones, will join the roster in the fall.

Defensive linemen: This should be Carolina’s deepest and most talented unit, and defensive coordinator John Papuchis will rotate as many as seven or eight players up front. “The majority of our depth is in the defensive line,” Fedora says. At end, senior Malik Carney led the Tar Heels in sacks with 5.5 last season, and sophomore Tomon Fox (four sacks) will replace departed Dajaun Drennon. Junior Allen Cater also played extensively last season.

Senior tackle Jalen Dalton, at 6-6 and 295 pounds, might have the most pro potential among this group, and Fedora is especially high on junior Aaron Crawford, who had a breakout spring. Junior Jason Strowbridge (34 tackles) and senior Jeremiah Clarke (32 tackles) also will be in the tackle rotation.

Linebackers: This unit is the biggest question mark on defense in terms of depth. Middle linebacker Cole Holcomb, a senior, led the team in tackles last season, and junior Dominique Ross should fill in on the outside for departed Cayson Collins. (The other major departure was Andre Smith, who declared early for the NFL Draft.) Jonathan Smith likely will back up Holcomb in the middle, and early-enrollee true freshman Matthew Flint could see playing time right away. Senior Allen Artis made the move from safety to linebacker in the spring to add depth, and sophomore Malik Robinson also could see time. Since the Tar Heels often play nickel coverage with two linebackers, they might be able to cover for the lack of experienced depth here.

Defensive backs: The Tar Heels had seven interceptions last season, tied for 102nd in the FBS. In the secondary, they lost safety Donnie Miles, who missed the tail end of last season with a broken arm, as well as top cornerback M.J. Stewart. There is experience here, though. Junior free safety Myles Dorn, the son of former Carolina standout Torin Dorn, might be the most physically talented player on the roster and had 71 tackles last year, and senior J.K. Britt (53 tackles) is an intelligent strong safety who filled in when Miles got hurt last season. True freshman Bryson Richardson could play, too.

At cornerback, junior K.J. Sails is the Tar Heels’ best cover guy, and junior Patrice Rene could start on the other side. Sophomore Myles Wolfolk, who had two interceptions last year, also will see playing time. Sophomores C.J. Cotman and Tre Shaw could see the field in nickel coverage.

Special teams: Kicker Freeman Jones, who made nine of 14 field-goal attempts and 37 of 38 extra-point tries last season, returns for his senior year. Senior punter Hunter Lent (44.9-yard average on 25 punts last season) should step in for Australian Tom Sheldon, who was nearing his 30th birthday and decided to return home. Receiver Anthony Ratliff-Williams handled kickoff returns last year and was first-team All-ACC for special teams. Fellow receiver Dazz Newsome could handle kickoffs and punts, or one of the freshman receivers could step in to return punts.

How the Tar Heels have recruited from 2015-2018
According to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, here is how North Carolina’s recruiting classes have fared nationally and within the ACC over the last four years:

The bad news is that Fedora’s 2018 class took a blow when four-star wideout Jordyn Adams was picked in the first round of the MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels and opted to start his pro career immediately. The good news for Fedora is that he pulled in four other four-star recruits and proved that Carolina will compete for top-tier in-state talent such as Dyami Brown and Avery Jones.

If the Tar Heels, who are fourth in the ACC in average recruiting ranking over the past four years, can avoid another down season and get back to playing in bowl games — and if Fedora turns things around again and isn’t lured away by an SEC program — there’s reason to think that could continue.

Impact of coaching changes
An exodus of assistants — and the addition of the 10th assistant position — forced Fedora into a restructuring of his staff, though none of it will alter Carolina’s overarching schemes.

Running backs coach DeAndre Smith left for Utah State, so Fedora brought in former Florida standout Robert Gillespie, who spent the past five years at Tennessee as assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator. Fedora hired another ex-Tennessee coach in Tommy Thigpen, who was an All-ACC linebacker at UNC. He’ll coach the safeties. Defensive backs coach Terry Joseph’s departure for Notre Dame led to the hiring of former Rutgers assistant Henry Baker, who will handle cornerbacks. Wide receivers coach Gunter Brewer left for the Philadelphia Eagles, and he’ll be replaced by Luke Paschall. A former graduate assistant under Fedora who spent the past four seasons at Arkansas State, Paschall will handle wide receivers and special teams.

Schedule analysis
The season begins with a date at Cal (the longest trip in school history), followed by a game at East Carolina and the home opener against UCF. Those three nonconference games could be telling, especially in terms of how the quarterback situation shakes out.

The conference schedule begins with a home date against Pittsburgh and a Thursday night game at Miami. If the Tar Heels hit the bye week in early October with four or five wins, they could be on their way to contending in the ACC Coastal. Their crossover games are at Syracuse in mid-October and at home against N.C. State to end the season. The most difficult conference road game beyond Miami could be at Duke on Nov. 10.

Final assessment
The Tar Heels were inconsistent and unlucky in 2017, and the expectation is that they’ll be better this season, presuming they stay healthier. The question is: How much will they improve? If Fedora finds a quarterback, an eight- or nine-win season isn’t out of the question. If he doesn’t, the Tar Heels might struggle to work their way back to bowl eligibility.

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