The college football season is just over two weeks away and while the ACC is seen by many as the worst of the top five conferences in college football, it’s still a power conference that continues to feed the NFL quality talent. Regardless of the fact that a number of experts believe this is a conference that will not make the College Football Playoff, they are armed with a number of talented new starters. Here are four to keep an eye out for:
Shaq Lawson, Clemson Tigers
Defensive End
The Clemson recruiting machine doesn’t always hit at every position, but the Tigers have certainly become effective in recruiting pass rushers over the past several seasons. Vic Beasley is now on to the NFL but in his place, the Tigers have Lawson, another quick and rangy pass rusher with explosive speed and the muscle to enable him to overpower opposing offensive linemen. The Tigers should be optimistic about Lawson’s ability to help shore up their defense this season. What’s more is that Clemson is nervous about the health of starting quarterback Deshaun Watson. It is feared that if Watson goes down, the team will suffer. Should that happen, the Clemson defense would have to get even more work done. With Lawson in the lineup, the Tigers might be able to win games even if Watson – or the offense – aren’t at an elite level.
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Thomas Sirk, Duke Blue Devils
Quarterback
The Blue Devils have risen in college football mostly because they’ve established a deeper roster and a lot of contributors at all positions on the field. Yet, at the heart of the Blue Devils is coach David Cutcliffe, the man who taught both Peyton Manning at Tennessee and then Eli Manning at Ole Miss. He is a quarterback coach at heart and because of his ability to teach and recruit quarterbacks at Duke, Cutcliffe has turned Duke into a program that makes bowls on a regular basis, which is a stunning reversal for a program that used to be in the college football trash bin.
The thing to note with Sirk is that while he’s a new starter, he’s not new to the program. He’s been with Duke for multiple years and he should be ready to come right in and make the proper reads within Cutcliffe’s system. This is not a freshman or a transfer hoping for a quick fix and a rise to stardom. This is an upperclassman who has paid his dues and is going to be one of the better new starting quarterbacks in the country this year. The ACC is still a relatively weak conference, so we’ll see Duke be reasonably competitive if Sirk shines.
Mario Pender, Florida State Seminoles
Running Back
The fact that expected starter Dalvin Cook is under investigation for criminal activity has cast his season into doubt and will at least result (most likely) in his absence for the first few games of Florida State’s season. This will put Pender into the top spot at running back and after a 2014 season in which he made some modest contributions as a backup, Pinder has gathered enough information and experience to put himself in position to have a big year. The Seminoles have a good offensive line and with a new quarterback under center now that Jameis Winston has moved up to the NFL, expect them to rely on the running game and Pender early on.
Isiah Willis, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Running Back
Isiah Willis isn’t exactly a new member of the team but he’s going to be counting upon a lot more in the backfield as he takes over. He has three years of experience at the position even though he hasn’t been a starter. He played in nine games last season after playing in three in 2013 and redshirting. He has an excellent blend of vision, speed and balance and that’s going to work well in an option offense that is focused on the ground game. Look for Willis to pile up the stats and emerge as one of the top backs in the ACC.
