Clemson’s march to the national championship game kept the ACC in the spotlight for all of last season. The Tigers held down the No. 1 spot in the country for nearly the entire year and while they ultimately fell short in the biggest game, there is no doubt they will be aiming for redemption with one of the best returning rosters in the entire country led by star quarterback Deshaun Watson. There is also the potential for at least one or two new stars to break through for Clemson in 2016, and for every other team in the ACC for that matter. Here is a look at the top projected breakout players in the ACC for 2016.
Christian Wilkins, Clemson Tigers
Defensive Tackle
The 6’4’’, 315-pound defensive tackle showed off his outstanding speed and athleticism in the most unlikely of fashions last season. He was on the receiving end of a fake punt that he ran 31 yards in the Orange Bowl. Wilkins has an incredible motor and after another year of developing his skill set as an interior defender, he will have every opportunity to make an impact at defensive tackle next season. The loss of Shaq Lawson and Kevin Dodd will put more pressure on Clemson’s interior defensive linemen to perform and Wilkins could be in line for a breakout performance with a bigger role and a bigger spotlight shining on him in 2016.
Josh Sweat, Florida State Seminoles
Defensive End
The 6’5’’, 237-pound Sweat worked his way back from a broken leg he suffered in his senior year of high school to play in all 13 games for Florida State last season and he will have the potential to be even better with another year removed from the injury. Sweat talked about adding 15 more pounds to develop his strength in the offseason and his speed should improve with another year to work on his lower body power. The Seminoles will need a number of players to step up in order to challenge Clemson in the ACC and Sweat has the potential to be one of the breakout players.
Mitch Trubisky, North Carolina Tar Heels
Quarterback
Trubisky showed signs of his elite potential as a backup at North Carolina last season and now he will get the opportunity to prove his ability as the unquestioned No. 1 quarterback for the Tar Heels in 2016. The 6’5’’, 220-pound pocket passer has a big arm and is extremely accurate, but he needs to work on his consistency in order to take that next step. Another offseason of learning and developing his skill set should help his progress. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Trubisky was among the ACC’s breakout players in 2016.
Dontez Ford, Pittsburgh Panthers
Wide Receiver
Pittsburgh will be in tough to replace the departed Tyler Boyd at wide receiver, but they are certainly high on Ford to help fill that substantial void. Ford finished second on the team with 26 receptions last year in his first full season with the program and he averaged more than 19 yards per catch, which was more than double what Boyd averaged. The pressure will be on to step up as the No. 1 for the Panthers next season, but Ford has all of the physical tools to take that next step as a 6’2’’, 215-pound pass catcher with outstanding hands, speed and athleticism.
David Njoku, Miami Hurricanes
Tight End
Mark Richt’s arrival at Miami has led to plenty of optimism among Hurricanes’ fans that feel he has the potential to lead them to an ACC title eventually. While they will be in tough to compete with Clemson and Florida at the top, they certainly have some intriguing pieces. Quarterback Brad Kaaya will be talked about a lot, but one player that could fly under the radar until the season begins is the tight end Njoku, who has the potential to play a starring role. Njoku is a massive 6’4’’, 244-pound target that can do it all from the tight end position and he should build on a promising freshman season in which he caught 21 passes for 362 yards and a touchdown as a potential breakout star in Richt’s offense next season.
