The ACC Coastal division was a little bit of an afterthought in 2015 even with North Carolina posting a perfect 8-0 record in conference play. The Tar Heels struggled outside of their division with 3-3 record against non-ACC opponents and they didn’t have much in the way of challengers from the Coastal with Pittsburgh and Miami finishing a combined three games above .500 despite placing second and third in the division. The Coastal division appears primed to once again play second fiddle to the loaded ACC Atlantic in 2016 but anything can happen and we took the time to break down the sleeper plays to have the biggest impact in the division this coming year. Here is a look at the most significant x-factors in the ACC Coastal heading in to the 2016 season.
North Carolina: DT Nazair Jones
Jones missed four games a year ago and his absence was certainly felt in North Carolina’s bowl game loss to Baylor in which the Tar Heels allowed a record 645 rushing yards. Jones returns this season at full health and his presence will be crucial to North Carolina’s ability to stop the run as a 6’5’’, 300-pound tackle that can plug up the middle as the anchor of the defensive line.
Miami: Al-Quadin Muhammad
Defensive End
Muhammad has the potential to thrive under new defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski and there is no doubt that he is capable of producing a double-digit sack total this coming season. Kuligowski developed four future NFL first-round picks during his time at Missouri and Hurricanes fans are hoping he can have the same impact on Muhammad at Miami in 2016.
Pittsburgh: Dewayne Hendrix
Defensive End
Hendrix rarely played as a freshman at Tennessee before transferring to Pit in the spring of 2015 and the coaches have talked a lot about his potential to thrive in the Panthers’ defense. Pittsburgh returns several key starters on that side of the football but Hendrix’s ability to be a force off the edge as a pass rusher makes him an X-factor to keep an eye on this coming season.
Virginia Tech: Vinny Mihota
Defensive End
Mihota is expected to replace All-ACC pass rusher Dadi Nicolas this season and while those are big shoes to fill he is certainly capable of doing it. Mihota showed flashes of his elite potential in a limited role a year ago when he had a blocked kick versus Pitt and a forced fumble versus North Carolina and Hokies’ fans are excited about his potential to thrive in a full-time role this coming season.
Georgia Tech: Marcus Marshall
Running Back
The Yellow Jackets finally flip the focus to the defensive side of the football with Marshall a key X-factor to his team’s success on offense for 2016. Marshall led Georgia Tech in rushing yards as a freshman last season with 654 and the upside is there for him to significantly bolster his total in 2016. Marshall has the unique speed to be an absolute burner at the position and his play could very well be the key to the success of the Yellow Jackets’ offense.
Duke: Ben Albert
Defensive Line Coach
The Blue Devils’ pass rush was an absolute mess in 2015 so Albert was brought in to fix things after thriving at Boston College in the same role over the previous few years. Duke absolutely needs to generate a more consistent pass rush in 2016 and Albert’s work with the defensive line will be the key to whether or not that happens.
Virginia: Andrew Brown
Defensive Tackle
Brown was one of the five-star 2014 signees that was expected to play a major role in Virginia’s improvement on the defensive side of the football a year ago. While it didn’t happen, Brown’s potential remains very high if he can stay healthy. That could be a considerable if after he struggled with injuries over the past couple of seasons. Brown has the talent to perform at a very high level against both the run and pass this season but staying healthy and on the football field will be the key.
