2007 ACC QB Rankings
By: Roy Philpott
It seems like a safe bet to assume the Atlantic Coast Conference will be a defensive-dominated league in 2007. Nowhere is that evident more than at quarterback, where only a handful of proven starters return to lead their teams.
Today, we look at the best, and the worst teams in the ACC when it comes to quarterbacks:
1. BOSTON COLLEGE: Matt Ryan
Ryan, a senior, is clearly the class of the league entering the 2007 season. While the Eagles lack the team speed of many of their ACC counterparts, Ryan was THE reason Boston College led the ACC in passing yards last season at 240 yards/game. He's a tough kid with plenty of experience that makes the big plays with the game on the line. What more could you want in your starting quarterback?
2. WAKE FOREST: Riley Skinner
Skinner, a third team quarterback a year ago returns for his sophomore season after capturing the ACC Rookie of the Year award over C.J. Spiller. While not the most physically gifted athlete, he runs Jim Grobe's offense to perfection. All he did during his first year as a starter is lead the Deacs to an ACC Championship and BCS berth. He's tough, can move around in the pocket or run the option if needed.
3. VIRGINIA TECH: Sean Glennon & Ike Whitaker
Glennon threw for over 2,100 yards last season but must reduce his interceptions. He was also named the top offensive performer of spring practice. Whitaker, who could challenge for playing time should Glennon falter, is electric with the ball in his hands but suffered from off-the-field problems a year ago. Glennon threw 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last year- but those numbers will improve with a year of experience under his belt in addition to many of Tech's top players returning.
4. FLORIDA STATE: Drew Weatherford & Xavier Lee
Weatherford and Lee have been huge disappointments and have seemingly regressed since signing with Florida State. So why would FSU be No. 4 on this list? Offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher. Fisher will give the Seminoles an identity this year while rebuilding the game both of these signal callers. It may take time, but by the end of the year Florida State will be a dramatically improved team.
5. GEORGIA TECH: Taylor Bennett
New offensive coordinator John Bond will have Bennett, a prototypical passer clicking on all cylinders this season. He had a strong Gator Bowl, throwing five touchdown passes against West Virginia, and looked good this spring as well. Plenty of talent exists at wide receiver to give Bennett the weapons he needs to move the ball. Bennett will be one of the biggest surprises in the league this year.
6. MIAMI: Kyle Wright & Kirby Freeman
Both quarterbacks are battling for the No. 1 spot entering the start of fall practice under new coach Randy Shannon and offensive coordinator Patrick Nix. Wright is just 2-6 against ranked opponents during his career and has had problems with his decision making, not to mention lack of mobility. Freeman had some success stepping in last year. There's talent here, but much like Florida State, it's gone undeveloped in recent years.
7. CLEMSON: Cullen Harper & Willy Korn
The Tigers are in the middle of the pack with Harper, a largely unproven third-year player as the starter, and Korn, a highly rated prospect with no gameday experience No. 2 on the depth chart. Both have talent, but not enough proven experience to move up this list. It's not out of the realm of possibility for Clemson to utilize a two-quarterback system through the early part of the season.
8. DUKE: Thaddeus Lewis & Zach Asack
Lewis tied for the fourth most passing yards by a freshman in ACC history last season, throwing for 2,134 yards. He needs to cut down on his interceptions (16) but has good athleticism and a year of experience under his belt. Asack missed last season after being kicked out of school and should provide ample depth should Lewis falter. There's more talent at other schools but somewhat surprisingly, the Blue Devils have two reasonable options at quarterback entering the 2007 season.
9. N.C. STATE: Daniel Evans, Justin Burke & Harrison Beck
Evans helped win over N.C. State fans last season by leading the Pack to surprise wins over Florida State and Boston College early season, but did little after that (3-9 record). His six touchdown passes and 11 interceptions also left plenty to be desired. New head coach Tom O'Brien has already said this year's starter is up in the air. Nebraska transfer Harrison Beck could figure in the competition but if he doesn't work out the ACC may be known as the graveyard of Husker quarterbacks (see Joe Dailey at North Carolina). Inexperience and lack of success dominate the quarterback depth chart at N.C. State.
10. MARYLAND: Jordan Steffy & Josh Portis
Steffy's stats from a year ago tell you all you need to know- 0-for-5 passing for zero yards and an interception. Once viewed as a challenger to former starter Sam Hollenbach, Steffy sat the bench the last two seasons and didn't fare well in limited opportunities. Portis, a transfer from Florida, has a chance to claim the starting spot this fall, but neither quarterback will be as good as Hollenbach. Ralph Friedgen will have to work his magic once again for Maryland to challenge in the ACC, but then again, that may not be too hard with running backs Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball returning.
11. VIRGINIA: Jameel Sewell
Sewell, a sophomore, has a strong arm, but struggled with his accuracy at times in 2006. As a result, the Cavaliers finished last in the ACC in passing offense at 156 yards/game. Head coach Al Groh is on the hot seat and has failed to secure the kind of talent needed in Charlottesville to get off.
12. NORTH CAROLINA: Cam Sexton, B.J. Phillips & T.J. Yates
Sexton, in his first year as a starter completed just 41 percent of his passes for 840 yards. On the field, he looked like a high school quarterback playing at the college level. Phillips and Yates will get their chance for the starting position, but neither has experience. No experience and poor play last year put the Heels at the bottom of the league.
PARTING SHOT: From a Clemson perspective, it would be easy to move Cullen Harper and Willy Korn higher on this list- but remember Harper has limited experience and Korn has none. Experience is absolutely critical when discussing quarterbacks. Even though Riley Skinner led Wake Forest to the conference championship last season, he's more of an exception to the rule. Many highly rated QBs struggle during their freshman season- just look at Georgia's Matt Stafford as a prime example.
REMINDER: It’s quarterbacks week on our morning show, RUSH HOUR. Today we ranked the ACC while tomorrow we will take a closer look at South Carolina. Later in the week we will discuss the SEC as well as the national scene. Tune in from 6 to 9 AM or at 104.9 FM The Drive in upstate South Carolina or anywhere in the world at http://www.wccpfm.com/.
It seems like a safe bet to assume the Atlantic Coast Conference will be a defensive-dominated league in 2007. Nowhere is that evident more than at quarterback, where only a handful of proven starters return to lead their teams.Today, we look at the best, and the worst teams in the ACC when it comes to quarterbacks:
1. BOSTON COLLEGE: Matt Ryan
Ryan, a senior, is clearly the class of the league entering the 2007 season. While the Eagles lack the team speed of many of their ACC counterparts, Ryan was THE reason Boston College led the ACC in passing yards last season at 240 yards/game. He's a tough kid with plenty of experience that makes the big plays with the game on the line. What more could you want in your starting quarterback?
2. WAKE FOREST: Riley Skinner
Skinner, a third team quarterback a year ago returns for his sophomore season after capturing the ACC Rookie of the Year award over C.J. Spiller. While not the most physically gifted athlete, he runs Jim Grobe's offense to perfection. All he did during his first year as a starter is lead the Deacs to an ACC Championship and BCS berth. He's tough, can move around in the pocket or run the option if needed.
3. VIRGINIA TECH: Sean Glennon & Ike Whitaker
Glennon threw for over 2,100 yards last season but must reduce his interceptions. He was also named the top offensive performer of spring practice. Whitaker, who could challenge for playing time should Glennon falter, is electric with the ball in his hands but suffered from off-the-field problems a year ago. Glennon threw 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last year- but those numbers will improve with a year of experience under his belt in addition to many of Tech's top players returning.
4. FLORIDA STATE: Drew Weatherford & Xavier Lee
Weatherford and Lee have been huge disappointments and have seemingly regressed since signing with Florida State. So why would FSU be No. 4 on this list? Offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher. Fisher will give the Seminoles an identity this year while rebuilding the game both of these signal callers. It may take time, but by the end of the year Florida State will be a dramatically improved team.
5. GEORGIA TECH: Taylor Bennett
New offensive coordinator John Bond will have Bennett, a prototypical passer clicking on all cylinders this season. He had a strong Gator Bowl, throwing five touchdown passes against West Virginia, and looked good this spring as well. Plenty of talent exists at wide receiver to give Bennett the weapons he needs to move the ball. Bennett will be one of the biggest surprises in the league this year.
6. MIAMI: Kyle Wright & Kirby Freeman
Both quarterbacks are battling for the No. 1 spot entering the start of fall practice under new coach Randy Shannon and offensive coordinator Patrick Nix. Wright is just 2-6 against ranked opponents during his career and has had problems with his decision making, not to mention lack of mobility. Freeman had some success stepping in last year. There's talent here, but much like Florida State, it's gone undeveloped in recent years.
7. CLEMSON: Cullen Harper & Willy Korn
The Tigers are in the middle of the pack with Harper, a largely unproven third-year player as the starter, and Korn, a highly rated prospect with no gameday experience No. 2 on the depth chart. Both have talent, but not enough proven experience to move up this list. It's not out of the realm of possibility for Clemson to utilize a two-quarterback system through the early part of the season.
8. DUKE: Thaddeus Lewis & Zach Asack
Lewis tied for the fourth most passing yards by a freshman in ACC history last season, throwing for 2,134 yards. He needs to cut down on his interceptions (16) but has good athleticism and a year of experience under his belt. Asack missed last season after being kicked out of school and should provide ample depth should Lewis falter. There's more talent at other schools but somewhat surprisingly, the Blue Devils have two reasonable options at quarterback entering the 2007 season.
9. N.C. STATE: Daniel Evans, Justin Burke & Harrison Beck
Evans helped win over N.C. State fans last season by leading the Pack to surprise wins over Florida State and Boston College early season, but did little after that (3-9 record). His six touchdown passes and 11 interceptions also left plenty to be desired. New head coach Tom O'Brien has already said this year's starter is up in the air. Nebraska transfer Harrison Beck could figure in the competition but if he doesn't work out the ACC may be known as the graveyard of Husker quarterbacks (see Joe Dailey at North Carolina). Inexperience and lack of success dominate the quarterback depth chart at N.C. State.
10. MARYLAND: Jordan Steffy & Josh Portis
Steffy's stats from a year ago tell you all you need to know- 0-for-5 passing for zero yards and an interception. Once viewed as a challenger to former starter Sam Hollenbach, Steffy sat the bench the last two seasons and didn't fare well in limited opportunities. Portis, a transfer from Florida, has a chance to claim the starting spot this fall, but neither quarterback will be as good as Hollenbach. Ralph Friedgen will have to work his magic once again for Maryland to challenge in the ACC, but then again, that may not be too hard with running backs Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball returning.
11. VIRGINIA: Jameel Sewell
Sewell, a sophomore, has a strong arm, but struggled with his accuracy at times in 2006. As a result, the Cavaliers finished last in the ACC in passing offense at 156 yards/game. Head coach Al Groh is on the hot seat and has failed to secure the kind of talent needed in Charlottesville to get off.
12. NORTH CAROLINA: Cam Sexton, B.J. Phillips & T.J. Yates
Sexton, in his first year as a starter completed just 41 percent of his passes for 840 yards. On the field, he looked like a high school quarterback playing at the college level. Phillips and Yates will get their chance for the starting position, but neither has experience. No experience and poor play last year put the Heels at the bottom of the league.
PARTING SHOT: From a Clemson perspective, it would be easy to move Cullen Harper and Willy Korn higher on this list- but remember Harper has limited experience and Korn has none. Experience is absolutely critical when discussing quarterbacks. Even though Riley Skinner led Wake Forest to the conference championship last season, he's more of an exception to the rule. Many highly rated QBs struggle during their freshman season- just look at Georgia's Matt Stafford as a prime example.
REMINDER: It’s quarterbacks week on our morning show, RUSH HOUR. Today we ranked the ACC while tomorrow we will take a closer look at South Carolina. Later in the week we will discuss the SEC as well as the national scene. Tune in from 6 to 9 AM or at 104.9 FM The Drive in upstate South Carolina or anywhere in the world at http://www.wccpfm.com/.
posted by Roy Philpott @ 1:38 PM
3 Comments
Links to this post
3 Comments:
Its strange to say, but dook does have a decent tandem. Dook is still dook and dook still isn't a good team but they do have decent QBs this year. I think the ACC will be much better, from an offensive perspective in 2 years. JMO.
Remember all the hype with Xavier Lee coming out of highschool? You would have thought this kid was the next Charlie Ward! Didn't happen. I know Fisher is a good hire but i doubt he can make that much of an impact in his first year and especially in his first game. GO TIGERS!
You all suck compared to Georgia. Lookin foward to the Coots handing you another whippin this year.
-RichtnAthens
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home