ACC football season preview, including highlighting the best games, best players, predicted order of finish and whether Notre Dame can knock off Clemson for the conference crown.
Despite Trevor Lawrence playing the worst game of his college football career and running into the absolute buzzsaw that was the 2020 LSU Tigers, the Clemson Tigers are still the class of the ACC. There might be a challenger to the throne, however.
It isn’t Florida State or North Carolina, however. It is the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. With the Big Ten and the Pac-12 canceling fall football, the ACC is one of three conferences that will attempt to play football this season.
There is no division play this season. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish join the ACC for one season only. For the last five seasons, Clemson has separated themselves from the rest of the ACC. There is a significant gap between Clemson and who they defeat in the title game. With Notre Dame, the difference is not as vast as it has been.
Though the ACC is likely a two-team race, there are some interesting storylines in the conference this season. On a macro level, which team will level-up and win ten games this season. You have to go back to 2016 to find the last time three teams in the conference won 10 games.
North Carolina is everyone’s choice for the ACC breakout team of 2020. Can they take the next step? What will Georgia Tech look like in year two of the Geoff Collins experience? How much of a difference-maker will Chase Brice be at Duke? Has Justin Fuente found both his quarterback and his footing at Virginia Tech? The Miami Hurricanes won the offseason–again. Will it mean something this season?
Enjoy this season in the ACC. It’s going to be fun if nothing else.
Offensive Player of the Year: Travis Etienne, Clemson RB
Lawrence is the likely answer here, but there are some dark horses as well. Sam Howell looks to have a big year for North Carolina. Javian Hawkins and Chatarius Atwell will both have impactful seasons for Louisville. Travis Etienne, however, is poised to have a monster year for Clemson.
With the season-ending injury to Justyn Ross, Lawrence has all new receivers this season. Without spring or summer ball, they have not had the opportunity to develop on the field chemistry.
Expect Tony Elliot and the offensive staff to lean on the most explosive runner in the ACC — if not all of college football. Travis Etienne averages over seven yards per carry for his career. He did not carry the football 20 times in a game at all last season. Expect that to change.
Etienne showed his aptitude as a receiver last season with a career-best 37 grabs. The math here is simple. Etienne carried the ball 207 times last season. He averaged just 13.8 carries last year. If he gets the ball only three more times per game rushing, Etienne potentially could have close to 1,900 yards on the ground at his career yards per carry.
One thing the Tigers have this season is an experienced offensive line. While Lawrence develops chemistry with his receivers, give the ball to Etienne. He can score from anywhere on the field. Even if his carries dip later in the season, the offensive staff might have him carry the load early.
Because Etienne improved so much in the passing game, expect the screen game to be more a staple of Clemson’s offensive attack as well. There is no reason to expect anything less than 2,300-2,500 total yards and 30 touchdowns from Etienne this season as he carries the Tigers.
ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Marvin Wilson, Florida State DT
Marvin Wilson is hungry and motivated to prove he is one of the best players in the ACC– and the best defender — in college football. Wilson likely would have been a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
He decided to come back for his senior year because he wanted to leave the program better than it was when he arrived there. “I just want to lead this program back to what it used to be. Be one of the top dogs and be considered one of the national top five programs every year,” Wilson told the Tallahassee Democrat.
One of his motivating factors was the new head coach Mike Norvell’s passion and vision for the program. “He showed me his vision for Florida State, and he really caught my eyes and my attention and made me really want to come back,” Wilson said to Florida State beat writer Curt Weller.
No matter the reason, he’s shown that he has a large sphere of influence. Wide receiver Tamorrion Terry, fellow defensive lineman Cory Durden, safety Hamsah Nasirildeen, and defensive end Joshua Kaindoh, all players from the 2017 recruiting class –and projected top 100 draft picks — are coming back to FSU.
Wilson was the jewel of that class. The Bellaire, Texas native was the #1 player from the state of Texas and the 6th best player in the country when he committed to Florida State. Wilson has all of the tools to be great and can do it all.
Wilson is a disrupter against the run and is strong enough to split blockers and get to the running back or eat blockers and let his linebackers make plays behind him. Wilson is as good an interior pass rusher as there is in college football as well.
This young man is motivated to leave the Seminoles better than he found them; that might also mean taking home a lot of hardware before the NFL draft.
ACC Freshman of the Year: Chris Tyree, Notre Dame RB
Brian Kelly and the rest of the Notre Dame offensive staff must have gotten tired about hearing the same narrative. “Notre Dame lacks dynamic speed. They don’t have a player who can score from anywhere on the field.” Message received. The Irish went out and signed the fastest player in the 2020 class, all-purpose running back Chris Tyree.
Before the Camping World Bowl, Brian Kelly stated he wanted to get back to the “DNA” of Notre Dame football. That DNA he was referring to was solid offensive line play and a suffocating running game. Tyree stands to be the centerpiece of that running game.
There are some running backs in front of Tyree on the depth chart. Jafar Armstrong is the veteran starter returning from injury. Jahmir Smith and C’Bo Flemister are the young developmental backs. Neither Smith nor Flemister showed enough to take carries away from Tony Jones, Jr. last season.
Tyree is good enough to have at least one of these running backs thinking about the transfer portal. He’s the type of talent that takes his spot. Notre Dame and Kelly like power runningbacks like Dexter Williams, and there were some concerns about his size. Tyree’s talent is undeniable. It also helped that he showed up in South Bend 15 pounds heavier at 190 pounds.
Tyree is the best running back prospect that Brian Kelly has ever recruited. He has all the tools to be a transformative player for the Irish. He is going to give defensive coordinators, nightmares, gray hairs, and male pattern baldness all season long.
ACC football breakout star: Micale Cunningham, Louisville QB
Scott Satterfield found his quarterback last season in Micale Cunningham. The Montgomery, Alabama native came into his own last season under first-year head coach Scott Satterfield. Cunningham threw for over 2,000 yards and 22 touchdowns, adding over 400 yards and 6 scores on the ground.
Cunningham stepped in for Jawon Pass, who had season-ending foot surgery after the second game of the season last year. Cunningham eventually wrestled control of the starting job from Evan Conley.
This season, the job is all his, and he is QB1 barring injury. He’s a great fit in Scott Satterfield’s offense. He has a big-time arm and can make any throw asked of him. He’s also a good runner. He might not be as explosive an athlete as Pass, but he can make plays.
Cummingham is smart enough to get the ball to his playmakers. He knows that Javian Hawkins is as dangerous as a runner as there is in the ACC. Cunningham pitching to Hawkins on an option-read early means more opportunities for later for him.
In the passing game, he knows how to find Chatarius Atwell, and Satterfield does a great job of scheming him open. Dez Fitzpatrick proved himself to be a reliable downfield threat averaging 18.1 yards a catch.
An improved offensive line would do wonders for Cunningham. They were abysmal last season. They were among the worst offensive lines in college football despite having first-round draft pick Mekhi Becton at tackle last season.
The Cardinals have solid pieces around Cunningham for him to have a monster season. If the offensive line improves, he could find himself a Heisman darkhorse.
ACC Coach of the Year, Mack Brown, North Carolina
Though Dabo Swinney and Brian Kelly seem to be on a collision course to duke it out over the ACC Championship, neither will win conference coach of the year. If the Irish meet the Tigers in the ACC title game, they are living up to expectations.
Norvell would be a sound darkhorse choice, but they have to figure out the quarterback position. Scott Satterfield could repeat, but the Cardinals have question marks all over their offensive line. Fuente found his starting quarterback, but he needs reliable receivers.
That’s why Carolina head coach Mack Brown makes the most sense as ACC Coach of the Year. They have a lot of pieces coming back, including quarterback-receiver combo Sam Howell/Dazz Newsome.
Michael Carter and Javonte Lewis almost had 1,000 yards rushing each, and both return to Chapel Hill. They have a dangerous offense coming back this season. The only reason they aren’t ready to challenge Clemson or Notre Dame is their defense.
Mack Brown made it all about the players. He had a team meeting his first day there to ask the players about their “wish list.” Mack made it happen. He’s filled holes on the recruiting trail and had North Carolina at the top of the 2021 rankings.
What he’s doing this second time around in North Carolina is impressive. If they continue the upward trend, they’ll contend before it is all said and done. This season, however, they are the third-best team in the conference, and the ACC could see three 10-win teams for the first time since 2016.
ACC football Game of the Year: Clemson at Notre Dame on Nov. 7
This game could go a long way into determining the ACC Champion. This could be the only loss for the loser of this game. Notre Dame and Clemson is likely the favorite in every other game they play.
There is a lot on the line for both teams coming into this game. For Notre Dame, they are looking to break through the door and become one of college football’s elite. Since their loss to Clemson in the Cotton Bowl two seasons ago, Kelly has said he feels they are close to Clemson in talent.
During this current run, the Irish have four 10-win seasons in five years but Notre Dame has lost primarily to college football’s elite. Since 2015, the Irish are 0-3 v. Clemson and 0-2 v. Georgia. For Notre Dame to level up, these are the types of games they have to win.
They’ve proven they can beat inferior teams. The Irish have defeated teams that are even with them. Their next step is to defeat one of college football’s elite.
The Tigers have won 29 regular-season games in a row. Their last loss was in 2017 against Syracuse. Their previous game, against LSU, left a pretty bad taste in their mouths. These Clemson Tigers might be a tad ornery coming into this season.
Clemson understands this season; they have at least one team that can give them trouble in conference play. Notre Dame could legitimately keep them from winning the ACC Championship. This is the first game in a long time that Clemson is not a heavy favorite in the regular season.
ACC football predicted order of finish
- Notre Dame
- Clemson
- North Carolina
- Miami
- Florida State
- Louisville
- Pittsburgh
- Wake Forest
- Virginia Tech
- Virginia
- North Carolina State
- Syracuse
- Duke
- Boston College
- Georgia Tech
With Notre Dame joining the ACC for the season, they are doing away with divisions this season and will play an 11-game schedule. The schedule includes ten conference games and one non-conference game.
At the top of the conference, Notre Dame and Clemson seemed destined to collide for the ACC title. North Carolina will have some say. Their offense is too potent not to challenge either Clemson or Norte Dame.
The Tar Heels don’t match up well with either the Tigers or the Irish. Clemson’s defensive line looks to be one of the best in the ACC and will give the Tar Heels fits. UNC’s offensive line isn’t quite there yet.
As good as North Carolina’s pass offense is, Notre Dame will boast one of the better secondaries in the conference. Let by safety Kyle Hamilton and Shaun Crawford, Notre Dame’s secondary is bolstered by transfers Nick McCloud and Isaiah Pryor.
Miami won the offseason for the second year in a row. This season might yield dividends in Manny Diaz’s second season as head coach. D’Eriq King is a leader who should stabilize the offense, and Qunicy Roche and Gregory Rosseau will have offensive coordinators losing sleep all season.
It will be interesting to see just how much better Florida State will be under first-year head coach Mike Norvell. There is a lot of talent in Tallahassee, especially since the top players from the 2017 recruiting class–including Marvin Wilson–decided to stay one more season.
Norvell has to figure out the quarterback position. Will James Blackmon start and eventually give the job over either Chuba Purdy or Tate Rodemaker? There lots of developmental issues with their offensive line as well. The talent is there; the chemistry isn’t.
It’s fair to infer Virginia will not be as good as they were last season. The only question is, how far will they fall. Not only is Bryce Perkins gone, so are their two leading receivers from last season. Justin Fuente seemed to have found his footing in Blacksburg. Can he find some wins?
There is some building project at the bottom of the conference. Jeff Hafley comes to Chesnut Hill to take over at Boston College. Phil Jurkovec got his waiver to play this season, and the Eagles have a veteran offensive line. Their skill players scare no one, though.
Year two of the Geoff Collins rebuild at Georgia Tech will be filled with peaks and valleys, not to mention lots of young players getting lots of snaps.
This should be a fun season in the ACC with the Irish and Tigers atop the conference.
ACC football champions: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
It would be very Notre Dame of Notre Dame to win the ACC outright and then continue their football independence next season. The Irish are a legitimate threat to Clemson in the ACC this season. They’ve recruited speed and are the second-best team in the conference.
North Carolina is a year away, Louisville and Florida State are two years away. If there is any team that can take advantage of any potential weaknesses in Clemson’s armor, it’s Notre Dame.
The Ross injury could prove significant with Tee Higgins in the NFL. Keep in mind, Clemson has only recruited at an elite level for the past two years. They are not as deep at receiver as they are in other places.
The Tigers lost a lot of talent from their defense. Isaiah Simmons, Tanner Muse, AJ Terrell, K’Von Wallace was among the NFL-caliber ability last season. This goes without saying at the Tigers have grown accustomed to losing talent to the league.
With the Irish part of the ACC, there is a team talented enough to capitalize on Clemson losing that much NFL talent.
The Irish lost their fair share of quality players as well. The Irish lost their top three receivers–two were drafted–and their top two pass rushers.
A lot of things have to go right for the Irish to win the ACC. First, they have to stay healthy. Ian Book, Drew White, Kyle Hamilton cannot miss time to injury. Their young talent has to play to form. Braden Lenzy has to play to his lofty expectations.
Chris Tyree’s ankle has to be 100%, and he has to snatch playing time from the veterans in front of him. The run defense has to be better than it was last season, and the secondary needs to be as dominant as it was last season.
A lot of things have to go right for the Irish to win the ACC this season. If things align, they could very well dethrone Clemson, even if it is for one season.
For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.