COASTAL DIVISION
Georgia Tech (9-4, 5-3 ACC):
An amazing season last year for the Yellow Jackets has other teams in the ACC fearing that they may be even better next year. The duo of QB Josh Nesbitt and ACC Player of the Year Jonathan Dwyer will lead Tech next season.
The talented recruits coming in will look to do the same in the future. Entering his second year, Paul Johnson has recruited the state of Georgia very well. Fourteen of 21 recruits are from the Peach State.
Finishing 25th nationally in defense last year, Georgia Tech brings in some solid players on the defensive line and defensive backfield.
The best may be massive DT J.C. Lanier (6'3", 335 lbs). A powerful lineman with a great first step, issues have come up about him controlling his weight. If Lanier can do so, he may cause havoc in the ACC.
GT has also picked up three three-star offensive linemen to help out a team that rushed over 600 times last season.
North Carolina (8-5, 4-4 ACC):
Butch Davis just keeps reeling in top recruit after top recruit. The feeling in Chapel Hill as of late is that the hometown Heels may soon be controlling the ACC. With the sixth best class in the nation heading to UNC, the expected success may come sooner rather than later. One five-star recruit, DE Donte Moss (6'4", 235 lbs) will pair with Marvin Austin on the line.
With Hakeem Nicks preparing for April's NFL Draft, North Carolina may have found his replacement in WR Jheranie Boyd (6'2", 184 lbs) from Gastonia, N.C.
Boyd is a tremendous athlete with terrific speed and exceptional jumping ability. Boyd is one of the 13 four-star recruits Coach Davis has landed including two on the O-line, defensive backfield and LB core.
UNC also landed a very good QB in four-star Bryn Renner (6'3", 192 lbs) from West Springfield, Va. Renner may not see the field for a while however, sitting behind T.J. Yates, Cameron Sexton and Mike Paulus.
Miami (7-6, 4-4 ACC):
The 'Canes eighth-ranked class is highlighted by a player who many consider to be the best, RB Bryce Brown (6', 215 lbs) from Wichita, Kan. The talented back is the guy who can bring The U back to the national stage.
Brown leads a class that is loaded at running back, offensive line and defenisve line. Brown's verbal is considered "soft." We will see whether he actually ends up in Miami.
Head coach Randy Shannon has done a fairly decent job recruiting the Miami area and has also reached out to the north of Florida to land some great players.
Brandon Washington (6'5", 330 lbs) from New York is a massive lineman who will protect the QB for years.
Virginia (5-7, 3-5 ACC):
The grumbling has already begun in Charlottesville. With a new offensive coordinator, a new quarterback and star players leaving, it's going to be interesting to see the Cavs in '09.
UVa's '09 class is loaded with three-stars, mainly on the O- and D-lines. In a class with not many big players, the most exciting may be Dominique Wallace. At 6'1" and 231 lbs, the running back from Fredericksburg is a massive back who should be a nice addition, especially if Mikell Simpson returns to his form from two years ago.
The Wahoos also picked up a very skilled receiver in Tim Smith (6', 182 lbs) from Chesapeake. Though undersized, Smith will look to contribute to a team that has been lacking a solid wide receiving core for a quite a while. We shall see how this mediocre class turns out, especially since the brilliant classes Al Groh had early on did not amount to much ACC success.
Duke (4-8, 1-7 ACC):
The Blue Devils are developing into a decent program under David Cutcliffe. After earning four wins last year, Duke is bringing in two four-star recruits along with 13 three-stars.
Desmond Scott (5'9", 185 lbs) is ranked as the fifth-best all-purpose running back in the class. The quick back from Durham decided to stay home instead of going to Florida, Georgia or other elite programs.
Another fantastic prospect for Duke is four-star DT John Drew (6'1", 303 lbs) from Columbus, Ga.
The Blue Devils also landed Tyree Watkins (6'2", 185 lbs) from Camden, N.J., and Connor Vernon (6'1", 179 lbs) from Miami who are both three-star wide receivers who may develop into a quick duo for the Blue Devils in the coming years.
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