ACC Atlantic Stars of the Class 

Boston College
LB Jimmy Martin, 6-0, 220 – Is he the next great Boston College interior linebacker? He needs to add a little weight and bulk, but he has sideline-to-sideline range, and he can play inside or out. The Florida native didn’t get too much of a look from the local schools, but he’s smart, tough, and has the upside to become one of the team’s top tacklers in the near future. 

Clemson
OT Mitch Hyatt, 6-5, 274 – The Tigers are loading up on top talents, with a few future stars in DT Christian Wilkins and CB Mark Fields, but Hyatt is the one the NFL types are one day going to be really, really interested in. It’s going to take at least two years before he fills out his frame, but once he hits the weights hard, look out. The athleticism is there, the quickness is in place, and he looks the part – now he has to get stronger to grow into the prototype left tackle. 

Florida State
DE Josh Sweat, 6-5, 240 – It’s Florida State, so the stars are coming in with S Derwin James and CB Tarvarus McFadden two NFL prospects right out of the gate, but Sweat is the true difference-maker in the class. A bit of a tweener/hybrid, he’s a defensive end, but he could become a devastating outside linebacker depending on what the coaching staff wants to do. Snatched away from Alabama, Clemson and Florida, he has next-level pass rushing talent with prototype skills. 

Louisville
DE Devonte Fields, 6-4, 250 – The former TCU superstar pass rusher had his share of issues, spent time at Trinity Valley JC, and now is being brought in by Bobby Petrino to be an instant factor on the defensive front. With ten sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss in 2012, he earned all-star honors for the Horned Frogs, but as long as he can keep everything together and not get in the doghouse, this is his big second chance. One massive year – and a good recommendation – and he has first round NFL Draft potential. 

NC State
DT Darian Roseboro, 6-3, 280 – The offensive line is bringing in the potential forces to do what Dave Doeren wants with the ground game – getting Daris Workman from the JUCO ranks and prep star Emanuel McGirt at tackle – and RB Nyheim Hines was a good signing to run the attack, but it’s Roseboro who should turn out to be the one to make a good class great with the size and athleticism to be a dangerous interior pass rusher or work as a 3-4 end. Alabama and Auburn fought for him, but NC State pulled it off. 

Syracuse
S Marquise Blair, 6-3, 185 – The Orange got a couple of nice defensive ends in Amir Ealey and Jake Pickard, and CB Daivon Ellison is a talent, but it’s Blair who one day should be an All-ACC star depending on where he plays. He has the size of a big receiver, and he has the frame to become a whale of a safety, and he should grow into the team’s leading defensive back with the speed to go along with the bulk – the raw tools are there. While he wasn’t given much of a push from the Power 5 schools, he’ll work out well for SU. 

Wake Forest
TE Bowman Archibald, 6-6, 240 – QB Kendall Hilton and RB Rocky Reid might need to become the stars among the skill player signees, but Archibald has the look of a potential star with the right size and the right ability to be a go-to, No. 1 target. He already has the body and the bulk, and he has the athleticism, which is why Florida, Alabama and Oregon were among the big programs that wanted him. The Florida native got away from SEC country. 

ACC Coastal Stars of the Class 

Duke
LB Ben Humphreys, 6-1, 201 – WR T.J. Rahming might turn into the splashiest of the team’s recruits – with the blazing speed and talent, even if the 148-pounder needs to bulk up – but Humphreys was the key get in the class. He also needs time in the weight room, but once he adds at least 20 pounds of good muscle, he should be one of the team’s leading tacklers who can play inside or out. A baller out of California, the Pac-12 wanted him, but he’ll end up being one of the top Blue Devil leaders. 

Georgia Tech
OT Will Bryan, 6-3, 260 – The key players in the class are in the defensive back seven – most notably linebackers Victor Alexander and Tyler Cooksey – but the Paul Johnson offensive needs a quarterback for the line who can move and can handle the pressure. A center by trade, once he gets bigger and stronger, he should end up working at one of the tackle spots as the type of blocker everything can work behind. Or he could end up handling a spot in the middle. 

Miami
RB Mark Walton, 5-9, 182 – The Hurricanes have done a great job this recruiting season with S Jaquan Johnson and OT Bar Milo eventual key starters, but Walton could turn into the type of back who grows into a top role sooner than later. He might not be Duke Johnson fast or quick, but he’s going to be an ultra-productive runner who finds the holes and keeps the chains moving. 

North Carolina
DE Jalen Dalton, 6-6, 230 – An early get in the process, the Tar Heels have their pass rusher with the size and frame to carry more good weight while also having the skills to get become the type of disruptive star who becomes an all-star stat-sheet filler. The O line is getting the key parts to this class – William Sweet will eventually be an all-star tackle – but once Dalton gets stronger, he’s the one everyone should remember. There’s a reason Alabama, Georgia and Florida State wanted him. 

Pitt
CB Jordan Whitehead, 5-11, 180 – Pat Narduzzi’s job was to keep the terrific prospects around after Paul Chryst bolted for Wisconsin, and he has his safety/linebacker in Anthony McKee, his running back in Darrin Hall, and his shut-down corner in Whitehead. He has the speed and the skills to take away one side of the field, but he needs to be a bit more physical. With his ball skills, tackling won’t necessarily be a priority. 

Virginia
LB Jahvoni Simmons, 6-1, 230 – The class is spraying to all fields, but it’s concentrating on the defensive front seven with a nice crop of defensive ends. Simmons could be used as a hybrid end/outside linebacker, but with his size and smarts he’s built to work in the middle and quarterback the defense. Natural and with great range, he’ll make the defense his once he gets his chance. Several ACC schools wanted him, and Alabama shot over an offer, but he’s staying close to home. 

Virginia Tech
DT Tim Settle, 6-2, 339 – It’s an interesting class with some intriguing prospects and talents like 6-5 QB Dwayne Lawson and OT Austin Clark, but it’s Settle who’s built to be the one the Hokies work around – at least on the defensive side. He has to watch out that his weight doesn’t get totally out of hand. Shockingly quick and athletic for his girth, he won’t just work and live in a phone booth, he can be an interior pass rusher as well as a run stopper. He had his choice of SEC and ACC schools, and now he’s the crown jewel of Frank Beamer’s class.