Top Returning ACC Safeties For 2017
Can anyone prevent a healthy Derwin James from being the top ACC safety in 2017?
Can anyone prevent a healthy Derwin James from being the top ACC safety in 2017?
Florida State’s Derwin James is back after missing most of 2016 with an injury. Ditto Virginia’s Quin Blanding, who seemed like a strong candidate to leave school following his junior year. Mix in a healthy Jordan Whitehead of Pitt and a year older Jessie Bates of Wake Forest, and the ACC will be a must-stop for fans of playmaking DBs who cover like corners, yet will still pack the punch of an undersized linebacker charging up to stuff the run.
Top Returning ACC Cornerbacks
5. Van Smith, Clemson
The Tigers needed Smith to step up in 2016, so he delivered 95 tackles, 5.5 stops for loss, two picks and two forced fumbles to cop All-ACC Third Team from league coaches. Now, the Clemson staff is looking for more leadership after losing star CB Cordrea Tankersley and SS Jadar Johnson to graduation. The 5-11, 195-pound is getting looks at free and strong safety, indicative of the team’s comfort in his versatility and flexibility.
4. Jessie Bates, Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons must coach up hidden gems to survive in the ACC. Bates is a prime example of the undermanned program’s ethos. He was lightly recruited coming out of Fort Wayne, Ind., garnering just one Big Ten offer. Yet, after redshirting in 2015 he morphed into a second-team all-league performer a year ago. The 6-2, 200-pound Bates, who added weight and shaved time off his 40 as a true freshman, debuted in Winston-Salem with 100 tackles and five interceptions, including a pair of pick-sixes.
3. Jordan Whitehead, Pittsburgh
Whitehead failed to build on his Freshman All-American debut last year, due in large part to an arm injury he suffered late in the season. Sure, he was still named to the All-ACC Second Team, but it wasn’t quite the same precocious player who amassed 109 tackles in his first season out of high school. Missing four games and being eligible to declare for the NFL Draft should be all the motivation Whitehead needs to bounce back in 2017. He’s a unique athlete who’ll also be used on offense by the Panthers.
2. Quin Blanding, Virginia
By all accounts, Blanding ought to be starting his NFL career at this time. He has all of the tools of a next-level free safety, from his 6-2, 215-pound frame and athleticism to his production and football IQ. And yet, he opted instead to finish what he started in Charlottesville. Bully for you, UVA. Blanding has been a model of consistency for the Cavaliers, racking up 358 career tackles and finishing each of his three seasons on one of the All-ACC squads.
1. Derwin James, Florida State
James’ Seminole career hit an unexpected pause in 2016, the result of a torn meniscus that limited him to a single game. He’ll use this season, his third in Tallahassee, to remind the nation why he’s one of the country’s premier defensive backs. James already looks like a surefire first-round draft pick in 2018. He’s the NFL prototype at the position, a sensational 6-3, 211-pound athlete who can do a little bit of everything for a defense. James met the hype as a Freshman All-American in 2015, notching 91 tackles, 9.5 stops for loss, 4.5 sacks, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
