While it may never be a hotbed of collegiate football action, the ACC Coastal (home to some of the most beautiful campus settings in the good old USA) is intriguing to this college fantasy fella. There aren’t too many sure-fire fantasy producers, but the division is chock full of potential breakout stars on teams that appear on their way up the food chain. Two traditional powers, Miami and Virginia Tech, return a ton of youthful offensive talent. Georgia Tech brings back its ground game and even adds another potential homerun back for 2009. North Carolina’s Butch Davis continues to stockpile talent while the rivals down in Durham welcome back a talented quarterback and a coach that knows how to get the most out of his offense. Even Virginia, with the return of Jameel Sewell and a shift to, you guessed it, a spread attack, has us at least willing to look towards Charlottesville for a draft day sleeper or two. The ACC Coastal is far from a fantasy treasure trove, but the astute drafter can find plenty of diamonds in the rough here.
2008 All-ACC Fantasy Team *returning for 2009
QB: Russell Wilson*
RB: Jonathan Dwyer*
RB: Darren Evans*
WR: Hakeem Nicks
WR: Eron Riley
TE: Greg Boone*
K: Graham Gano
D: Clemson Tigers
Virginia Tech 10-4
Fantasy starters lost: QB Sean Glennon, K Dustin Keys
Returning: QB Tyrod Taylor, RB Darren Evans, TE Greg Boone
Looking to Emerge: WR Jarrett Boykin
O-line outlook: C Ryan Shuman moves on. Other four return. This unit will be one of many team strengths.
D Returners: 7
Look Back
Our first reaction when Frank Beamer announced his plans to redshirt Tyrod Tayler was uncontrollable laughter. In fact Alex put the over under at two weeks until Va. Tech took the shirt off, and he was pretty much dead on. Looking towards the future it appears that Beamer was a little confused…then he came to his senses and the playmaking quarterback teamed with Darren Evans to lead the Hokies to an ACC title and Orange Bowl victory.
In a year that saw a great deal of youngsters play the Hokies continued to roll. And the future looks very, very bright. The top receivers were all freshmen. The stud running back was a redshirt freshman. Tyrod Taylor has two more seasons at the helm. Did I say the future looks very, very bright?
Is anyone else already looking forward to the opener against Alabama?
Will be missed next season
Dustin Keys is one of those great, often overlooked stories. A walk-on for nearly his entire Hokie career, Keys entered the 2008 season as the starting kicker…without a scholarship. And his patience and hard work were finally rewarded. Eventually awarded a scholarship to cover his grad school classes (graduated last May) Keys ended the season as the kicker for the Orange Bowl champions. Hammering home 23 of 29 kicks won’t win any Groza Awards, but it leave Keys as a top twenty fantasy kicker. And he’ll be missed.
Sean Glennon’s senior season didn't pan out from a personal perspective. After all, the plan was for the veteran to lead the squad while young Mr. Taylor grew stronger as a passer. It was the hope that Glennon could help bring along a very green offensive unit. And while he had his moments (especially against Maryland) this team became Tyrod Taylor’s. Glennon was a good man Charlie Brown, but he’s not much of a fantasy loss.
Likely Offensive Star in 2009
Darren Evans, fresh off his inclusion on a bunch of All-Freshman teams, is ready to take the baton and become Virginia Tech’s next great back/touchdown vulture. But a 1500 and 15 season is by no means a lock. Ryan Williams will have something to say about who gets all the carries. Spring and summer practice/scrimmage reports will be pivotal.
Evans is one of the rare backs who became stronger as the year progressed. He proved he can handle the pounding and even if Williams makes a move, we have a hard time seeing anyone supplanting Evans as the starting tailback. But many may overestimate his number potential.
Potential Breakout Star in 2009
Tyrod Taylor threw two touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2008. And he was impressive in doing it. Taylor was the key down the stretch, leading the Hokies to wins against UVA and BC in addition the Orange Bowl triumph. One could see his confidence grow as the season wore on, and he’s the clear leader of this team. But no fantasy owner should cast his lot with Tyrod Taylor. Even with his running prowess (744 rush yards and seven touchdowns) Taylor will just be too inconsistent. But he’ll make an interesting backup to have on your roster, and he’ll likely see an increase in his numbers the more he looks to the tight end.
Frank Beamer says of Greg Boone, “he’s the most versatile guy we’ve ever recruited” and considering some of the talent that’s come through Blacksburg, the quote carries some weight. And Greg Boone is our pick to emerge on the national scene. Any tight end that can play quarterback from the “Wild Turkey” spread is solid in our book. There’s even talk that Boone could enter 2009 as the backup signal caller. His receiving numbers (278 yards and two scores) don’t jump off the page, but when you consider his 21 rushing attempts and a few passes thrown last season, suddenly visions of James Casey start dancing into our head.
Will he be the top tight end in the country? Nope. Should a tight end with the potential to run and throw touchdowns be a prime draft day commodity? Yessir.
Freshman Flyer
A trio of running backs head to Blacksburg, headlined by David Wilson. But the area where they need the most immediate help at is wide receiver. So we are casting our lot with D.J. Coles from Fork Union Military Academy. The 6-4 Coles made the switch from RB to WR while at Fork Union, so he may still be a little bit raw, but the potential is definitely present.
Georgia Tech 9-4
Fantasy starters lost: none
Returning: QB Josh Nesbitt, RB Jonathan Dwyer, RB Roddy Jones, WR Demaryius Thomas, K Scott Blair
Looking to Emerge: RB Anthony Allen
O-line outlook: Andrew Gardner and David Brown depart. The rest of the line returns.
D Returners: 7
Look Back
Well that was fun. Paul Johnson’s triple option attack was a breath of fresh air. It was nice to see an offense that wasn’t one of the 2,198 variations on the spread attack, and it was nice to see Georgia Tech pounding teams the old-fashioned way. There were definite highs, with rolling Miami and outlasting Georgia chief among them. And there were some lows, highlighted by a bad loss to UVA, a nearly horrible loss to Gardner Webb and a bowl game pummeling administered at the hands of LSU. But for a team predicted by many to have a lousy 2008, the season was a clear success, and the future is very bright for this program led by one of the smartest dudes with a whistle. And Paul Johnson is coaching a team that started 16 of 22 players with freshman or sophomore standing.
This offensive production will not be as consistent as owners would like, and the possibility that any back can explode and steal all the goodies will make lineup decisions a nerve-wracking experience. But the Georgia Tech offense will be one where fantasy stars (QB’s and RB’s) can emerge, though it’s not for the faint of heart fantasy football owner.
Will be missed next season
Quarterback Calvin Booker hung around Georgia Tech after the coaching change even though he fit into the Georgia Tech offense like Mike Myers fits into a good movie. The strong-armed quarterback was a team-first guy, and though he had no fantasy impact, a program can never have enough Calvin Bookers.
Likely Offensive Star in 2009
Jonathan Dwyer is the obvious choice. The rugged back gained over 1600 yards from scrimmage while scoring 13 times. He’s able to get the tough yard, and he’s able to break free and run away from secondary units. And at first glance he would appear a much better fit in a total-points league as opposed to the head-to-head variety, but this wasn't the case in 2008.
All things considered Dwyer was pretty consistent. He surpassed 100 yards on nine different occasions, and he scored in eight different contests. But this offense is one that continues to run what works (what the defense doesn’t take away), and there’s a very good possibility that teams key on Jonathan Dwyer, thus opening things up for the likes of Josh Nesbitt, Jaybo Shaw, Roddy Jones and Anthony Allen. And this could make for some lousy weeks, ones that kill owners in head-to-head leagues.
Dwyer is still a top national back. But even as the Yellow Jackets become more familiar with the Johnson offense and learn to hang onto the ball, don’t expect Dwyer’s numbers to automatically improve.
Potential Breakout Star in 2009
Any one of the other running backs could emerge, including Anthony Allen. Allen, who may have jumped the Louisville ship before it sinks, is a natural fit for this offense, and his combination of size and speed will be a scary addition to the triple option attack. Of course Roddy Jones (and his 9.1 yards PER CARRY) also brings a wee bit of potential as well. In short, GT will have no dearth of running back options with breakaway potential.
Wide receiver is a little different. Georgia Tech may try and go through an entire season with only one receiver catching a pass. Demaryius Thomas caught 39 balls in 2008, or 34 more than the next leading wide receiver. Our favorite was his 9-230-1 performance against Duke, where he caught every pass that was completed. Of course that outing was sandwiched between a 2-23-1 showing and a 2-41-0 blowup.
If you’re a fan of 12 team parlays then Thomas is your guy.
Freshman Flyer
It’s tough to pick an impact freshman from the Yellow Jackets. Wide receivers are out and they have depth at quarterback and running back. If you are looking deep into the future QB Jordan Luallen and RB Orwin Smith are two names to file away.
North Carolina 8-5
Fantasy starters lost: QB Cameron Sexton, WR Hakeem Nicks, WR Brandon Tate
Returning: QB T.J. Yates, RB Shaun Draughn, RB Ryan Houston, RB Greg Little
Looking to Emerge: Greg Little back to WR in 2009?
O-line outlook: The tackle and center move along. Three coming back.
D Returners: 9
Look Back
The term sleeping giant is thrown around too much, but if there’s one school that just shut off the alarm and is about to get up and stretch it may be the North Carolina Tar Heels. The program has everything going for it: a beautiful college town, an outstanding academic reputation, a bunch of regular opponents who are anything but football powerhouses, and a coach that knows exactly what he’s doing. And even though the season ended on a sour note, this is a program for owners to look at as Butch Davis is welcoming some serious talent to Chapel Hill.
The injury to T.J. Yates hurt in 2008, and this kept Hakeem Nicks (68-1222-12) from having an even bigger season. Running back by platoon was disappointing, and the touchdowns vultured by Ryan Houston were downright annoying.
All running backs will return, and the wide receiver spot may yield a nice sleeper or two.
Will be missed next season
There’s no doubt that the early departure of record-setting wide receiver Hakeem Nicks will leave a gaping hole, but so too will the loss of Brandon Tate. The multi-dimensional Tate was on his way to a very nice and productive senior campaign until a knee injury cut his season in half.
The departures of Nicks and Tate, coupled with the graduation of Brooks Foster, mean that about 99% of the receiving production is gone. And while this is likely worrisome to the UNC football faithful, it should intrigue the degenerate fantasy drafter.
Likely Offensive Star in 2009
T.J. Yates was the best quarterback North Carolina could trot out in 2008, and clearly with the departure of Cam Sexton he will remain the best quarterback in 2009. In fact if Yates can remain healthy he may challenge Russell Wilson as the conference’s top quarterback.
Greg Little appears to be a great fantasy player on paper, but one who will struggle to put up consistent numbers. In fact he may only become a fantasy factor if his move to wide receiver indeed becomes permanent.
Potential Breakout Star in 2009
Rashad Mason is one who has us intrigued solely on size and reputation. Mason was a top wide receiver recruit out of Tennessee, and at 6’5” he offers a nice red zone option.
Freshman Flyer
The Tar Heels made strides on the field in 2008 and they are making even bigger strides on the recruiting front. No question, Butch Davis’ presence has been instrumental in getting talented players to not only consider UNC, but actually sign with the Heels. Down the road quarterback Bryn Renner may turn out to be the most important recruit of the 2009 class.
A pair of wide receivers top our immediate impact list. Jheranie Boyd will be in our top 10 wide receiver prospects later this week. And Joshua Adams won’t be far behind. Adams is already on campus and will be available for spring ball.
Miami 7-6
Fantasy starters lost: QB Robert Marve, WR Kayne Farquharson
Returning: QB Jacory Harris, RB Graig Cooper, RB Javarris James, WR Travis Benjamin, WR Aldarius Johnson, TE Dedrick Epps, K Matt Bosher
Looking to Emerge: WR Laron Byrd
O-line outlook: Two linemen, including Xavier Shannon move on. Rest of the line returns.
D Returners: 6
Look Back
Based on the standards of any of the previous coaches (Schnellenberger, Johnson, Erickson, Davis or Coker) it’s hard to deem a 7-6 Miami season a success. However for a program that has lost its identity there were some definite positives to take from 2008. Randy Shannon has yet to prove he’s the long-term answer, but he’s given enough hints to make one think he could be the one to return Miami to its place among the national elite.
Miami’s offense had its moments against weak defenses, but far too often it was unable to score points with any consistency. This inconsistency was caused primarily by the Hurricanes’ youth and the Harris vs. Marve battle that wasn’t settled until one quarterback did enough to sabotage his own chances. The Days of Marve’s Lives has ended, and now it’s time to see what The Young and the Talented can do in Coral Gables.
Will be missed next season
Robert Marve moves on, and while a clear talent, it’s easy to see the Canes pleased to be rid of the drama. Whether things beyond Marve’s control (car accident) or from his own doing (missed classes) there was never a dull moment. And a bunch of young men hanging out in beautiful Miami have enough distractions from their academic and athletic pursuits without a quarterback who made more headlines off the field than on it.
Likely Offensive Star in 2009
The change in offensive coordinator isn’t a good sign, but it does appear that Jacory Harris is the quarterback of the present and future for the Miami Hurricanes. At times Harris would look like the next great Miami quarterback, and then he’d follow it up with a very freshman-like performance. He ended the season with 14 total touchdowns against seven picks. If new coordinator Mark Whipple can build an offense to fit his quarterback’s strengths, then Harris could become a great keeper prospect.
Graig Cooper looks to be the prime back, though he’ll be pushed by the oft-injured Javarris James and possibly a talented incoming freshie or two. Cooper has potential as he’s a good runner with excellent pass-catching ability, but he’s likely one to serve a backup role on your squad.
Potential Breakout Star in 2009
Aldarius Johnson and Travis Benjamin are two receivers that bring to mind a couple of great Miami receivers of the past: Johnson is rugged like another Johnson, Andre of the Houston Texans, and Benjamin is speedy like Santana Moss. Each is coming off a solid freshman campaign and each is expected to grow along with their signal caller.
Johnson (31-332-3 in 2008) may have more fantasy value as a consistent performer, but Benjamin is the more explosive, as one of his four scores came on the ground. It’ll be interesting to see if Miami can get the ball in Benjamin's hands through a variety of methods, ala Percy Harvin.
Freshman Flyer
If he sticks with his commitment, running back Bryce Brown will be a must have for fantasy owners. Others have yet to lock up the starting spot, leaving the door open for the top running back recruit in the country to steal the job as a freshman. We’ll obviously have more on Brown and a few other Miami recruits in February. RBs haven’t secured the spot, and Brown is the top ranked RB in the country.
Virginia 5-7
Fantasy starters lost: RB Cedric Peerman, WR Kevin Ogletree, TE John Phillips
Returning: RB Mikell Simpson, QB Marc Verica
Looking to Emerge: QB Jameel Sewell
O-line outlook: Three starters return
D Returners: 6
Look Back
Things got off to a bad start in Charlottesville. Players (most notably quarterbacks) were suspended and the season went downhill in a hurry. And you know an offense is bad when a head coach (Al) fires his son and offensive coordinator (Mike). The Cavaliers (insert cadaver joke at any point) were dead in the water from the get-go, and even with their brief midseason rebirth, they still couldn’t score enough points even if their life depended on it.
Greg Brandon has been awarded the job of retooling the offense, and seeing as he spent two years as Urban Meyer’s offensive coordinator during his tenure at Bowling Green you can color us intrigued. Of course now that everyone runs the spread maybe our excitement is much ado about nothing. But it’s still an interesting shift with an interesting quarterback returning to the fold.
The offense will need to replace three producers (Peerman, Ogletree and Phillips) from last season, but a relatively fresh start and an infusion of young talent may be just what the doctor ordered.
Will be missed next season
During a disappointing season Cedric Peerman was a solid fantasy back. He nearly gained 1000 yards from scrimmage while scampering for seven scores. Included was a four-game stretch during which Peerman scored six times and averaged 141 yards from scrimmage. He’ll move on along with WR Kevin Ogletree (58-723 with six touchdowns) who declared early for the draft and TE John Phillips, who caught two touchdowns among his 48 catches.
As referenced, each departing player was a solid contributor to a mediocre offense and the change to a more wide open attack may be best made with some young whippersnappers.
Likely Offensive Star in 2009
Joining Syracuse’s Mike Williams on the “CFFInsider.com Returning from Academic Suspension All-Preseason Team” will be Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell. After his 2008 spent in timeout it appears that Sewell is a favorite to take back his starting gig. And he presents an interesting fantasy option.
The versatile Sewell was very impressive (in spurts) as a freshman and sophomore (16 total touchdowns and nearly 2500 yards from scrimmage in 2007). And now he’ll likely lead an offense that will allow him to display his running and passing talents. Greg Brandon has stated his desire to tailor his spread to the strengths of his personnel, meaning that Sewell will operate in an offense essentially made for him. This and a slate of unimpressive ACC squads make Sewell one to watch.
Potential Breakout Star in 2009
On most teams multiple players jump as potential breakout stars. This is not the case with Virginia. While the offense appears to have potential and an intriguing quarterback, the skill talent in the backfield and out wide isn’t that exciting. Because it’d be too easy to deem Mikell Simpson the possible star in waiting, we’ll take a flyer on wide receiver Jared Green.
Green, son of NFL legend Darrell Green, did a nice job in a limited role as a freshman, catching 12 balls for 144 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t come to Charlottesville with the greatest of accolades, but he showed promise in 2008. And someone has to catch those quick slants in the new offense.
Freshman Flyer
There are a number of high-profile running back and wide receiver recruits from which to choose. However, we are looking to the tight end spot for immediate impact. Tucker Windle has the ability to stretch the field, and this could come in handy. If he can adjust to blocking guys that will be 40-50 pound heavier than the guys he saw in high school then Windle will see the field early.
Duke 4-8
Fantasy starters lost: RB Clifford Harris, WR Eron Riley
Returning: QB Thaddeus Lewis, WR Johnny Williams
Looking to Emerge: RB Jay Hollingsworth
O-line outlook: Three starters will move on.
D Returners: 5
Look Back
It may never become a college fantasy football hotbed, but as long as David Cutcliffe is in charge Duke will be a program worthy of a look. The man has proven he can coach quarterbacks, and with a talented, well-coached signal caller the offense will produce. 4-8 is still 4-8, but for this program the 2008 season was one on which to build.
Duke scored 41 points against Navy, 31 against UVA and 30 against Wake. These outputs are what Dr. Leo Marvin would refer to as baby steps.
Will be missed next season
Duke will look to a receiver (Johnny Williams?) to emerge as a replacement for Eron Riley, and this will likely prove a difficult chore. Riley was a starter for nearly all four years of his Duke career, and he’ll leave Durham following a senior campaign of 61-693-8. Place this next to a 40-830-9 junior season and there’s a big hole.
Other than Riley’s 8-137-3 week three explosion against Navy he really wasn’t much of a national fantasy factor. But he remained one of the top wide receivers in the ACC, and his senior success likely provided a very nice preview of the fantasy production we can expect to see from Cutcliffe’s number one receivers.
Likely Offensive Star in 2009
Thaddeus Lewis threw one more pass in 2008 than he did in 2007, and while his total touchdowns dipped from 23 to 17, he did throw four fewer picks. In his last two seasons Lewis has accounted for 40 scores while only tossing 16 interceptions. Another season in this new system leads us to believe we could be in store for a 25-touchdown 2009.
Lewis will have value in ACC-only leagues and as a desperation spot starter in BCS leagues, and this is about it. However astute fantasy owners will want to play close attention to his numbers in order to better gauge what can be expected from future Blue Devil quarterbacks.
As hard as it may be to fathom, Duke may be a football factor for the first time since Mr. Spurrier was working his magic. Like Rutgers, Cincinnati and USF, the Blue Devils will be in on a different caliber of athlete in the next few years. And as more talent heads to Durham we could see an emerging fantasy option in the ACC.
Potential Breakout Star in 2009
He only caught 14 balls for 171 yards and one score in 2008, but there are indications that Duke TE Brent Huffman could be primed for a breakout season. Starting in five of the Blue Devils’ final six games, Huffman provided a potential glimpse to 2009 when he hauled in six catches for 71 yards against Wake.
Still, though he played in all twelve games, Huffman went through six of them without catching any passes, so he’s far from a clear fantasy star on the rise. But he’s a talented tight end in an improving offense, so this alone makes him one to watch on the waiver wire.
Junior kicker Nick Maggio returns as the definitive starter. Following a season that saw him go 11-14 on field goals and a perfect 28-28 on extra points he may emerge as a top kicker in the ACC, provided the offense can move the ball with greater consistency.
Freshman Flyer
This is an easy one. Duke desperately needs a running back and Desmond Scott is capable of filling that void. Scott has offers from just about every school in the SEC, including Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Auburn. I think it is safe to say David Cutcliffe’s top recruit for 2009 will see the field early and often.
Final ACC Coastal Thoughts
We don't expect Butch Davis and David Cutcliffe to supplant Roy Williams and Coach K on the Tobacco Road pecking order for coaches. But the arrival of each will continue to raise the overall talent level in the conference. And with Virginia Tech showing no signs of slowing down, Georgia Tech emerging as a ground force and Miami's potential renaissance, a basketball conference is quick becoming a place where college fantasy footballers should look.