ACC Recruiting Focus: The Window is Narrowing for Power 5 Schools to Find a Top Tier 2018 Quarterback

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG

Photo credit: Raymond Joyce Photography

Twitter: @RJPSports

Every college football program wants to build their recruiting class around a gunslinger that can put points on the board and lead the team on and off the field. Finding a fit between a program, staff, and player along with style of quarterback wanted, pro-style verses dual-threat, and regional talent available in a given year helps play the part in which program lands which recruit and which top quarterback gives a team new hope for the future.

In a five-part series focusing on Power Five Conferences and Class of 2018 quarterbacks committed, the following breaks down which schools are set for now in the pocket and which schools are left scrambling. First up is the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Big 12

The Big Ten

The Pac-12

The SEC

ACC

While the media has been looking at the Pac-12 and Big Ten as the new challengers to the Southeastern Conference in college football supremacy, the ACC has swiftly filled the void. Clemson is coming off back-to-back national championship game appearances beating Alabama 35-31 for the 2016 title. Florida State is Florida State posting double-digit win seasons in six out of the last seven years under head coach Jimbo Fisher with the low mark coming in 2011 with a 9-4 season made better with a Champs Sports Bowl victory. There are a few programs seemingly poised for a breakthrough season with Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech loading up on recruiting talent to challenge the top dogs out of the Atlantic Division.

Louisville has quickly adjusted to life in the ACC posting a 26-13 record over the past three seasons with Bobby Petrino at the helm. Under new head coach Mark Richt, the Hurricanes ended the 2016 season with a 9-4 record finishing with an end of the season AP ranking (No. 20) for the first time since 2009. Tar Heel fans are excited about the progress made under Larry Fedora. North Carolina won 11 games in 2015 taking a slight step back to 8-5 a year ago, but consistency in recruiting is building towards the future. From 1995 to 2011, the Hokies were one of the best programs in the nation under Frank Beamer before hitting a four-year stretch of being above average. Justin Fuente pumped new enthusiasm into the program in 2016 winning double-digit games for the first time in Blacksburg since 2011.

Great defenses may win championships but great offenses win regular season games building to the big game. Per Rivals quarterback rankings for the 2018 class, 25 pro-style and 30 dual-threats, there are only five ranked uncommitted pro-style and 10 ranked dual-threat quarterbacks left to cover the country.

Four ACC teams are sans a verbal commitment from a quarterback; Florida State, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina. The list of available top talents dwindles if tied to regional recruiting pools; six dual-threats and three pro-style quarterbacks.

Uncommitted Dual-Threat Quarterbacks

(Player/Home State/Ranking)

Justin Fields – Georgia, No. 1 ranked dual-threat; previous committed to Penn State

Gerry Bohanon – Arkansas, No. 15 ranked dual-threat

Kaleb Eleby – Maryland, No. 16 ranked dual-threat

Woodrow “Trey” Lowe – Tennessee, No. 17 ranked dual-threat

Cordel Littlejohn – Georgia, No. 25 ranked dual-threat

Jordan McCloud – Florida, No. 29 ranked dual-threat

Top Uncommitted Pro-Style Quarterbacks

Tyler Shough – Arizona, No. 9 ranked pro-style *Committed to North Carolina

Maurice Robinson – Alabama, No. 18 ranked pro-style

Will Levis – Connecticut, three-star pro-style

Riley Smith – Florida, three-star pro-style

Recruiting rankings are not the end-all-be-all, but do serve as a measuring stick of what to expect. There are top talents tucked away throughout the eastern coastline and southern states that will rise from obscurity to be the next big-time recruit by the time the 2017 high school season is finished. Until then, some of the overlooked includes Florida’s pro-style quarterback Zack Annexstad, Texas pro-style Alan Bowman, Washington D.C. product Kevin Doyle, and Georgia’s James Graham.

The Committed

If recruiting rankings do translate to wins and losses, the Clemson Tigers will have a firm hold on the ACC for years to come. Not only did Clemson ink five-star pro-style quarterback Hunter Johnson (Indiana) in the 2017 class but also have five-star Trevor Lawrence committed for 2018. The most overlooked within the group is three-star Virginia Tech dual-threat commit Quincy Patterson. Patterson tore it up at the Elite 11 earning an invite to Nike’s The Opening.

ACC

(Committed School/Player/Home State/Ranking)

Atlantic

Boston College – Johnny Langan (New Jersey), No. 30 ranked dual-threat, and Matt Valecce (New York), three-star pro-style

Clemson – Trevor Lawrence (Georgia), No. 1 ranked pro-style

Florida State

Louisville – Jordan Travis (Florida); unranked

N.C. State – Devin Leary (New Jersey), No. 10 ranked pro-style

Syracuse

Wake Forest – Sam Hartman (South Carolina), No. 25 ranked pro-style

Coastal

Duke – Gunnar Holmberg (North Carolina), No. 21 ranked pro-style

Georgia Tech

Miami – Artur Sitkowski (Florida), No. 5 ranked pro-style

North Carolina *received commitment from Tyler Sough on June 15

Pittsburgh – Nick Patti (New Jersey), three-star pro-style

Virginia – Wyatt Rector (Florida), three-star dual-threat

Virginia Tech – Quincy Patterson (Illinois), No. 23 ranked dual-threat