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A Lot Rides on Quarterbacks in the ACC
by Chris Coleman, TechSideline.com

There is talk each year of the ACC being down as a conference, and what it will take for the conference to get better. It would certainly help if Miami and Florida State stepped up. However, the quickest fix for the conference would be getting good, consistent quarterback play across the board.

The ACC hasn't had a lot of great quarterbacks recently. Last year we saw what a great quarterback can do for a team. Matt Ryan took Boston College, a team with solid but unspectacular talent, all the way to the ACC Championship Game. He put the team on his back, and made them better. Many quarterbacks in the ACC recently have done the opposite. They have made their teams worse.

Let's take a look at the projected starting quarterbacks in the ACC this year.

Who will replace Matt Ryan, who could possibly go as high as #3 overall in tomorrow's draft? The answer is Chris Crane, a 6-4 r-senior. Crane has been a college quarterback for a long time. However, he threw just four passes as Ryan's backup last season. His on-field experience is limited. His performance could determine how far the Eagles go this year.

Clemson has the best quarterback in the ACC in Cullen Harper. Harper completed 65.1% of his passes for 2,991 yards, with 27 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He'll be a r-senior in 2008. Because of his experience and production, and with most of the other starters returning, the Tigers are the early favorite by most analysts to win the ACC this year.

Duke has a very good returning quarterback in junior Thad Lewis. He had 21 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions last year. He is limited by a terrible offensive line, but he still has managed to put up some great numbers for the Blue Devils. He has been starting since his true freshman season. However, word is that he's had some trouble adjusting to new coach David Cutcliffe's system, and that former starter Zack Asack could be pushing him for the starting job.

Florida State will have rising r-senior quarterback Drew Weatherford. Weatherford is a good quarterback, and would greatly benefit from better offensive line play. The Seminoles' offensive line improved last year, but there is still a ways to go in the rebuilding job. Still, Weatherford will have a good senior season, and should have the 'Noles in contention for the Atlantic Division crown.

With the coaching change at Georgia Tech, Taylor Bennett transferred. That leaves sophomore Josh Nesbitt as new coach Paul Johnson's likely starter. Nesbitt is a runner at quarterback, and should be a good fit in Johnson's option scheme. However, he doesn't have much game experience, and the transition to an option-based offense is a tough one to make for any quarterback.

Maryland has two quarterbacks returning with starting experience in Jordan Steffy and Chris Turner. The problem is that neither was very good last year. Steffy was the starter at the beginning of the year, then got hurt. Turner came in and led the Terps to a couple of big comeback wins. However, on the whole, Turner wasn't very good if you look at the stats. Neither was Steffy. They combined for nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions. They must get better if Maryland wants to go bowling again.

Miami lost senior quarterback Kyle Wright, and rising senior Kirby Freeman decided to transfer. That will leave r-freshman quarterback Robert Marve as the starter. By all accounts Marve is a talented player, but he'll still be just a r-freshman playing behind an offensive line that is still in rebuild mode. Young quarterbacks don't often carry teams, so Miami is still probably a couple of years away before we know if they are going to return to prominence.

North Carolina returns r-sophomore quarterback T.J. Yates, who had a very productive freshman season as a starter. He threw 18 interceptions, but he did complete 59.7% of his passes for 2,655 yards. He will get to throw the ball to Hakeem Nicks yet again. Nicks is the best wide receiver in the ACC.

NC State has a problem. They have some experienced quarterbacks, but those quarterbacks only have experience playing poorly. Daniel Evans and Harrison Beck were turnover machines last year, and r-freshman Russell Wilson is, well, a r-freshman. Justin Burke could be the sleeper pick to win that starting job. If they get good quarterback play, I'd bet that Tom O'Brien will coach them into a bowl game.

Virginia would have returned 2-year starter Jameel Sewell. Instead they'll be starting true sophomore Peter Lalich, because Sewell has been lost to academic issues. Lalich is the traditional pocket quarterback that has success at UVA, but he is very inexperienced. He'll get experienced quickly, as the Hoos host the USC Trojans in their first game of the season.

Virginia Tech has two quarterbacks with starting experience. Sean Glennon has started most of the last two seasons, and he's a r-senior. He has completed 58.6% of his passes in his career, for 4,124 yards, with 25 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He has a lot of experience, and he proved down the stretch last year that he can make plays. Tyrod Taylor is talented sophomore quarterback who got Frank Beamer his first win against Florida State in 2007. They'll both probably play for the Hokies, and the quarterback position should be one of Tech's strengths.

Wake Forest returns r-junior Riley Skinner. Skinner led Wake to the ACC Title in 2006, and to another bowl game in 2007. He is a talented quarterback, and a winner. He completed 72.4% of his passes last year, a great mark. If he can cut down on his turnovers, Wake could potentially challenge for the Atlantic Division again, with a few breaks.