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USA Today Sports Media Group

Sport

Pete Fiutak

ACC Recruiting Rankings, Stars, 3 Other Things That Matter From 2019 National Signing Day

How did all of the ACC teams do this recruiting season? Here are the rankings after National Signing Day, along with the stars, and three other things that matter.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews

– 5 Teams That Crushed It This Recruiting Season
– 5 2nd Year Guys Who Came Up Big
– 5 Coaches Who Needed To Have A Big NSD

4. Miami’s amazing all-around offseason
3. Virginia made a huge push up
2. 2019 All-ACC Recruiting Rankings
1. 2019 All-ACC Recruiting Team

5. Florida State didn’t have the season it needed, but …

It’s still fantastic.

However, it’s all relative.

For just about everyone in the ACC, this would be a fantastic class to do cartwheels over. But for a program that’s supposed to compete for a national championship every year, and is used to being a fixture in the top five in the national recruiting rankings, this isn’t quite good enough.

Head coach Willie Taggart had a rough first season.

He has never won a conference championship in his eight years as a head man. He has never won a bowl game, and he has never stayed around long enough at a play to enjoy the payoff of the work he’s been able to do.

The biggest problem was his first year. It’s one thing to have to rework things a bit, but to come up with a losing season at Florida State and miss out on a bowl game for the first time since the 1980s is really, really not okay.

To be fair, there was work to be done at the end of the Jimbo Fisher era. The offensive line needed a rebuild, a slew of key parts had to be replaced, and the quarterback situation wasn’t as solid as it should’ve been.

Sure enough, the offensive line needs time and bodies, and Taggart only signed two linemen after signing three last season.

The quarterback situation is a hot mess, with everyone of note transferring before Deondre Francois was kicked off the team. Now James Blackman is back, but where’s the star playmaker to fire everyone up? With no big-name grad transfer signing on – at least not yet – not bringing about someone to developed seemed strange.

Two recruiting seasons, no quarterbacks signed.

Meanwhile, it doesn’t help that Fisher is off crushing it at Texas A&M.

But as the FSU message board world melts down, remember, it’s a really, really, really good recruiting class. However, if you’re Taggart and you land a consensus top five-caliber class, everything is pointed in the right direction.

Even if 2019 isn’t amazing on the field, at least there’s hope that the young guys are in place to build things back up.

Come up with a class that’s definitely out of the top ten – at Florida State – and this class gets added on to the pile of grievances if there isn’t a massive improvement on the field this season.

4. Miami’s amazing all-around offseason
3. Virginia made a huge push up
2. 2019 All-ACC Recruiting Rankings
1. 2019 All-ACC Recruiting Team

NEXT: Miami might have had the ACC’s best recruiting season

4. Miami might have had the ACC’s best recruiting season

If Miami didn’t have the best recruiting class in the 2018 season, it was a very close second behind Clemson.

Mark Richt had things going in the right direction after going to the ACC Championship and the Orange Bowl. But things on the field didn’t go according to plan, the offense struggled, and after everything fizzled, Richt retired.

However, that came after the early signing period. Most of the Hurricanes in the class were in, but it was an underwhelming class. Manny Diaz left the coaching staff to be the Temple head man, and came right back as soon as the Hurricane gig was open.

And then came the big twist.

The transfer world started to kick in.

USC safety Bubba Bolden came in. So did Ohio State quarterback Tate Martell. So did Buffalo wide receiver KJ Osborn. 2018 top Miami receiver Jeff Thomas reversed field after transferring to Illinois and came back. And it kept on going.

So now, the okay class of high school products become a solid base, while the transfers make this – arguably – the best ACC class in practical terms.

Clemson might have more prep stars, and Florida State had a better recruiting period, but Miami has more almost-certain starters because of all of the transfers.

5. FSU’s needed to be better, but …
3. Virginia made a huge push up
2. 2019 All-ACC Recruiting Rankings
1. 2019 All-ACC Recruiting Team

NEXT: The ACC’s high-riser recruiting team is …

3. Virginia crushed the recruiting season

It’s been a while since Virginia had a recruiting class that was worthy of being considered among the ACC’s top ten, and it’s been a long time since being in the upper half of the league’s recruiting rankings was possible.

But head coach Bronco Mendenhall has changed around the program, he’s finding his niche, and he’s creating a winner that’s starting to gain some traction.

No, the recruiting class isn’t going to scare anyone on a national scale, but after winning on the backs of some okay classes, getting a strong one like this might just propel the program into a perennial player in the ACC Coastal.

And the crazy part about it? Virginia only came up with a few in-state signees.

Virginia is among the nation’s most fertile recruiting territories, but Mendenhall landed just three from the state in each of the last two years.

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially when the program is finding prospects from Florida, landing six from the Sunshine State after bringing in four last year.

LB Hunter Stewart and DT Jowon Briggs are two of the best prospects the program has brought in since landing Quin Blanding in 2014 – he made just a few tackles, closing out his Cavalier career with close to 500 stops – but it doesn’t stop there.

The receivers coming in are strong, the offensive linemen – Ja’quay Hubbard is going to be a thing – are good, and overall, this should be the over-the-top class that gives Mendenhall what he needs for the next few seasons.

At least that’s the hope.

5. FSU’s needed to be better, but …
4. Miami’s amazing all-around offseason
2. 2019 All-ACC Recruiting Rankings
1. 2019 All-ACC Recruiting Team

NEXT: 2019 ACC Recruiting Rankings

2. 2019 ACC Recruiting Rankings

No, really. How good were the ACC classes this 2019 recruiting season?

14 Louisville Cardinals

Scott Satterfield did what he could to escape from the recruiting mess. There were only 14 signees, and most of them came in on National Signing Day. There aren’t a ton of talents and prospects, but the defensive line get a good group, especially on the end. DE Zach Edwards was a nice NSD get.
– Louisville Recruiting 2019 Final Thoughts: Wait Until Next Year

13 Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Don’t get caught up in rankings when it comes to Wake Forest recruiting classes. This one has a few excellent prospects, especially at defensive end, and WR Nolan Groulx should be a No. 1 target. Throw in the boatload of defensive backs, and there’s a lot to like for what head coach Dave Clawson needs.
– Wake Forest Recruiting 2019 Final Thoughts: It’s Par For The Demon Deacon Course

12 Boston College Eagles

It’s a good class for Boston College, especially at running back with Patrick Garwo a potentially special get. The defensive ends are terrific, but this class is about boosting the offense. The upgrade at the skill positions should be be a big deal in a few years.
– Boston College Recruiting 2019 Final Thoughts: More For The O

11 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

It’s probably a bit better than this, especially considering that new head man Geoff Collins had no time to work. It’s going to take a class or so to remodel the program and the style, but the defensive line from this group is good on the outside, and the wide receivers should play a big early role.
– Georgia Tech Recruiting 2019 Final Thoughts: The Remodel Begins

10 Pitt Panthers

Ehhhh, it’s not quite as strong as you might think considering the success of last year and the run to the ACC Championship. However, if QB Davis Beville is great, then everything else will look a whole lot better. The running backs are good, and the defensive line got the bulk talent.
– Pitt Recruiting 2019 Final Thoughts: Did Pat Narduzzi Capitalize?

9 Duke Blue Devils

For Duke, it’s a really, really strong class, especially on the defensive front. The secondary pulls in some good talents, too, but this is mostly a class for the lines. David Cutcliffe has a few skill parts for the offense, but this is about the infrastructure.
– Duke Recruiting 2019 Final Thoughts: No Slowing Down

8 Syracuse Orange

It’s okay, but it’s not as strong as it should be considering Dino Babers has turned this into a rising program with a whole lot of upside. Lee Kpogba is the best of a loaded linebacking corps, and plenty of parts are in place to keep on attacking.
– Syracuse Recruiting 2019 Final Thoughts: Dino Not Hitting His Stride Just Yet

7 North Carolina Tar Heels

It’s not bad considering the little time Mack Brown had to work, but wait until he has had a full year. Recruiting is one of his fortes – it’s what made him a star at UNC the first time around and a legend at Texas. Here’s the thing … it’s a better class than last year’s. If QB Sam Howell is just that good, the class might be great.
– North Carolina Recruiting 2019 Final Thoughts: Mack Isn’t Back Quite Yet

6 Virginia Cavaliers

Bronco Mendenhall came up with a whopper. There are a few prospects wanted by bigger boys – like DT Jowon Briggs – but it’s good overall, starting with the receivers and on through the good offensive linemen. The key is the speed – there’s lots of it.
– Virginia Recruiting 2019 Final Thoughts: The Best Cavalier Class In Years Should Make UVa A Player

5 NC State Wolfpack

It’s a big class, and it’s solid almost all the way through. There are enough top-shelf stars to work around – like RB Zonovan Knight and DT Joshua Harris – and the massive haul of defensive backs should pay off quickly on the depth chart.
– NC State Recruiting 2019 Final Thoughts: Doeren’s Excellent Haul

4 Miami Hurricanes

To keep hammering the point home, the real value comes with the transfers. But this ranking is all about the prep talent. It’s a small class, but it’s strong enough to be way above-average for almost everyone else. For Miami, it’s a soft recruiting season … other than the transfers. Now that Manny Diaz is in place and there’s some stability, get ready for the 2020 class to rock.
– Miami Recruiting 2019 Final Thoughts: It’s All About The U’s Offseason

3 Virginia Tech Hokies

It’s not quite good enough to beat out Florida State’s class to come in just behind Clemson, but it’s terrific. The offensive line got the biggest star prospects, but the speed and versatility across the board are there. More than anything else, the defensive tackles should make a huge difference.
– Virginia Tech Recruiting 2019 Final Thoughts: Among The ACC’s Best

2 Florida State Seminoles

Look, everyone … IT’S REALLY GOOD. Yeah, it’s a whole lot strange that he didn’t get any quarterbacks, and it’s not the jaw-dropping class that some Seminole fans might have been hoping for out of Willie Taggart, but the defensive backs are amazing and there’s more than enough to work with.
– Florida State Recruiting 2019 Final Thoughts: Great, But Where Are The Quarterbacks?

1 Clemson Tigers

It’s not quite the killer of past seasons, and it’s not the class you’d think the dominant defending national champion would bring in, but that’s nitpicking. It’s an amazing class full of talent to keep it all going, but there’s no Trevor Lawrence in this group, and the stud defensive linemen aren’t quite the stars of previous classes.
– Clemson Recruiting 2019 Final Thoughts: Dabo Keeps It Rolling

5. FSU’s needed to be better, but …
4. Miami’s amazing all-around offseason
3. Virginia made a huge push up
1. 2019 All-ACC Recruiting Team

NEXT: 2019 All-ACC Recruiting Team

1. 2019 All-ACC Recruiting Team

These are the right answers. These are the guys everyone wanted, and these are going to be the ones who’ll get analyzed years from now as the booms or bust from the 2019 Big 12 recruiting season. They’re the best and the brightest prospects.