ACC - Defensive Talent Level Anaylsis

This piece digs a little deeper into the talent level on each Atlantic Coast Conference team by focusing on the defensive side on the ball. The offensive data cane be found in the blog. The raw data comes from Rival.com prospect ratings and is calculated as followed.

5.7 = 1.00 point
5.8 = 1.25 points
5.9 = 1.50 points
6.0 = 1.75 points
6.1 = 2.00 points

Players under 5.7 were not calculated into the raw data as a way to limit complexity.

The 2005, 2006, 2007 classes are weighted at 100% while the 2008 class is weighted at 75% and 2009 is weighted at 25% due to a lot of players redshirting. Important to note is that this data only includes current players on the roster, so attrition is factored into the equation in this data, but not factored in here.



Wow. How poor of a job is DC Mickey Andrews and position coaches Chuck Amato, Jody Allen and Odell Haggins doing at FSU? Florida State has a ton of talent, but ranks 11th in Scoring Defense and 12 in Total Defense in the ACC.


LOL - Andrews & Amato

North Carolina and Clemson rank as the two best defenses statistically and both are right at the top of the conference in terms of talent.



It all starts on the defensive line and having talent here is biggest key to defensive sucess in my opinion so it is no surprise that Clemson's unit, which features former 5-Star DEs Ricky Sapp and DeQuan Bowers and former 4-Star DTs Jarvis Jenkins and Brandon Thompson ranks toward the top in talent, but unlike FSU their production matches they hype.

North Carolina's defensive line is anchored by former 5-Star DT, Marvin Austin and former 4-Star DT Tydreke Powell and 4-Star DE Robert Quinn who is 2nd in the ACC in sacks behind Georgia Tech's former 4-Star edge rusher Derrick Morgan.



Virginia Tech always has a strong defense under DC Bud Foster and their talent is always underrated by Rivals and Scout who don't scout from Virginia through the Northeast with as fine a tooth comb as the Southeast, Texas and California.


Bud Foster - ACC's Best DC

Miami has a ton of talent a LB thanks to a huge haul in 2008. Miami's LB unit is lead by former 4-Star talent, Sean Spence. A lot of talent on this unit, but it is still mostly SO and rFR.



Clemson's former 4-Star Safety DeAndre McDaniel leads the nation in interceptions followed closely by former 4-Star GT safety Morgan Burnett.

Overall, I think the defensive talent outweights the offensive talent in the Atlantic Coast Confernece. I think it has been this way for a few years now, but I like the fact that the offenses have seen some improvement this year as well.

Coming on Friday will be the "ACC - NFL Draft Analysis" before moving on to the SEC.