ACC recruiting thoughts: Clemson’s staying power, Miami’s prowess, UNC’s regression

High school football season is almost here, which means 2023 recruits who have yet to make their college decisions are getting closer to crunchtime. Official visits will be in full swing again this fall, and the early signing period in December will be here faster than we know it.

What’s the ACC up to?

Let’s dive in with some thoughts from around the league

1. Fairly or not, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney’s comments from 2014, when he said he’d “go do something else” if college athletics ever became professionalized, made their way back into national headlines last year when players had the opportunity to be compensated for their name, image and likeness. Swinney has maintained that he’s never been against NIL and was instead referring to college football moving toward making players employees and devaluing education. Still, Swinney’s comments, combined with his resistance to the transfer portal and the fact that the Tigers missed the College Football Playoff in 2021 for the first time since 2014, raised questions about how Clemson would fare on the recruiting trail this year.

Quite well, actually.

Clemson currently has the nation’s No. 8 class, headlined by five-star quarterback Christopher Vizzina and five-star defensive tackle Peter Woods. On Sunday, the Tigers beat out Notre Dame and many others to land a commitment from coveted four-star athlete/receiver Ronan Hanafin. If there was any question about how the Tigers would rebound after a rocky 2021, Swinney is proving Clemson’s brand is still as strong as ever. Barring a late slide, the Tigers will sign a sixth straight top-10 class.

𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙈𝙄𝙏𝙏𝙀𝘿‼️ #ALLIN Thank you Coach Swinney @Coach_Grisham @CoachStreeter @Coach_Willey_FB 🐅 pic.twitter.com/RW9d1RvUKI

— Ronan Hanafin (@RonanHanafin) August 14, 2022

“Obviously things have been very crazy in this world with all the different changes in college football,” Swinney said. “The more chaotic, the better it’s been for Clemson because of the foundation that we have here, because of who we are, because of all the processes that we have in place, the people that we have in place. But more importantly, again, the established culture that we have. There’s not many places out there that have that.”

2. Mario Cristobal has wasted no time in bringing his recruiting chops to Miami, which currently has the No. 9 class nationally in the 247Sports Composite. Cristobal has his quarterback of the future in four-star California native Jaden Rashada (a top-50 national prospect) and has shown that recruiting offensive linemen around Rashada will be of the utmost priority. The Hurricanes have five O-linemen committed, including the nation’s No. 6 prospect in five-star tackle Francis Mauigoa of IMG (Fla.) Academy, who picked the Hurricanes over Tennessee and Alabama.

Could another five-star lineman be on the way? Miami appears to be the favorite for Samson Okunlola, a tackle from Thayer Academy in Massachusetts who, at No. 14 overall, is the highest-rated uncommitted offensive lineman in the class.

One of the keys for Miami: Cristobal has made quick inroads at talent-rich IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. We can debate whether IMG prospects should be considered in-state, but it’s clear Miami is recruiting the school as though it’s part of the program’s footprint. Including Mauigoa, the Hurricanes have four players from IMG in their 2023 class, with three of the four ranked in the top 100 nationally.

3. NC State went 9-3 last season, beat Clemson in the Textile Bowl for the first time since 2011 and finished the year undefeated at home for the first time since 1986. This year, the Wolfpack — led by quarterback Devin Leary — are a legitimate contender to win the conference title.

This program has a ton of momentum.

But the Pack have been underwhelming on the recruiting trail so far in the Class of 2023.  They have just 11 commitments in a class that ranks No. 52 nationally. There are no five-stars, eight four-stars and 11 three-stars. The average player rating of 87.61 is respectable and ranks fifth among ACC schools, but this is probably not what State fans expected after last year’s nine-win season.

What gives?

4. Winning an ACC championship — and doing so with the league’s highest scoring offense — has paid dividends for Pat Narduzzi and Pitt, who landed four-star quarterback Kenny Minchey out of Hendersonville, Tenn., in April. Minchey, No. 317 overall in the Class of 2023, is Pitt’s fourth-highest-ranked high school quarterback commit in the modern recruiting era, per the 247Sports Composite. Only Chad Voytik (2012), Tyler Palko (2002) and Pat Bostick (2007) had higher ratings.

Has Pitt found its next great Kenny?

5. It’s been a busy offseason for first-year Duke coach Mike Elko. The Blue Devils have 26 commitments, the most in the country, in a class that ranks No. 31 nationally. All 26 commits are three-star prospects and none are ranked in the top 600.

6. It’s becoming clear that top prospects need to see North Carolina win. Mack Brown signed a top-15 class in each of his first three full cycles in his return to Chapel Hill, but UNC has struggled a bit in the Class of 2023 on the heels (pun intended) of a disappointing 6-7 season in 2021. The Tar Heels’ class ranks 28th nationally, with an average player rating of 88.93 — down significantly from 90.87 in 2021 and 91.76 in 2021.

One troubling sign: North Carolina has just one of the state’s top five players committed: four-star edge Jaybron Harvey of Durham.

To the Tar Heels’ credit, they have made the top six for four-star defensive lineman Daevin Hobbs, the No. 2 player in the state. Hobbs took an official visit to UNC in June and last month received a 247 crystal ball projection to Carolina. But now it’s time to put on the full-court press. The Tar Heels also need results on the field to follow.

7. It’s been a tough cycle for both Virginia and Virginia Tech in terms of keeping in-state talent home. Penn State is dominating the state, with commitments from three of the top six and five of the top eight players in Virginia. That includes a pledge from five-star offensive lineman Alex Birchmeier, the No. 1 player in the state.

It will take time for first-year coaches Brent Pry (Virginia Tech) and Tony Elliott (Virginia) to develop recruiting connections in the state,  but both programs need to make progress before the December signing period. Virginia has just one top-10 player from the state committed, three-star linebacker Kamren Robinson (No. 9 in Virginia), and Virginia Tech has just one top-20 commit in three-star cornerback Cameren Fleming (No. 20).

In the meantime, Penn State coach James Franklin — Pry’s former boss — doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.

8. Florida State is still in search of a quarterback. Chris Parson, a four-star prospect from Ravenwood High School in Tennessee, decommitted from the Seminoles in July — almost a full year after his initial pledge to Mike Norvell. Last week, Parson committed to Mike Leach and Mississippi State.  The Seminoles were in the mix for Brock Glenn from Memphis, Tenn., but he committed to Ohio State in late July.

Florida State is one of 16 Power 5 schools that doesn’t have a quarterback in its 2023 class. And the pickings are slim. The highest-rated quarterback on the board is Raheim Jeter of Spartanburg, S.C., who comes in at No. 961 overall and No. 46 among QBs.

Does Norvell try to grab a QB late? Or do the Seminoles turn their attention to the Class of 2024.

9. Who would have guessed that three of the top 15 prospects in the state of California would commit to … Louisville? But here the Cardinals are, having scored pledges from wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr., cornerback Aaron Williams and quarterback Pierce Clarkson — each ranked in the top 225 nationally. Scott Satterfield also has commitments from the No. 30 player (three-star athlete Jamari Johnson) and the No. 33 player (three-star athlete Jahlil McClain) in the state.

Considering Satterfield spent the vast majority of his career in North Carolina, Louisville’s surge in California is impressive. Four of the five California commits hail from St. John Bosco in Bellflower, where Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei and wide receiver Beaux Collins both played. Uiagalelei’s younger brother, Matayo, a five-star defensive end in the Class of 2023, is a senior at St. John Bosco.

10. Three of Boston College’s top four commits play in the secondary, which isn’t surprising given coach Jeff Hafley’s experience coaching defensive backs at Ohio State and in the NFL. The Eagles have commitments from three-star prospects Shawn Battle (corner), Kahlil Ali (safety) and Antonio Cotman Jr. (corner), all of whom are top 15 players in their respective states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Virginia.

Four-star cornerback Rodrick Pleasant would be the biggest get of them all — if the Eagles can land him out of California. Pleasant, the nation’s No. 88 prospect, took an official visit to Boston College in June. He has the Eagles in a top six that also includes Cal, Oregon, Penn State, UCLA and USC.

11. Wake Forest isn’t the easiest Power 5 school to recruit to, given the university’s small size, but coach Dave Clawson is doing just fine. Of the Demon Deacons’ top five recruits since 2000, four are either already on campus or coming soon. That includes four-star cornerback Antonio Robinson, of Beechwood (Ky.) High School, who committed in June. Robinson, the nation’s No. 382 prospect, chose the Demon Deacons over offers from Florida, LSU, Miami, Penn State, Texas and others.

Clawson and his staff are known for their ability to develop players who might not be recruited at the highest level. Just think what the Demon Deacons might be capable of if they start landing recruits such as Robinson on a consistent basis.

Clawson and company might just be getting started.

(Photo of Dabo Swinney: Ken Ruinard / USA Today)